Today marks the end of Advocacy Awareness Week 2018. Working with advocates is one of our primary work streams here at BIHR and an awareness week offers an opportunity to stop and reflect on its importance. We’ve been sharing a different story every day from our Advocacy Project, “Care and Support a Human Rights Based Approach to Advocacy.” These stories are real and show the life changing difference Human Rights based advocacy makes to people here in the UK. One of these stories was Nina’s. Nina was moved 200 miles from home for mental health treatment, it was difficult for Nina’s family to visit and she began self-harming. Her Independent Mental Health Advocate, trained by BIHR, stepped in and wrote to the Commissioners about Nina’s Article 8 Right to Private and Family life, Nina was moved closer to home. Advocacy Awareness week emphasizes that Nina’s story is sadly not unique. The need for advocates to challenge unlawful decisions on...

This post was originally published on British Institute of Human Rights News .