Some Top Nonprofit Organizations That You Should Know

In light of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we are going to feature some of the top nonprofit human rights organizations around the world for this week's BuzzFeed. UCSD is also holding its 38th Annual San Diego Martin Luther King Jr. Parade and Day of Service this Sunday (Jan 14th,2018). See more information and register at the link here http://mlkday.ucsd.edu/

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)

Via theinspirationroom.com

UNICEF has been working in 190 countries and territories to protect the rights and improve the lives of every children and their families for 70 years. Some of the areas that UNICEF has been working on are child safety and inclusion, children with disabilities, child survival, education and development, gender equality, health etc. Some widely known projects of UNICEF are Kid Power, which encourages kids to use their own efforts to help other kids in need; Girl Star, a series of documentary that tells stories of girls from the poorest areas in India that strive to success via education; trick-or-treat UNICEF box etc.

Visit the official website of UNICEF.

Human Rights Watch (HRW)

Via beursvanberlage.com

Established in 1978, HRW is a nonprofit NGO that strives to advocate for justice and defend human rights of people around the world. It is well-known for its accuracy of fact-finding, fairness of reporting, and independence of any external associations. HRW conducts researches and publishes reports on violations of international human rights norms as set out by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. They are used to draw international attention and exert pressure on those with power to respect rights and secure justice. Issues that have been brought to light by HRW include gender discrimination, political corruption, abuses in criminal justice systems, the legalization of abortion etc.

Visit the official website of HRW.

International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

Via babnet.net

The International Committee of the Red Cross is a humanitarian institution based in Geneva, Switzerland with over 16,000 staff members in more than 80 countries. The largest operations in the world are Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, Iraq, Israel etc. Its mission statement states that: "The International Committee of the Red Cross is an impartial, neutral and independent organization whose exclusively humanitarian mission is to protect the lives and dignity of victims of armed conflict and other situations of violence and to provide them with assistance." It also directs international relief and works to promote and strengthen humanitarian law and universal humanitarian principles.

Visit the official website of ICRC.

Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)

Via naccma.org

NRC is an independent humanitarian organization that helps people who are affected by displacement. This includes refugees and internally displaced persons who are forced to flee their homes as a result of conflict, human rights violations, violence, as well as climate change and natural disasters. Headquartered in Norway, NRC works in 31 countries with around 6,000 staff members, delivering food assistance, clean water, shelter, legal aid and education to people in need.

Visit the official website of NRC.

Protection International (PI)

Via en.wikipedia.org

PI is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to support and protect human rights defenders through comprehensive protection programmes. It aims to find durable solutions to protection issues and empower defenders to protect themselves effectively. It encourages authorities to fulfill their responsibilities to protect and respect human rights.

Visit the official website of PI.