DHR is a collective dedicated to study and propose new ideas and frameworks facilitating the development of human rights standards designed for 21st century’s needs, using the creativity of artists’ processes as an inspiration on how to move forward.
Our Philosophy
We believe that both human rights and art are dynamic, evolving practices, shaped by the continuous transformation of our societies and our shared human destiny. Throughout history, art has opened new pathways for progress and social justice by challenging conventions and imagining alternatives. We seek to learn from artistic processes, particularly their ability to think beyond established frameworks, in order to help human rights law evolve as rapidly as the world it seeks to regulate. Central to our philosophy is a renewed approach to pedagogy, grounded in participatory and circular methods of teaching that value dialogue, mutual learning, and the active contribution of all participants.
Our Values
Design Human Rights (DHR) is guided by a commitment to independence, intellectual rigor, creativity, and inclusivity. We believe that human rights must remain a living, evolving framework, shaped not only by legal expertise but also by artistic imagination, critical scholarship, and the voices of civil society. Our work is grounded in dialogue, openness, and respect for diverse perspectives, with particular attention to empowering younger generations. By fostering collaboration across disciplines and sectors, we seek to promote thoughtful, innovative, and practical approaches that strengthen both the relevance and the implementation of human rights today.
Our Work
Our work unfolds at the intersection of research, creation, and education. We design and organize colloquies, conferences, and interdisciplinary encounters that bring together artists, scholars, legal practitioners, and members of civil society to rethink contemporary human rights challenges. A significant part of our activity is dedicated to workshops with children, students, and young adults, where we experiment with innovative and participatory pedagogical methods. Alongside these initiatives, we conduct focused research projects and produce thematic reports that translate critical reflection and creative insight into concrete, forward-looking proposals for the evolution of human rights.
OUR ACTIONS
Pedagogy : Circular Research and Workshops
At its pedagogical core, DHR champions a circular research methodology that blends inquiry, reflection, creative experimentation and collaborative learning. By structuring research as an iterative and participatory process, DHR’s workshops do more than transmit content. They co-create knowledge with diverse stakeholders, including artists, students, scholars, legal experts and community participants.
Consultancy, Workshops, and Actions
DHR’s consultancy and workshop practice sits at the intersection of human rights norms, creative practice, and systemic innovation, offering organisations, public institutions, and civil society actors actionable frameworks for transforming human rights theory into practice. Through tailored workshops and strategic engagements, DHR helps partners critically examine emerging societal challenges, from digital rights to access and equity, and co-design human-centered strategies that are both conceptually bold and grounded in real-world impact.
Academic Research and Publishing
DHR’s academic research and publishing initiatives contribute to the evolution of human rights scholarship by integrating creative inquiry with interdisciplinary analysis. By foregrounding emergent challenges, whether conceptual, technological, cultural, or legal, DHR expands the evidence base that underpins human rights theory and practice. This commitment to open, creative, rigorous, and influential research reinforces the bridge between academic excellence and lasting societal benefit.
Specific Reports and Proposals
DHR produces targeted reports and proposals that advance next-generation thinking in human rights adaptation, policy innovation and norm expansion. These research outputs are crafted not only to document insights, but to shape public discourse, inform decision-makers, and catalyze institutional change.