SALC

“A different future is possible, but only if we fight for the reforms that make pluralism real, not rhetorical.” SALC at the @GlobalPluralism Awards. @IDRC_CRDI

💬 “I have nothing to hide… just take the data.” Not quite. In Episode 1 of Def Dem, we challenge the idea that access to medication should come at the cost of privacy and control. Your health data isn’t a free trade-off. 🎧 Join the conversation. youtu.be/dhH72DolKno #DefendingDemocracyPodcast #DataPrivacy #DataSovereignty #GlobalHealth

Social inclusion and digital safety are human rights. Join @UNDP, @PanAfricaILGA, and SALC on 27 April for an ARFSD side event amplifying voices of Africa’s most vulnerable. @webelongafrica Register to join on Zoom: tr.ee/yZTe7z

“We don’t need to be reliant.” In Episode 1 of Def Dem, we unpack why dependence on external funding puts Africa at risk and why it’s time to build our own systems, own our data, and shape our own health future. “We can do it. We can own our data.” Listen to the full episode & join the conversation. youtu.be/dhH72DolKno #DefendingDemocracyPodcast #DataSovereignty #GlobalHealth

Palestinian academics in South Africa gathered at the Imaam Haroon Community House in Salt River, sharing urgent reflections from Gaza and beyond. Unpacking how the genocide continues, including inside prisons where Palestinians face systemic abuse and dehumanisation. Since 1967, over one million Palestinians have been detained. We heard from Fadwa Barghouti, wife of Marwan Barghouti, often called the “Palestinian Nelson Mandela” who reminded us to never forget prisoners and to keep building solidarity until Palestine is free. Panellists called for stronger global sanctions, divestment, and legal accountability, while acknowledging South Africa’s role and drawing strength from its anti-apartheid history. Their message is clear: keep speaking, keep organising, keep standing in solidarity. Palestinians remain “sick with hope” that freedom will come. Video by: Tasleem Gierdien

“I was about six years old when my father went to prison… so I understand the pain of growing up without him.” A powerful reflection from the daughter of Abdullah Haron, drawing a deeply personal connection to the ongoing struggles of Palestinian families. From apartheid South Africa to Palestine, the stories echo: of fathers taken, of resilience rooted in faith, and of justice still being pursued. Her words remind us that behind every political prisoner is a family carrying loss, memory, and resistance. Free Marwan Barghouti. Free all political prisoners. Free Palestine.

🎙️ “Even the language of ‘America First’… protecting Americans from outbreaks from the rest of the world.” In Episode 1 of Def Dem, unpacks how global health policies are framed and who gets left out. From one-sided agreements to the politics behind “protection,” what’s really at stake? 🎧 Listen to the full episode & join the conversation. youtu.be/dhH72DolKno #DefendingDemocracyPodcast #GlobalHealth #DataSovereignty

🎙️ Episode 1 of Def Dem is out now! What happens when your health data is shared beyond your borders without your knowledge? In our first episode, we unpack the America First global health strategy, data sharing agreements, and the real risks to privacy, sovereignty, and accountability. 💬 “It’s like someone having the password to your phone… but on a global scale.” From HIV status to patient record, who has access, and how is it being used? 🎧 Listen now & join the conversation. #DefendingDemocracyPodcast #SALCat20 #DataSovereignty #GlobalHealth #afghsmous youtu.be/dhH72DolKno

“When a powerful leader speaks, they offer a moral shield for the dogmatist and a legal roadmap for the policeman.” SALC’s @MelusiSiboniso explores the impact of political rhetoric on rights and freedoms in Eswatini in a piece published by the @WashBlade. #ThoughtLeadership #Eswatini #HumanRights #LGBTQRightsAreHumanRights washingtonblade.com/2026/04/10/the…

