Three days of learning, strategy and exchange in Paris
Advocacy
Following the momentum of the 9th World Congress Against the Death Penalty in Paris, the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty (World Coalition) brought together around 30 member organizations from across the world.
From 3 to 5 July, members gathered at the World Coalition’s headquarters in Montreuil for a Best Practice Workshop, turning the energy of the Congress into three days of exchange and learning.
Over three days, members shared experiences, explored new approaches and reflected on how to strengthen abolitionist advocacy in different political, legal and social contexts. The programme combined strategic discussions, practical sessions and peer-to-peer exchanges, with a focus on sharing lessons that can be adapted across contexts.
From strategy to practice
Strengthening the sustainability of abolitionist organizations was one area of focus. The World Coalition Secretariat led a session on funding for abolition, followed by a discussion of the external evaluation of Phase I of the Global Consortium for Death Penalty Abolition (FFPA).
The programme also explored how abolitionist advocacy can become more inclusive and responsive to different contexts and experiences. Discussions addressed gender-responsive and disability-inclusive approaches to the death penalty, including a presentation of PRI’s research on disability and the death penalty in Uganda. The importance of moving beyond a Global North-centred perspective was also highlighted in a dedicated session.
Participants also addressed urgent human rights and advocacy challenges, including the legal and human rights implications of Israeli death penalty bill targeting Palestinian prisoners, discussed in a session moderated by SHAMS. The programme also included a strategic discussion on assessing the impact of abolitionist work, with TAHR presenting approaches to measuring advocacy impact
Building on what works
During the workshop, a Building on What Works session gave members an opportunity to share concrete experiences, reflect on lessons learned and work together to capitalize on good practices.
The session covered a range of themes, including:
- Documentation and data-driven advocacy, with CPR Japan, ALQST and ESHOR;
- Building alliances and networks, with JPP, ASF Nigeria and Redemption Pakistan;
- Gender and inclusive sentencing mitigation, with CELSIR;
- Working with people directly affected by the death penalty, with WTI, Journey of Hope and TAEDP;
- Gender-responsive national abolitionist campaigns and developing alliances with women’s rights organisations, with HBB Africa.
During the session and theme-based discussions, participants worked on best practice sheets on those topics, which will be made available soon on the World Coalition website.
Building connections
Beyond the formal sessions, a treasure hunt through Paris provided a moment of informal exchange and team-building, inviting participants to explore the city’s history of protest, remembrance and the struggle to abolish the death penalty in France.
The three days provided space to share practical experiences, build connections and reflect collectively on how abolitionist advocacy can continue to evolve. As the World Coalition looks ahead, the workshop highlighted the importance of learning from one another and ensuring that approaches to abolition are informed by diverse perspectives and experiences from across the world.
