OUR VISION
CRNI envisions a world where cartoonists are free from persecution and able to use their creativity as a powerful tool for communication.
OUR MISSION
CRNI strengthens the interconnectedness of cartoonists around the world, campaigns to protect their human rights and defends those threatened as a result of their work.
OUR VALUES
• We believe cartoonists occupy a unique role requiring specialised campaigning and defence.
• Cartoonists are among those on the front lines of free speech.
• We monitor and verify threats in order to provide direct support to those who need it most.
• Our approach is always about the person – we do not distinguish on the basis of career level, fame or reputation, preferred format, platform or methodology.
• Our client base ranges from internationally celebrated cartoonists to newcomers persecuted simply for putting a drawing on their social media.
• Collaborative working is at the core of what CRNI does. We work with cartoonists’ organisations as well as human rights and freedom of expression NGOs all over the world.
• We seek to form lasting relationships with cartoonists and gather support from the wider global community.
THE ROBERT RUSSELL COURAGE IN CARTOONING AWARD
AND
THE KOFI ANNAN COURAGE IN CARTOONING AWARD
Every two years we give special recognition to at least one exemplary individual with an award named for our founder and former executive director, Dr Robert “Bro” Russell; past winners include cartoonists from Algeria, Bangladesh, Cameroon, China, Denmark, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, India, Iran, Malaysia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Palestine, South Africa, Syria, Turkey and Zimbabwe.
The award alternates with another biannual prize named in honor of Kofi Annan – former UN Secretary General, recipient of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize and a dedicated exponent for cartoonists – and is presented by our partners the Freedom Cartoonists Foundation, Geneva. Find out more about the foundation and its program on their website.
OUR ALLIES
We are members of IFEX, hold a seat on the advisory committee to Artists at Risk Coalition and won an Index on Censorship Freedom of Expression Award for Campaigning in 2019. CRNI holds memoranda of understanding – written agreements to share potentially life-saving information – with multiple cartoonists’ membership organisations. We collaborate with local and international free speech campaigners on a regular basis.
