Ligue des droits de l'Homme

Description

The Ligue des droits de l’Homme, LDH, is a French human rights organization. Its own materials trace its history from 1898 to the present day.

It works across a wide range of themes. These include civil liberties and democracy, racism and antisemitism, discrimination, women’s rights, the rights of foreign nationals, overseas territories, economic and social rights, freedom of artistic creation, the environment, and police practices. It also runs a campaign against police violence.

It offers a free legal service, taking calls from the public and directing people to local Points d’Accès aux Droits and Maisons de Justice. It operates alongside these access points in Paris and Seine-Saint-Denis.

It has an internship program and local sections across France, and it maintains partnerships with international human rights organizations.

It publishes a magazine called Droits et Libertés, records its legal victories, and organizes activities such as an essay competition, a mock-pleading competition and a podcast. It also accepts memberships and donations to fund its work.

As an example of its advocacy, in January 2022 the LDH joined more than a dozen other associations, unions and secular-rights groups in an open letter to the French Minister of National Education. The letter warned against the introduction of “mindfulness” meditation programs in schools. It linked the programs to an American esoteric think tank and warned they could expose children to sectarian influence without proper oversight or parental consent.