Defending democracy (*Def Dem) podcast series Across the Global South, new bilateral health cooperation agreements are raising urgent questions about democracy, critical minerals and data sovereignty. Who is making these decisions? Who benefits? What processes are used to sign these agreements? Where is the public in all of this? The Def Dem podcast series unpacks: 🔍 Data governance and digital health systems, ⚖️ Parliamentary oversight and constitutional accountability, 📢 Public participation and transparency, 💊 Global health policies and funding, 🌍 Gender, migration and geopolitical power. 🎧 New episodes drop every Monday at 12 noon CAT on all podcast streaming and social media platforms. Join the conversation. Demand accountability. Defend Democracy! #DefendingDemocracyPodcast #SALCat20 #GlobalHealth #AFGHSMOUs

Ghana has been widely applauded for leading a United Nations resolution recognising the transatlantic slave trade as a crime against humanity. Yet, as Bradley Fortuin argues, the country’s strict anti-LGBTQ+ laws cast doubt on whether this commitment to human rights is consistently upheld within its own borders. #SALCat20 southernafricalitigationcentre.org/is-ghanas-sele…

In this article published by @mailandguardian SALC's Executive Director, Anneke calls for the enforcement of due process and meaningful judicial oversight to prevent unlawful deportations and protect fundamental human rights. Read the article: tr.ee/jIGnqn

Botswana may not have a specific law that addresses hate speech and crimes but luckily, there are several pieces of legislation that you can use to identify and report any form of hate speech. The Penal Code says it is a crime to insult, hate or look down on someone because of their race, tribe, where they come from, their skin colour or their religion. The Cybercrime and Computer Related Crimes Act makes it illegal to stalk people online or post racist or xenophobic content. And at the top of it all, the Constitution protects everyone from discrimination. @legabiboadvo @blackqueerdocx #OmbudsmanBotswana #salcat20 #HateSpeech #StopTheHate #Botswana

In Botswana 🇧🇼, the Office of the Ombudsman’s mandate includes the promotion&protection of human rights, including leading investigations into violations (why things are this way is a convo for another day). This webinar will help us figure out how it all works. Please join in.

SALC’s @MelusiSiboniso featured in the📰 @EswatinObserver Reflecting on the World Happiness Report 2026, Melusi Simelane calls on the government to treat Eswatini’s low ranking in the report as a wake-up call to prioritise human development, governance reforms, and accountability. He stresses that improving citizens’ wellbeing requires strong institutions, transparency, and meaningful participation in national decision-making. #SALCat20 #CivicRights #Eswatini #Governance #HumanDevelopment #Accountability Read article: tr.ee/Spjokb

23 March | Southern Africa Liberation Day ✊🏾 Liberation promised freedom, dignity, and democracy. But today, the question remains: does that promise still live on, or has it been betrayed? #SALCat20 #SouthernAfricaLiberationDay #Democracy #humanrights sadc.int/latest-news/st…

Join the office of the Ombudsman in Botswana, @legabiboadvo, @blackqueerdocx, and SALC for a legal empowerment webinar on how human rights defenders, activists, communities, and CSOs can file human rights violations, such as hate speech, with the Ombudsman in Botswana. Date: 24 March 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:30 pm Zoom: register here: tr.ee/Fouq6c

SALC's Bradley Fortuin's article was published by @gazettebw, @themidweeksun, @Mambaonline, @WashBlade, and The Botswana Guardian. He shared his thoughts on why religion, no matter how important it is in your private life, must never be used to determine constitutional rights. It is not up to religious fundamentalists to decide on same-sex marriages in Botswana, but the Constitution. Read the article: tr.ee/AFBiaM

In an interview with @dailymaverick's Victoria O’Regan, SALC's @AtillaKisla breaks down where things stand in South Africa's genocide case against Israel before the ICJ, highlighting that although developments on the ground could influence the political narrative, “they cannot change the legal framework and the facts that are before the International Court of Justice. The court is assessing whether obligations under the Genocide Convention have been breached, and that analysis focuses on the conduct and intent during the relevant period. Israel may nonetheless argue that the changed circumstances, for instance, demonstrate that the situation is evolving and that the legal case has been overtaken by diplomatic developments. But such arguments usually carry very limited weight in the merits phase and for the court’s assessment because they do not eradicate now what happened before that, and that conduct is still in question and must be legally adjudicated". #ICJ #SAvISRAEL Full article here: dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-0…