DPI currently holds 80% CSO market share lead nationally in matters of security, protection and safety of approximatively 20,000 HRDs.

Capacity building

in protection and security for HRDs

During these trainings, HRDs are provided with accurate options for their security and safety needs which includes empowering and equipping them with physical, protection and digital security tools to enable them to continue to do their work securely.

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  • Conduct Security Health Checks and analyse/derive from it any prevailing security and safety gaps.
  • Provide a copy of and complete the Risk Assessment Matrix for organizational pre-project assessment of vulnerabilities vs capacities.
  • Organizational Security Management Committees nominated by staff.
  • Drafting of Performance Action Plans (what needs to be improved, who is responsible, timeframe)
  • Assured continuous follow-up visits and technical assistance from DPI henceforth

Digital Security

Purposed with the aim to equip CSO’s and digital security trainers/ enthusiasts with tools, concepts, practices, attitudes and knowledge especially on trending technological and cyber security issues

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  • Annual Digital Security Conference since 2017
  • Digital Security Clinics that provide hands-on and immediate remedies to the digital assets of HRDs and organizations.
  • Provision of SSL certificates, hardware and email-related solutions.
  • Subscription to Techsoup and Microsoft for subsidized provision of digital software to be given to HRDs free of charge e.g., antivirus, bit locker, genuine windows, etc.
  • The Digital Security Alliance is a loose partnership of Digital Experts that responds to the digital security needs of HRDs. The experts are both local and international.
  • Reporting system where HRD digital and protection threats are communicated to DPI
  • Kaspersky internet antivirus keys are freely provided to HRDs during training, clinics and to walk HRDs that walk into DPI.
  • Citizen Eye is a phone and computer application that enables the submission, collaboration and verification of incidents reported all over the country. This is for sustainable documentation and advocacy purposes.

Protection, Emergency and Rapid Response

We offer timely and efficient responses in a comprehensive manner to resolve protection, safety and security matters of HRDs/CSOs facing risks.

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  • Temporary shelter, food, medical referral and urgent medication services for HRDs

  • Basic food items and personal protection equipment (masks, sanitizer and infrared thermometers) during the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.

  • Phone and computer replacements when HRDs and Social Justice activists lose them through robbery, office/home raids/break-ins or confiscation.

  • Verification of threats/incidents faced by HRDs and compilation of reports to enable further fundraising for strengthening the physical and digital security of the victims.

  • Security Focal Persons as first responders, verifiers to HRDs at risk and also as mediators in tense situations.

  • Established and host the Security Working Group, a loose partnership of CSO’s working with minority groups. The members provide legal, protection, relocation, psychosocial and security services.

  • Set up a response mechanism, the Security Focal Persons based regionally to swiftly attend to threats faced by minority HRDs.

Safeguarding NPOs against ML & TF

New and highly restrictive regulations were being applied to NGOs in countries across the world to combat Money Laundering (ML) and Terrorism Financing (TF), we seek to stand between this to influence a conducive operating environment for civil society.

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Advocacy

We are passionate to improve the legal working environment of humanity through increased discussions and proposals on legislation that affect their work.

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  • A study on “The Legislative Climate of HRDs in Uganda: A glance at the legal excesses 2014”, recommended a specific law that provides for the recognition and protection of HRDs in Uganda.
  • Legal consultative meetings to discuss the draft copy of the HRD Protection Bill
  • The HRD Protection Bill Road Map up to 2021
  • Supported the Mover, seconder of the HRD Protection Bill to have it gazette
  • Supported the members of the 10th Parliament in the Committees on Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and the Human Rights Committee for a retreat to realign them and deepen their understanding of the contents of the Bill as it was in preparation for a 2nd reading.

Research and Studies

Our contribution to the civic space is in the way of highlights and recommendations to contemporary challenges that may arise and affect humanity, activists and CSOs at particular times. Some of these include;-

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  • The Legislative Climate of HRDs in Uganda; A glance at the Legal excesses
  • Delisting of NGOs as accountable persons with the Financial Intelligence Authority,
    • Should NGOs be worried about trends in Digital security and several other online surveys.
    • Justification to de-list NPOs in Uganda from the list of accountable persons under the 2nd schedule to the AML ACT 2013 (as amended)
    • Anti-money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing (AML/CTF) Laws: An examination of their impact on civic space in Uganda

Special projects

To enhance business continuity and sustainability, DPI additionally takes on consultancy projects on behalf of our partners in line with our niche of protection, risk assessments and security for groups of HRDs and organisations. With over 20 of the same implemented, our partners include;-

