Reaching Human Rights Defenders In The Margins May Be Challenging, But It’s Worthwhile
Author: Dr. Mmeli Dube, PUG Researcher, Democracy and Human Rights Programmes Lead
The African Universities Hub for Human Rights (Africa Hub), held its first Summer School for defenders of democracy and human rights in Africa from October 7 to 10, 2024 at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in Cape Town. Participants included activists and early career academics from fifteen African countries who work on areas including environmental and reproductive rights, citizen participation, informal economies, and minority rights.
As the last participant arrived home after many hours of travel, I was reminded of the stories of frustration of others who had been selected but had not made it to the Summer School. Jean (not real name), from the south-central part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, who works for a network that supports Human Rights Defenders, is one such activist who jumped through many hoops but still could not travel to Cape Town for the Summer School.
First, Jean needed to travel over one thousand kilometres to apply for a visa in his country’s capital, Kinshasa. Travelling by road from his hometown to Kinshasa would take “two or more days, depending on the rains and road conditions”, he explained. His first option was to either drive or take a couple of motorbike rides between two nearby towns for approximately 70 US dollars and then take an overnight bus to Kinshasa, costing 55 US dollars.
The alternative was to fly from the nearest airport, which was much more expensive, costing nearly 200 US dollars for a one-way ticket. While we wanted to help with the flight ticket, we could only reimburse afterwards. In the end, Jean raised the interim money for the flight to Kinshasa. He applied for his visa and stayed at a friend’s place to wait for the visa outcome, hoping to collect his visa in time to proceed with his journey to Cape Town.
Staying in Kinshasa meant incurring more expenses. Returning home and then coming back again to collect his visa would also add more expenses, in addition to the onerous logistics and treacherous travel involved. Jean was convinced that he had struck the balance between travelling to the capital early enough to apply for the short-term visa to South Africa, but also as close to the onward journey as possible to minimise trips to Kinshasa and to keep the costs manageable.
He submitted his visa application, but after a week of waiting, he learned that there had been no progress with his application because one of the people involved in the visa processing was on sick leave. A replacement would only be available a week later to consider his application. At that point, Jean realised that travelling to attend the Summer School was doubtful. He could not stay any longer in the capital without certainty that he would get the visa before his departure date. So he planned his way back home.
Jean’s failure to secure a visa to South Africa, not only denied him an opportunity to develop his knowledge and skills but also to gain inspiration and widen his solidarity network. Some of our Summer School participants’ journeys were also difficult. From visa-related difficulties to long and expensive flights, all underscore the poor infrastructural integration that hinders the movement of people across the African continent. While many people have learned to navigate the treacherous hurdles of travelling within Africa, the experience of Jean and others serves as a reminder to us that activists in poorly connected places do not only struggle to access opportunities but also to utilise safety mechanisms such as temporary relocation when facing threats.
Such realities are instructive for programmes such as ours that seek to support and empower defenders of human rights and democracy in Africa. The Africa Hub is dedicated to bridging gaps in resources and opportunities for activists across the continent. The annual Summer School is one of these initiatives. One of the guiding principles in the Hub’s work is to include those who are marginalised and have limited access to resources and opportunities.
The determination of the likes of Jean inspires us to do more to reach these marginalised defenders of human rights and democracy. Although reaching them may be expensive, challenging, frustrating and many other things, it is worthwhile.
About Africa Hub
The Africa Hub is an initiative launched this year by the Politics and Urban Governance Research Group (PUG) at the University of the Western Cape (UWC). It aims to support a network of African universities that protect human rights and contribute to expanding political space across the continent. The Hub’s programs aim to enhance the knowledge and skills of Human Rights Defenders, making them more effective in their roles, providing temporary relocation for Human Rights Defenders in need of rest and respite, producing knowledge that contributes to human rights and democratic struggles, and promote knowledge sharing among academics and activists. The Africa Hub’s inaugural Summer School in 2024 focused on developing participants’ skills and deepening their knowledge to support their work. There were various facilitators and presenters, including Clement Voule, the Former UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association, who gave an opening address and was a panellist in some of the sessions.
Image Credit: UWC Media
