To mark the beginning of Open Briefing's 15th anniversary year, we brought together practitioners from across civil society for a panel discussion exploring how protection is evolving. Drawing on the conversation, this article examines why protection is shifting beyond responding to immediate threats towards sustaining the people, organisations and movements leading change under pressure.
As threats against environmental defenders intensify, Ugandan activist Bob Barigye shares how collective protection, solidarity, and practical security support are helping sustain long-term resistance to the East African Crude Oil Pipeline.
The question is never whether change is possible. It is whether the people driving it can endure long enough to see it through. Open Briefing's 2026–29 strategy reflects 15 years of learning alongside defenders, movements, nonprofits, foundations, and civil society organisations around the world. It sets out our evolving approach to regenerative protection - one that not only responds to threats, but helps renew the people, relationships, and systems that make collective action possible over time.
As Open Briefing marks 15 years and prepares to launch its 2026–29 strategy, we are introducing a refreshed brand identity that better reflects our work, values, and evolving approach to regenerative protection. Discover what's changing, what isn't, and why this moment matters.
In this edition of The Briefing, we share key findings from our independent external impact evaluation and reflect on what comes next for Open Briefing and the wider protection ecosystem. You’ll also find stories from our recent work supporting quilombola communities in Brazil, defenders in Nairobi, and environmental leaders recognised by the Goldman Environmental Prize.
Through three in-person workshops in April 2026, Open Briefing supported quilombola communities in Maranhão to strengthen safety and security. Read more about our on-the-ground work in Brazil.
An independent evaluation of Open Briefing’s 2023–26 strategy found that our support often makes the difference between stopping and staying in the fight. By restoring agency, strengthening resilience, and enabling continuity under threat, our work is helping defenders, movements, and organisations continue under pressure - while shaping the future of protection across the wider ecosystem.
Join Open Briefing as a Collective Care and Community Wellbeing Consultant, supporting activists and movements at risk. This flexible remote consultancy role focuses on collective care, psychosocial support, and wellbeing resilience.