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  • HRAPF, a 360 degrees Security Assessment for the organization and staff after a spate of office break-ins at the office premises that also led to the loss of a life of a security guard.
  • HRCU, Training of their beneficiaries in Kalangala, Moroto, Mukono and Masaka on Security and safety as an organizational culture
  • USAID/Freedom House Uganda, Security and protection training for Journalists nationwide
  • OSEIA, A regional convening on Approaches in Land Rights and the Role of Land Rights Defenders 2019
  • Open Society Foundation, -Empowering OSF grantees in Cambodia (HRDs) on risk assessment and developing security protocols
  • Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition reviewed and developed a strategy for their protection mechanism
  • Frontline AIDS- Risk assessment and developing security protocols for service providers that serve the Key populations
  • Uganda Land Alliance, Conflict resolution for staff and on risk assessment and developing security protocols during the transition with new leadership.
  • Global Rights Alert, Staff awareness on the importance of an organizational Security Culture 2016 and Physical and digital security training for their partners in the Albertine region 2022
  • Civsource, Comprehensive Risk Assessment on the operations of Philanthropy in East Africa 2022
  • FIDA, Risk Assessment training and support to source and procure in-house security enhancing equipment for the office premises.
  • WIPS, formerly ISIS-WICCE, Post Incident review, Risk Assessment training after an office break-in in
  • ACTV, physical and digital security trainings for staff in the Kampala and Gulu offices after a cyber/email hack.
  • ActionAid, Risk Assessment for youth activist organisations 2016
  • AJWS 2021, Technical and Organisational support to Zoka including drafting of a strategic plan

Security Advisory Services

Consultancy, Risk Assessments, post incident reviews, conflict resolution

Our partners seek and are provided technical advisory services, options and solutions. We are firm believers in the adage “two heads are better than one” thus we are always available to brainstorm, tease through and conduct scenario-building sessions for our partners through risk assessments, post-incident reviews and alternative dispute resolutions to assess causes/gaps and recommending solutions to HRDs and CSO’s

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  • Security assessments for event venues and neighbourhoods of new office premises

  • Contextualised safe roadmaps and strategies leading to HRDs major activities and ensuring security accountabilities and protection to each other and adherence to the laws of Uganda.

  • Post Incident reviews to investigate probable vulnerabilities that could have culminated into an aggression/threat and provision remedies to mitigate future occurrence and are also learning avenues for the HRDs to improve their organizational security cultures.

  • Safety kits and self-defence skills sessions for vulnerable HRDs, e.g Women HRDs.

  • Security Focal Persons are physically deployed at events organized by our partners, to preempt security incidents and also act as early warning systems.

  • My security companion-add the publication in PDF

Kyotos/Regional Dialogues

We venture into informal convenings (Kyootos/Dialogues) that bring together defenders, stakeholders, policyholders, etc. to discuss on security threats and reprisals.

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Experience in protection work informs us that given the working environment within which defenders operate, and the unprecedented security threats the environment presents to them, security and safety can no longer depend on the Protection and Deterrence security management approaches, but also on the Acceptance approach. To this, we greatly rely on kyootos as a source of learning and also a platform where defenders meet with stakeholders to agree upon the several working-environment uncertainties and forge ways to address them.

Coordination Mechanisms

We believe in shared responsibility, efficient use of resources, avoidance of duplicity and creation of joint national verification and response teams for the safety, security and protection of HRDs and CSOs. DPI established, hosts and coordinates three (3) loose networks of HRDs and CSOs:-

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  1. Security Working Group
  2. National NPO working Group on FATF
  3. Digital Security Alliance (DSA)

The DSA is a platform coordinated by DPI, that brings together organizations and individuals to extend technical support in digital security to HRDs in Uganda

Objective

To achieve a safer digital environment by increasing the capacity of the digital security emergency response ecosystem to provide safety for Human Rights defenders under attack or threat

Mission

To coordinate emergency digital security, support and rapid emergency response for Human Rights Defenders in Uganda.

Vision

To become a cornerstone of digital security support and rapid emergency response for Human Rights Defenders in Uganda.

Hosting Office Space

In support of the work of partner CSOs, we share office space with Her Internet a young womxn-led feminist organization that advocates for the digital rights and internet freedoms of womxn, focusing on LBQ (lesbian, bisexual and queer) womxn.

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HER Internet has responded to high levels of cyber crime, increased surveillance by state and non-state actors, and online violence directed at womxn and LBQ movements.

 

Why we do our work

We are driven by a passion to protect the working environment for Humanity
 

We quickly and effectively incorporate new trends in response to humanity’s ever-evolving and emerging safety, security & protection needs.

Our mechanisms ensure that we reach all areas where digital support is limited

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Our team of experts do their best

 

Far far away, behind the word mountains, far from the countries Vokalia and Consonantia, there live the blind texts.

01

RESEARCH

When, while the lovely valley teem with vapour around me, and the meridian.

02

UI DESIGN

When, while the lovely valley teem with vapour around me, and the meridian.

03

DEVELOP

When, while the lovely valley teem with vapour around me, and the meridian.

04

SUPPORT

When, while the lovely valley teem with vapour around me, and the meridian.