Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an independent non-governmental nonprofit organization that works to prevent discrimination, uphold political freedom, protect people from inhumane conduct in wartime, and to bring offenders to justice. HRW , the largest human rights organization based in the USA (New York), investigates and exposes human rights violations and holds abusers accountable.

Regional HRW offices are located in Brussels, Moscow, London, Paris, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Tashkent, Toronto and Washington, and HRW tracks developments in more than 70 countries.

Issues followed by HRW include issues such as women’s rights, children’s rights, flow of arms to abusive forces, academic freedom, fair conditions of labor, international justice, prisons, drugs, refugees, and rights to health care.

HRW has exposed human rights abuses by governments and rebels … by Hutu and Tutsi, by Serb, Croat, Bosniak Muslim, and Kosavor Albanian, by Israelis and Palestinians; by Christians and Muslims in the islands of Indonesia, in Sudan, USA, Russia, Pakistan, China, Burma -Myanmar, Zimbabwe, DR Congo, Colombia, Somalia and many other countries.

A few of the past works of HRW include:
* Leading an international coalition to ban the use of child soldiers.
* Worked with partner organizations to create the International Campaign to Ban Landmines.
* Worked with the international war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslaviaand documented cases in Kosovo.
* Provided evidence of human rights abuses to the war crimes tribunal in Rwanda.
* Played an active tole in the legal action against former Chilean dictator Pinochet in London … establishing the precedent that dictators who flee their countries can be prosecuted anywhere in the world.
* On April 17, 2008, the Pakistan’s government signed UN conventions ensuring greater human rights in Pakistan.

A few of HRW’s current projects include issues such as :
* Urging the UN to end the suffering in Darfur.
* Examining prison abuse policies in the USA.
* Encouraging Olympic Sponsors to live up to their policies on social responsibility.
* Urging U.S. Senators to support the International Violence Against Women Act.
* Burma’s new constitution is examined as a sham process.
* Zimbabwe’s Presidential runoff elections are examined.
* China’s treatment of Tibetan monks.
* Human rights abuses in Somalia.

Information on donating, licensing a human rights film festival for your town, and program information can be found on their website.