Are you ready for the 2024 Borderless Africa Convening?
The Borderless Africa Campaign is a decentralised, people-owned campaign with an aim to push for the free movement of African people and goods in Africa. The overall goal of this campaign is to achieve an Africa where Africans can move around their own continent without the current restrictions in place, for better trade, integration and development. The campaign also seeks to encourage more countries to ratify the African Union’s Protocol on Free Movement of People.
In view of this, Africans Rising is organizing a 3-day hybrid convening which will provide a platform for dialogue on the benefits of abolishing borders and visas for Africans in Africa and the diaspora. The event date and host country will be communicated soon.
Other objectives of this convening include:
- Bring together CSOs, movements and citizen networks working on free movement to learn from each other’s efforts
- Discuss strategies for the ratification and enforcement of the AU protocol on the free movement of people in Africa.
Here is a chance to be featured on Women’s History Month.
Esteemed African women, we are dedicating the entire month of March to honour you even as we celebrate the International Women’s Day on March 8th.
Whether you are an individual, a member of a group, or involved in a movement, we wish to spotlight the impressive work you are undertaking to enhance the lives of African people in the continent or the diaspora. We would like to encourage you to share your profile, field of work, achievements, and pictures with us. We will feature these on our social media and various communication outlets. We are mainly interested in works that foster unity, justice, peace, and the dignity of the African populace.
Connect with us via email at media@africans-rising.org / tobias@africans-rising.org or reach out through WhatsApp No. +233500883672. Let’s join forces to magnify the voices of Africa!
CSOs, Movements & Community groups call on AU to outrightly reject Israel's application as an Observer State to AU
A Pan-African coalition of more than 150 organizations, social movements and community groups from 45 countries in Africa and diaspora have called on the African Union’s member states to reject the application for Observer Status by Israel to the African Union at its upcoming Summit in Addis Ababa this weekend. The letter acts as a tool to pressure the government of Israel to amend its approach in Gaza in line with provisional measures outlined by the ICJ ruling.
The letter has already been sent to all the member states in the African Union – including the AU Chairperson, Moussa Faki and the Commissioner for Peace and Security, Ambassador Bankole. Read the Press Release here.
“Dark Valentine” - The dark realities of Gender-Based Violence and Femicide
In 2023, Africa Uncensored recorded 152 murders of women. This was the highest in five years. Between 2017 – 2024, over 500 Kenyan women were killed!
On 14th February, a day that would have been memorable to many through exchange of gifts, a token of affection, flowers and other pleasantries, turned gloomy and dark to the women of Kenya. #TotalShutDownKE, #EndFemicideMovementKe, a collective of 1,000 organisations and individuals nationally and regionally across Africa organized “Dark Valentine” event. This event was organized to coincide with the opening of the Kenyan Parliament and County Assembly Chambers on February 13, 2024. The purpose of this event was to maintain and amplify the pressure on the government to address the urgent demands that emerged from the January #End Femicide National Marches held in over ten counties and attended and supported by over 20,000 people across the country. By strategically timing the event around Valentine’s Day, the aim was to further draw attention to the dark realities of gender-based violence and femicide that persist in our society.
A horrifying testimony shared by one of the comrades during the Dark Valentine event in Nairobi.
United Against Ending Femicide
Over 20, 000 people united against ending femicide in Kenya on 27th January, this year sending a clear message to the general public to cease the killing of women. The march which was organized by the young grassroots feminists in collaboration with Africans Rising and other organizations marked a historic moment in Kenya and a long struggle in the fight against gender-based violence, intimate partner violence and femicide.
The alarming rise in femicide cases is a deep-rooted issue and a clear indication of a failure of the state to protect girls and women in their diversity. Thousands of women human rights defenders and other citizens were concerned with unparalleled steep rise in the killing of women in Kenya and took to the streets in major towns to express their disgust on the heinous crimes of torture, rape, mistreatment and murder.
A strong statement was issued to call on the authorities to action and protect all the women from murder and violence but also condemning the public’s silence and in some instances distasteful conversations on social media platforms that blame the victims. We continue to mourn with all the victims of this scourge and their families.
A Constitutional Coup? President Macky Sall’s time is up!
President Macky Sall’s decision to postpone elections which were originally scheduled for 25th February has ignited protests in Senegal. The riot police continue to crackdown on demonstrators who are coming out to protest against this decision. We call on Senegalese authorities to respect the right to peaceful assembly, freedom of expression and must refrain from using excessive force on demonstrators.
AR in the News
Have you sent your donations to support our fellow Africans displaced by war in Sudan?
Call for Nominations
Nominations for the 2024 Right Livelihood Award are now open!
Right Livelihood has presented the Awards annually since 1980. Through the award, they honour and support the actions of brave visionaries and aim to boost both urgent and long-term social change. You can learn more about Laureates in the fields of human rights, environment, journalism, peace, culture and sustainable development, to name a few examples, among our 194 Laureates from 76 countries.
Take the chance to nominate courageous change-makers and organisations striving for social and environmental justice. Nominations are fully open to the public, therefore, anyone is able to nominate any individual or organisation creating change through their innovative and life-changing work. To nominate a candidate (preferably in English, but French and Spanish are also accepted), please submit nominations through our online nominations form. Feel free to share this information with your contacts and network, and encourage them to also nominate. Read more about the Award hereThe deadline for submitting a nomination is March 1, 2024.
Nominations are open for the Martin Ennals Award 2024!
The Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders honors individuals and organizations who have shown exceptional commitment to defending human rights, despite the risks involved. They are proud to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Award in 2024, in partnership with the City of Geneva, the Jury member organizations, the extended family of Laureates around the world, and our wonderful donors. Nominations of activists under 30 years of age are encouraged to reflect the growing number of young persons joining the human rights movements in their countries. Post-humous nominations are not eligible. Find out more on their website. The deadline for nominations is Wednesday February 28, 2024.
REMINDER
Do you have news about your organization, community, or work that you would like us to share with our membership? Please let us know by emailing media@africans-rising.org. We may share it in our next newsletter.
Individual Giving
One Afro For One Million Campaign
If you have any calls to action or news items that you would like to see in the next Africans Rising newsletter, or any feedback about the newsletter that you would like to share with us, we want to hear from you. Please send us an email at media@africans-rising.org.
