Freedom House Communication, Advocacy, and Information Exchange With CSOs that work with HRDs, communication, advocacy and information exchange with migration authorities should be supported to improve their practices and their effectiveness in regularizing their status. Local NGOs, CSOs, and universities already working with the larger migrant Nicaraguan population could take the lead. Illustrative Activities • Promote and strengthen relationships between groups and organizations and networks that work to support HRDs in exile. • Increase awareness and monitoring of human rights violations both in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. This includes documenting violations, enhancing visibility of the situation of HRDs at risk, listing relevant legislation and monitoring case law, developing support networks and research; and offering spaces for information sharing and awareness-raising. • Promote spaces for HRD dialogue and meetings, where Nicaraguan HRDs can exchange and share. Human rights organizations should be invited as well. • Further examine the role of universities in promoting integration of HRDs. Build on the expertise and resources of current and exiting programs and initiatives. • Establish alliances with the Costa Rica media and human rights organizations to serve as sources of information about Costa Rica, as well as to raise awareness about the need to protect HRDs, highlight collaboration and exchange as means to further integration. • Hold meetings with human rights defenders from other countries to update themselves on the issues and learn how different challenges and opportunities for HRDs in exile are being addressed in other countries. • Engage municipalities and local authorities with a high concentration of HRDs and Nicaraguan exiles to promote actions and facilitate integration, dialogue, and exchange, as well as raise awareness about the work of HRDs. • Support Training of Trainers (ToT) initiatives for HRDs so they become agents of multiplication and spread information and capacity building in topics such as: • Prioritizing HRD agenda items and topics for engagements and advocacy. • Support HRD initiatives that tackle the prevention, approach, and treatment of gender-based violence and violence against children, such as: • Raise awareness about the origins, causes and manifestations of gender-based violence and sexism. • Develop training on the laws and institutions that address both issues. • Ensure knowledge of mechanisms and procedures for addressing and preventing violence. • Promote educational actions about the culture of peace, gender equity, equality and the rights of women and children. • Incorporate in the action of HRDs the accompaniment and protection of victims of gender violence and against children. • Integrate the support actions into the generation or identification of spaces so that HRDs can carry out their work of accompaniment, defense, and denunciation of human rights. Expand and Strengthen Existing Support, Services and Networks for HRDs Illustrative Activities • Train HRDs to be able to support, accompany and advise compatriots with their paperwork and procedures. • Work on the definition of plans and protocols that accompany the voluntary return of HRDs and other exiles so that it is as safe as possible and, if possible, has the monitoring of international organizations and institutions. • Establish with CSOs, HRDs and mechanisms to monitor the situation of HRDs and other exiles. • Facilitate knowledge, collaboration, and exchange of experiences with groups and organizations that carry out support work for HRDs and CSOs in Costa Rica and in other countries. • Training in Human Rights, gender violence and non-discrimination • Promote meeting and reflection spaces for HRDs so that they can exchange experiences. • Production of printed and electronic information materials • Establish and support Nicaraguan HRDs and CSOs to help compatriots safely return home. FreedomHouse.org 19