In times of coronavirus and social distancing, many of us are staying at home. Here are some free things you can do from home to empower yourself to develop skills that promote equality and respect in your community and worldwide. Why not use your time wisely?

1. Share something hopeful and positive

It can be difficult to deal with all the news right now. Why not share something positive, like a video of people showing solidarity during this pandemic or a good news story that you found online?

You can also help limit the spread of misinformation online by only sharing advice from experts and reliable sources, like the World Health Organisation. This will help stop people around you from panicking.   

2. Educate yourself

Use your time wisely – there are loads of educational materials on human rights that you can study. We have a whole Human Rights Academy dedicated to exactly that. Join it.

On our Academy, you can:

• Take an introduction course on the core concepts of human rights.
• Turn yourself into an agent of change with our new online course on the UDHR.
• Learn how to protect yourself online and promote digital security.
• Come face-to-face with human rights activists in this course on Freedom of Expression.
• Learn what a human rights defender is, and become one yourself.

Find all of our free courses here.

3. Get involved on Amnesty.org and sign a petition

Human rights abuses are still happening around the world. Use this time to take action and have your say. 

Help us demand freedom for detained protesters in Iran. 

Defend India’s rights to participate in peaceful protests. 

Empower the Rohingya refugee children with education.

 4. Learn from our YouTube tutorials

We have tried to digest some serious human rights issues into easily viewable videos. Teach yourself how to spot fake news or protest peacefully.

5. Help others with technology and social media

If you are good at using technology and social media, you can help those who may not be. Guide people through using messaging apps and social media. Call them to show them remotely how to look for help, find reliable sources and advice online. Help them find communities and people online they can talk to. 

6. Show solidarity and care for others

At times like this, there are so many ways you can help those around you. For instance:

• Follow health workers’ advice and social distancing guidelines if you’ve been advised to do so. It helps protect people most vulnerable in your communities and eases the burden on carers and hospitals.
• Provide emotional support for people via phone calls or messages. This can be an extremely lonely time for many. Call people and provide them with support.
• Help limit the spread of misinformation and create awareness about basic dos and don’ts by promoting advice from experts and reliable sources.
• Share scarce resources, be considerate when shopping and offer help to people who are less able to access protective necessary goods that are in high demand.

And remember, whatever you do: Stay safe.