Deadline: October 31st 2023 | SouthernDefenders Award Nominations for 2023
| Title: | SouthernDefenders Award Nominations for 2023 |
| Organisation: | SouthernDefenders |
| Fund/Benefit: | Cash Prize |
| Deadline: | October 31st 2023 |
| Eligible countries: | Southern African countries |
The SouthernDefenders Award for outstanding Human Rights Defenders is being nominated by the Southern Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (SouthernDefenders).
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In Southern Africa, the situation of human rights defenders (HRDs) is still perilous because they are still subjected to legal constraints on their lawful work as well as harassment, intimidation, physical violence, extrajudicial killings, and cyberbullying. The restriction of freedoms of expression, association, and assembly in a number of countries in the region has drawn criticism, which can make it challenging for HRDs to exercise their responsibility to defend human rights (RDHR) and hold those in authority accountable.
In Southern Africa, the authorities in Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe have proposed or adopted restrictive regulations on civil society organisations (CSOs), creating concerns that the freedom of association may be further restricted, according to the 2023 CIVICUS Monitor report. The Law on State Security, a restrictive legislative framework, has been applied to criminalise dissent and government criticism in Angola.
Despite all of these transgressions, HRDs and social justice activists continue to put their lives at danger in order to defend and advance basic freedoms and human rights in such hazardous environments. Despite the crucial work that HRDs undertake, they are sometimes underappreciated, hence the Award aims to change that. The award’s sixth anniversary is this year.
eligibility
- Nominations from people or entities from outside of Southern Africa will not be taken into consideration.
- Organisations or individuals may submit nominations.
- It is possible to nominate someone in English, French, or Portuguese.
- Nominees from individuals or groups are not permitted to hold important positions inside political parties.
- Candidates ought to be engaged in human rights advocacy.
- Nobody or any organisation may put themselves forward.
- Two referees must be included with every nomination. These must contain the referees’ contact information, specifically: Full name, title, and occupation, contact information (phone and email), and relation to the nominee.
Process of Selection Nomination
- Candidates for the 2023 SouthernDefenders HRD Award/s may be nominated by Southern African individuals or organisations. Human rights defenders (HRDs) work to advance and defend the most basic freedoms and rights that are accepted worldwide. These include, but are not limited to, civil and political rights, economic-social and cultural rights, freedom of expression through the arts, rights of indigenous peoples, and environmental rights.
- Shortlisting
- Within the parameters of the established criteria for shortlisting applicants, a panel of distinguished human rights experts from several nations in the sub-region will narrow the field to two contenders.
Verification
- Through interviews with the nominees, the nominators, and their references, the panel confirms the HRD’s human rights activity.
- Selection
- Based on the biographies of the HRDs who have been nominated, the selection panel will decide who will get the award(s). A candidate’s selection is final.
award presentation
- At the end of November 2023, the award presentation will take place in Windoek, Namibia, in front of CSOs, Human Rights Commissions, the Government, a few HRDs, ambassadors from foreign missions, and members of the media who will be covering the event.
For more information, visit SouthernDefenders.
