Human Rights Watch Canada has received a CAD$1 million grant from The Slaight Family Foundation, Human Rights Watch said today. It is part of a $13 million emergency initiative supporting Canadian humanitarian organizations in response to the fallout from recent US foreign aid cuts.
The Trump administration's abrupt suspension of most US foreign assistance earlier this year has had immediate and devastating consequences for civilians around the world. Health, nutrition, and child protection programs have been shuttered, and support for civil society organizations-including those focused on atrocity prevention, legal aid, and media freedom-has collapsed.
Human Rights Watch Canada will use the support from The Slaight Family Foundation to document the human impact of these aid cuts, raise the alarm about shrinking space for civil society, and advocate for renewed support to the communities and defenders most affected.
"Human Rights Watch Canada has had the privilege of partnering with the Slaight family for nearly two decades," said Carine Chehab, senior director at Human Rights Watch Canada. "We're deeply grateful to The Slaight Family Foundation-and to Donna and Gary Slaight personally-for their unwavering commitment to advancing justice and human dignity, especially at a time when those values are under assault."
The grant will support research documenting the effects of cuts to life-saving humanitarian aid, particularly for women, girls, and marginalized communities most affected by the US cuts. Human Rights Watch Canada will speak with frontline humanitarian actors-many of whom cannot speak out publicly for fear of retaliation-as well as civilians impacted by the cuts, to ensure that decision-makers in Canada and internationally hear their concerns.
It will also help safeguard civil society by documenting the growing risks faced by human rights defenders, journalists, and community organizations in countries where US support has abruptly ended. Human Rights Watch Canada will expose the impact of these cuts and press for the defense of fundamental rights and freedoms.
"These cuts have come at a time when global needs are surging and when local human rights groups are already operating under enormous pressure," Chehab said. "In this fragile global landscape, the need for principled leadership like that of the Slaight family is more urgent than ever."
Human Rights Watch Canada is one of 13 Canadian-led or Canadian-supported organizations selected for funding under The Slaight Foundation's NGO Emergency Support Initiative.
