Human rights 👥⚖️
Illustration: Venita Oberholster via Pixabay.
Explore human rights volunteering opportunities with organisations and community projects involved in rights advocacy, education, protection, legal or practical support and other activities connected with human dignity, equality and access to fundamental rights.
Human rights belong to every person regardless of nationality, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language or other status. They include civil and political rights as well as economic, social and cultural rights such as access to education, health, work and an adequate standard of living. You can read a broader introduction from the UN Human Rights Office.
What is human rights volunteering? 👥⚖️
On this page, human rights volunteering means taking part in work directly connected with promoting, protecting or improving access to human rights. This may include rights education, advocacy, anti-discrimination work, asylum or legal support, documenting abuses, supporting people in exercising their rights or helping organisations develop rights-based programmes.
Human rights and general community support
Human rights work can overlap with humanitarian aid, healthcare, education, poverty reduction and community development, but the terms are not interchangeable. A project is especially relevant to this page when a rights-based purpose is clearly part of its activities, such as informing people about their rights, supporting access to justice or asylum procedures, preventing discrimination or violence, advocating for legal or social change, or protecting the rights of particular communities.
How to use this page
Read each listing carefully to understand what the volunteer will actually do. Roles may range from research, communications and fundraising to community outreach, rights education, casework or legal support. Some activities require professional qualifications, local legal knowledge, safeguarding procedures or close supervision.
Be particularly cautious with roles involving survivors of violence, refugees, children or other people in vulnerable situations. Ask how privacy, informed consent, safeguarding and confidential information are handled, and do not undertake legal, counselling, medical or protection responsibilities beyond your qualifications and experience.
For broader practical guidance, see Voluntouring’s safety and legality information.
Related opportunities: Refugees · Women empowerment · Youth empowerment · NGOs
Last reviewed: October 2026.
Browse human rights volunteering opportunities 👥⚖️
Browse the opportunities below and check how human rights work is actually connected with each role. Some older listings may no longer be active or their programmes may have changed, so confirm the current activities, responsibilities and requirements before applying.
Does your organisation offer a clearly defined volunteer role connected with human rights advocacy, education, protection or access to rights? You can submit your opportunity to Voluntouring.org for editorial review.
