In a time marked by democratic backsliding, systemic repression, and the shrinking of civic space, The Defender’s Academy aims to be a critical response and meeting point for those committed to defending human rights and democracy in the Euro-Mediterranean region. The Academy is not only a training program, but also a living space of solidarity, intergenerational learning, and collective resistance.
Held at the Centre Esplai Hostel, a sustainable and inclusive space that reflects the values of environmental and social justice, the Defenders Academy gathered in November 2024, nearly 60 participants from across the region: movement-builders, frontline communities, public servants, artists, and human rights defenders working across borders and struggles. In the face of rising authoritarianism, the Academy offered tools for civil resistance and nonviolent action as well as a space to imagine new futures grounded in justice, care, and belonging.
During the course of 6 days, the Academy offered a space for mutual learning, focusing on deepening thematic work around civil resistance while prioritizing intersectionality and geographic diversity. It placed particular emphasis on digital surveillance, collective security, and the urgent need to strengthen alliances between those resisting violent state and non-state actors, especially as oppression increasingly targets women, LGBTIQ+, racialized, and displaced communities.
From powerful testimonies by Palestinian and Sahrawi defenders to strategic workshops on fundraising, communications, and digital protection, the Academy became a living laboratory of nonviolence, with trainers and human rights defenders coming from both sides of the Mediterranean and Europe. Activities such as a public act on belonging, a visit to the Catalan Parliament, and daily spaces of psychosocial care, created an environment where community-building and critical learning were equally valued.
