Challenge: Human Rights Defenders are often kidnapped or killed.

Without information about time/place it's impossible to help and with dated information the public’s sense of urgency is lost. There was a need to identify attacks, protect those at risk and build global awareness around the situations.

Objectives: Protect those at risk and bring attacks to the world's direct attention

Strategy: Provide individual human rights defenders with GSM/GPS assault alarm hardware and connect it with local partners, Civil Rights Defenders and social media through nataliaproject.org hence building a social media network amplifying the alarm.

With no budget for commercial media it was absolutely critical to get good penetration in earned media. No other channel than PR was used apart from personal social media networks making the PR platform 'First global assault alarm system for human rights defenders at risk' the sole vehicle for communication of the project.

The goal was to:

- create attention around the first human rights defenders equipped with the alarm.

- create a network of people receiving the alarm and in turn amplifying it in the social networks of their own.

- position Civil Rights Defenders as a change leader in human rights with technology as resource.

- engage partners in distributing the distress signals as well as providing more human rights defenders with the alarm.

The project launched April 4 and after two weeks the results so far can be divided into four parts:

- Direct response (likes and follows), within in less than a week created a potential reach for the alarm to be distributed in social media surpassing 100.000 and growing by the hour.

- Google hits went from 4.000 to 23.000.0000 in under four days.

- Earned media with a reach of 1.000.0000.000 + persons distributed the project, positioning Civil Rights Defenders.

- With just two weeks down the road, no survey has yet been done. However the project has in this short period of time exceeded all expectations.

- As a final note, just two days after launch the United Nations rapporteur endorsed the project and today Google called from California (which in Sweden is a big thing) offering their assistance looking for how to help Natalia Project grow even further.

Starting at the Defenders' Days, a conference in Stockholm on the 4th of April 2013 and the announcement of Natalia Project.

- The Natalia Project was introduced to 150 international human rights defenders at Defenders' Days on April 4 in Stockholm.

- The story had been pitched to selected Swedish bloggers and journalists under embargo.

- Strong external endorsers was recorded coming out in favor of the project

- Nataliaproject.org went live in conjunction with a Facebook fan-page and a Twitter profile for the world to sign up on, providing press material as a down load.

- The 3 min 'Natalia' film presenting the project was released on YouTube and nataliaproject.org.

- The same day there was a press conference with material such as news graphics, the film describing the project as well as stills of the hardware / bracelets.

- And finally a release was sent with European distribution.

"We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim.

Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.

Wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must - at that moment - become the center of the universe."

Elie Wiesel, Nobel Peace Prize Winner

Human Rights Defenders are often kidnapped, tortured or killed.

Without information about time/place it's impossible to help and with date dor incorrect information the public’s sense of urgency is lost.

There was a need to identify attacks, protect those at risk and build awareness around the situations.

- Identify journalist that previously had written about human rights issues, oppressed regimes or technology in NGO service.

- Pitch the story to selected Swedish bloggers and journalists under embargo.

- To identify strong potential external endorsers.

- Produce a 3 min film presenting the project.

- Produce nataliaproject.org for the world to sign up on, providing press material as a down load.

- Align a release with European distribution.