Explanation:
There are a number of things you can do to stop the violations. Your ability to trigger a change in policy or prevent further human rights violations depends to a large extent on getting other governments and international organizations to take an interest in the problem.
Contact the appropriate federal agency. Certain federal agencies such as the Department of Justice help enforce human rights law and prosecute human rights violations.
Be prepared to let the agency know the suspect's name and a basic physical description, what they did that constituted a human rights violation, and how you came to know about it.
Draft a petition. Getting signatures on a petition can encourage the federal government to take notice of a particular human rights violation.
Before you start your petition drive, research the requirements for a legal petition so you can make sure you're following the rules and that all signatures on your petition will count as legitimate and actually make a difference.
Call or write your senator or representative. Your federal government representative may be willing to advance your interest in congress.
Writing an official can help explain the importance of the issue and persuade her to put her support behind any efforts to stop the human rights violation. If there currently aren't any government actions to fight this particular human rights violation, you may be able to get the issue on the table.
Keep your letter straight and to the point, and stick to the facts. Explain what the issue is, why it is important, and who it affects.
Choose the organization best suited to respond. While some organizations such as the UN have broader missions, there also are smaller organizations that focus on specific human rights issues such as human trafficking.
Read international human rights law. Particularly if you intend to contact an international organization such as the UN, you must be able to point to the particular part of international law that is being violated.
The UN website for the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights also has information on specific human rights treaties and reports on the performance of signatory countries under those treaties.
Draft your report. When you write your report to the organization you've chosen, be sure to include all relevant information and as many details as possible.
At a minimum, your report should state all relevant facts in chronological order. Include dates, times, and places of all incidents, along with as many names as you can, both of victims and perpetrators. Include all the contact information you know along with your own.
Basically, include anything and everything in your report that might help the organization investigate the report. Even if you think a detail is irrelevant, it could be what leads the investigator to find victims or perpetrators of human rights abuses and bring them to justice.
When you observe a possible human rights violation, write down as many details as possible while it's happening, including taking pictures, to establish a record you can later pass on to the appropriate organization.
Submit your report to the appropriate organization. Most international organizations have an address or toll-free telephone number you can use to submit tips or more extensive reports about human rights violations.
Cooperate with the organization in any follow-up activities. If a representative of the organization contacts you, be prepared to provide additional details, documentation, or the names and contact information of possible witnesses.
Organize a protest. Talk to like-minded individuals about staging a protest at an embassy or government building to increase awareness of the human rights violation.
You can use a public demonstration to increase public awareness of the issue and build support to stop the human rights violation. If you have enough people joining you, it also sends a message that you have a lot of support to stop the violations.
Go to the media. Seek attention from news networks and newspapers to help inform the public about the human rights violation.
If you are in another country when you witness a human rights violation, keep in mind that your telephone or email communications may be monitored. If you do talk to a journalist, be careful not to reveal names or contact information of any local sources over these channels. You don't want to get your witnesses in trouble.
You also could consider writing a letter to the editor to major or high profile newspapers or news magazines. Include information on how readers can help join the fight to stop the human rights violations you describe. If your letter is published, you can help raise awareness about the issue among the general public.
Start a social media campaign. Creating viral videos or status updates on social media networks can create a groundswell of support to stop the human rights violations.
Hope this helped you!
