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We live within a capitalist system that fundamentally undermines our social and personal well-being by reducing human value to productive capacity. Individuals who cannot or do not produce according to market standards are deemed worthless, creating profound alienation. This economic structure deliberately fractures communities and relationships as it prioritizes competition over cooperation. Disconnection is built into the modern social order—from ourselves, our bodies, our emotions, and our communities. Within a system that is already detrimental to our health and well-being, those who hold marginalized identities are placed at higher risk by the systemic inequalities inherent in capitalism.
We are in a moment of great political and economic upheaval. Authoritarianism is on the rise; rights protections are being eroded, and activism has become increasingly dangerous. Human rights defenders (HRDs) around the world face a complex web of risks: physical safety, legal and criminal risks, economic challenges, surveillance and privacy violations, and the cumulative trauma of victimization, whether direct or by witnessing and challenging oppression. All of these hazards are embedded within the capitalist system.
A radical approach: Care
In this environment, genuinely caring for ourselves and our community is a radical political act. Building on decades of organizing by marginalized communities (for example, The Combahee River Collective Statement), who recognized that their survival and well-being were never guaranteed by the existing system, choosing to rest, to build authentic relationships, and to prioritize collective well-being directly undermines the mechanisms that maintain inequality. The healing justice framework asks us to recognize that nurturing ourselves and our relationships isn’t merely a question of personal wellness but also represents active resistance.
This understanding of care as radical practice becomes particularly visible in movements that face sustained state violence, where traditional support systems are inadequate or absent entirely. Mutual aid, food sovereignty, and community care are not just coping mechanisms—they’re political innovations that model the society movements are working to create.
Lessons from groups organizing against law enforcement violence
The movement against law enforcement violence in the United States provides a number of examples that we can learn from as we think about care as a political act and how to better support human rights defenders (HRDs) who are at the forefront of these movements.
Mothers Against Police Brutality (MAPB), a Texas-based advocacy organization, has developed a two-year fellowship program that brings together a cohort of women who have lost loved ones to law enforcement violence. The fellowship creates a place of community and shared work where participants receive expert training on advocacy and policy, individual therapy, and opportunities to organize together around shared goals. Fellowship recipients have described the experience as life-changing.
Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence (FSFAPV), a Minnesota-based support group, is another example of a grassroots organization that is providing vital assistance. FSFAPV grew out of one woman’s desire to make sure that no one felt alone when they were faced with the loss of a loved one to law enforcement violence. FSFAPV is a mutual support organization that provides financial assistance, legal aid, and social and emotional support to HRDs working on the front lines. FSFAPV is a space in which HRDs come together not only to turn their grief into action but also to celebrate the lives of their loved ones and to honor their community through gatherings such as birthday parties and holiday celebrations.
Celebrating together recognizes and deepens the shared emotional experience of the HRDs; these events bear witness to the loss of a loved one, validating the experiences of the community and creating a shared bond. These informal gatherings also create a space in which relationships are built, knowledge is shared, and the collective is strengthened.
Silicon Valley De-Bug (SVDB), a California-based organizing and advocacy organization, supports yearly healing retreats for HRDs impacted by law enforcement violence. These retreats originated out of one woman’s vision and for a time and space of healing for impacted families. Each year, HRDs and impacted families gather at a beach house for a time of collective healing and connecting.
At the retreat, attendees spend some time discussing their work as HRDs and shared goals, but most of the time is for being together to build community, grieve, and heal. Impacted individuals tell us that the pain and grief of losing a loved one to law enforcement violence is unlike the pain of any other type of loss; time spent with others who have suffered a similar loss is vital to their healing. Through craft workshops, games, shared meals, and time to remember their loved ones, this retreat is building a community that recognizes the full humanity of HRDs and impacted families. Support networks, such as this community, enable HRDs to continue their activism and not burn out quickly.
Communal and grassroots support for healing initiatives
These grassroots initiatives are reimagining support and healing for HRDs. They reject the culture of heroism and individualism that is so prevalent in human rights work and embrace the collective. Human rights change requires determination and long-term commitment. Support systems, such as those discussed above, help prevent HRD burnout by creating collective spaces for learning, healing, and activism.
Support systems must be designed by and for the communities they serve, and external experts can provide resources and advice, but the most effective approaches will emerge from the lived experiences of defenders. Defenders and their communities inherently understand the complex challenges they face, the social dynamics, the resources they have access to, and the community context in ways that outside experts do not. Experts can contribute to these efforts by sharing their specialized knowledge and access to their professional networks. Community-led action reinforces social networks, fosters sustainability, helps avoid consequences that outsiders might not have foreseen, and increases the resilience of the program and the community.
Spreading and adapting support systems for HRDs will require fundamental changes in how we think about human rights work—community care is an essential component of change rather than a peripheral concern.