Thomas Paine Initiative

“Give to every other human being every right that you claim for yourself – that is my doctrine”  Thomas Paine – The Age of Reason 1795) 

The Thomas Paine Initiative is a collaborative fund, in the process of being established by a number of UK and international funders. It has not yet been launched.

The aims of the Initiative will be:

• To promote the fundamental values underlying the European Convention on Human Rights in the UK. 
• To support research considering the potential options available for changes in UK human rights legislation and regulation and to educate by way of informed comment on the potential impact of the changes.  
• To promote an increase in overall funding for human rights work in the UK and to enable NGOs working in this field to become more financially robust.
• To increase public support for and awareness of human rights.

Shifting political and economic trends in the UK and across Europe, make this a moment of increasing risk to global human rights achievements. A number of funders have grouped together as they feel this necessitates a well-informed and coordinated grant-making strategy that can respond to significant developments quickly and ensure that the field as a whole is well placed to contribute to the evolving debate efffectively.