Erik Helgesen is another Worthy 100 shoe-in because he leads the Human Rights Foundation (HRF), an international non-profit organization that protects human rights globally, especially against authoritarian regimes. It also organizes the Oslo Freedom Forum.
Last year, after at least 3,000 Palestinian children were killed, Helgesen, as the vice-chair of the Swedish Dockworkers’ Union, organized a blockade of military shipments to and from Israel. Helgesen stated that the union wouldn’t accept “business as usual” under those circumstances. It was a bold move, but it cost him. Following the union’s protest he was fired from his job at the Gothenburg port where he had worked for 20 years.
But he kept going, undaunted. Via the Oslo Freedom Forum, Helgesen brought together voices from places like Belarus, Iran, and Venezuela. He’s given them a global stage to share stories and encourage change. He even saw to it that the HRF launched new grants in 2025 for creative resistance, meaning everything from protest art to encrypted communication platforms. A powerful force for positive change, Helgesen belongs among the Worthy 100.
