The International Human Rights Art Movement is a 501c3 non-profit organization
What will my donation support?
Your donation will support such programming as:
Rapid-Response Publishing Program: listening to writers around the world, on-the-ground and in the middle of the most important social justice and human rights challenges. Works have included Iranian Women Speak, Voices of Ukraine, Queer Voices of the World, Voices of Palestine and more.
Tomorrow’s Leaders Today: IHRAM’s expanding youth component supports Youth Fellowships, a Youth Literary Anthology, a Youth Drama Festival, a Youth Art Festival and the receipt of more than 70 literary award applications from around the world, from creators as young as six years old!
World Voices for Change: IHRAM has worked with and amplified the voices of artist-creators at risk from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Iran to Hong Kong to Nepal and all other countries where writing a poem can cause an artist to risk their life.
Mbizo Chirasha
Poet-in-Exile, Zimbabwe
Mbizo first contacted us in late August 2017. His activist poetry has caused him to be pursued from Zimbabwe to South Africa, then to Zambia, Kenya and Mozambique. Currently, Mbizo is in hiding in southern Africa.
My global activities in Zimbabwe cause me to be regarded as a state opponent. My work angers both the previous and the current regime. It’s a big threat for me. The current regime is also not happy with my writings against corruption and injustice. I am facing threats in most of southern Africa. Somebody followed me from Zambia to South Africa and wanted to know my location. It’s hectic brother man. I don't have a PC, no internet and no food. Now I am on the deep end. I am draining spiritually and creatively. My social stature is slowly falling apart. I am in bad state. I am not sustainable. You know exile is not good, my brother.
We have continued to offer Mbizo transparency through our publishing and digital media platforms, as well as direct-action grants to support him with room, board, medicine and Internet access. Recently, he noted:
Thank you greatly. I owe you a life. IHRAM has stood with my welfare, communication, talent and artistic career development since 2017. I salute the amount of care, support and development. Thank you to the board, staff, artists and festival organizers for the trust. ALUTA CONTINUA!!!
Afghan Women Speak: a project to open a space for Afghan migrants and refugees to express themselves.
And all of our other live and literary programming!
Our Flagship Festival
This week-long advocacy-art festival brings together human rights art in all media, raising awareness of social concerns. The week includes over 150+ artists in 40+ performances in all media. Your donation ensures that all artists are paid for their work and their activism. The next International Human Rights Art Festival is currently scheduled for December 6-12, 2021 at the Wild Project Theater in Brooklyn, New York.
IHRAF Publishes
Our publication features writers from around the world whose work is tough, beautiful, vulnerable and focused on creatively working toward the common good. We have published a series of more than 100 works total from more than 25 countries, weekly in 2019 and 2020. We are a Pushcart Prize Nominating Literary Journal.