BRAVE Research Center
The Human Rights Analysis & Vanguard Enterprise Research center- BRAVE- embodies the second pillar of CORE by curating a decentralized knowledge-sharing network that interlinks civil society NGOs, multilateral institutions.
Mission
To advance universal human rights through systematic documentation, innovative analysis, legal advocacy, and proactive intervention strategies that transform rights principles into practical protection for vulnerable populations, especially tribes, pastoralists and minorities deprived of customary & property rights.
Focus areas
- Documentation of rights violations, legal frameworks to protect vulnerable populations
- Rights-based governance frameworks and implementation
- Vulnerable populations and structural discrimination
- Digital rights and technological impacts on human dignity
- Transitional justice and accountability mechanisms
- Economic and social rights advancement strategies
Key Functions
- Documenting and analyzing human violations in sub-saharan Africa and the Middle East
- Developing comprehensive frameworks for rights-based governance
- Advocating for legal and policy reforms at national, regional and international levels
- Producing evidence-based policy recommendations
- Creating and developing early warning systems for rights deterioration: land dispossession, mass atrocities
- Building capacity among rights defenders and institutions locally in secure, mobile data collection satellite analysis and crowdsourcing
- Partnering with local communities to co-create knowledge and solutions
Rights Documentation & Monitoring Division
This division systematically collects and analyzes human rights violations data (with a special focus on under-reported violations against indigenous and minority groups) to establish patterns and inform advocacy.International Legal Frameworks Division
Focused on normative frameworks, this division analyzes human rights law implementation and effectiveness across jurisdictions. It tracks compliance and gaps in international and customary law; it supports strategic litigation and transitional justice.Vulnerable Populations Division
This division conducts specialized research on marginalized communities (pastoralists, indigenous groups and minorities)facing heightened rights violations, developing targeted protection frameworks. It focuses on land dispossession, statelessness, and cultural erasure (e.g., violation of property/customary rights)Digital Rights & emerging Technologies Division
Examining the intersection of technology and human rights, -including digital repression - this division studies privacy, surveillance and and the protection of online civic spaces in contemporary contexts.
Research Projects
LVS Foundation BRAVE Research center on human rights' violations generates the Focus Brief, a specialize brief that synthesizes evidence, analyzes systemic patterns, and advocates for policy reforms. This document—including various perspectives from Policy Briefs, Issue Briefs, and Human Rights Briefs—serves distinct purposes, from distilling academic findings for policymakers to triggering actionable interventions. Grounded in methodologies like event-based data collection and stakeholder analysis, the Focus Brief bridges academic rigor with governance imperatives, particularly in contexts such as conflict zones, authoritarian regimes, and postcolonial states.
- BRAVE Policy Briefs are aimed at translating evidence into Governance Reforms. Our briefs target multilateral institutions (e.g., UN Human Rights Council) and emphasize feasibility, balancing moral imperatives with political realities. We prioritize actionable recommendations for legislators, international bodies, and advocacy groups, with a problem-solution canvas i.e Problem Identification (Highlighting systemic issues like state-sanctioned violence or discriminatory laws. For example, the African Union’s policy brief on Ethiopia’s Tigray conflict documented mass atrocities and urged regional interventions to protect civilians) - Evidence Synthesis (Integrating quantitative data with qualitative testimonies to establish credibility) - Recommendations (sanctions, legal reforms, humanitarian aid protocols).
- BRAVE Issue Briefs are aimed at spotlighting emergency crises and provide rapid assessments of acute human rights challenges, often in response to unfolding crises. They prioritize: Timeliness - Cross-Sectoral Analysis (Linking violations to broader trends, such as climate-induced migration in the Sahel) - Stakeholder Mobilization
- BRAVE HR Briefs focus on Legal Frameworks and Jurisprudential Advocacy. They analyze violations through international law lenses and are instrumental in shaping judicial outcomes and legislative reforms, particularly in transitional justice contexts. The Human Rights Brief dissects cases using: Case Law Reviews - Normative Critiques (Assessing gaps in treaties)- Litigation Strategies (Outlining amicus curiae submissions for landmark trials, such as prosecutions of wartime sexual violence).
