Welcome to 2026 — a year that will undoubtedly be filled with challenges, challenges we’ll meet together with stronger resolve and greater resistance. Thank you for standing with AJWS and our partners over the past year, and thanks in advance for continuing to support the kind of human rights progress that’s so essential right now.
With that progress on our minds, we’ll kick off the year’s first Stories of Hope with a true human rights success story from Koh Lanta — a small, tropical island in Thailand’s Andaman Sea.
When Thailand’s government announced plans to build an environmentally devastating coal-fired power plant near Koh Lanta, AJWS partner Save Andaman Network fought back. They mobilized islanders into a protest movement and won, preserving the island’s delicate ecosystem. It’s a story of people power — and the impact of the whole AJWS community taking action together, from our supporters and allies like you to fisherman, advocates and activists in Thailand.
Below, get transported across the globe to meet the people behind this environmental victory. Resisting harmful government intervention works. Let’s keep Koh Lanta in mind — a reminder that when we act together, we can change the world!
How a dozen Thai women fought the coal industry — and saved their tropical home
More Stories of Hope
- Last month, we wrote to you about the Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act, a bill with bipartisan support to combat corruption, gang violence and drug trafficking in Haiti. More than 3,000 AJWS supporters pushed their senators to support the bill. And on December 17, it passed! This is another powerful example of people power at AJWS. Read more about the impact of this important legislation — and watch out for more opportunities to get involved with the AJWS Action Network.
- In Uganda, AJWS partners Friends of Zoka are building a movement to protect one of the country’s most magnificent rainforests — which is being destroyed to produce charcoal. These activists face a difficult struggle ahead, but nothing will dissuade them from this sacred mission. Learn more about these brave rainforest guardians here.
- Kenya is making major strides for reproductive rights with a bill that will make IVF and other services more accessible. AJWS partners helped draft the bill and rally support behind it — leading to a successful vote in Kenya’s House of Representatives. It moves to the Senate later this year. We’ll keep you updated, but for now, read about this major win right here.
Joining hands for justice in Kenya
Across the world and here in the U.S., oppression of LGBTQI+ people is on the rise. The work of AJWS partners like Initiative for Equality and Non-Discrimination (INEND) is more important than ever. INEND works in Kenya, where some consensual same-sex relationships are still criminalized, and their work to build strong networks of allies is shifting social norms that stigmatize the country’s LGBTQI+ community. These allies help reduce hatred, fear and violence, forming a ring of protection and support for LGBTQI+ people in Kenya.
There’s no denying that 2025 was a difficult year. AJWS partners faced immense cuts in U.S. foreign assistance; around the world and here at home we witnessed a steep rise in authoritarianism and repression. But there is hope. We see what change can occur when we stand together in resistance. We don’t know what 2026 holds in store for human rights activists and advocates. But we know this: We’re ready.
In solidarity,
Your friends at AJWS