The Ghanaian authorities have failed to protect and fulfil the human rights of hundreds of victims of witchcraft accusations and ritual attacks that forced them to flee their communities fearing for their lives, said Amnesty International in a new report.
At home, Professor Şebnem Korur Fincancı is a cat-loving classical music fan who enjoys cooking and listening to Beethoven. But to the world, she is a globally recognized forensic medicine expert, known for her work to eradicate torture. A tireless campaigner against the use of torture, Şebnem has always fought to protect human rights.
Bach cares deeply about the health and well-being of people in Viet Nam. His organization, the Law and Policy of Sustainable Development Research Center (LPSD), does important work to support communities threatened by powerful economic and political interests. LPSD helps them understand their rights and empowers them to protect their livelihoods.
On 20 May 2019, National Security Agency agents stormed university student Oqba Hashad’s dorm, arresting all the students present. After a few days, the other students were released – but not Oqba. Agents realized he was the brother of Amr Hashad, an exiled human rights activist who was calling out the country’s human rights violations.
Kyung Seok never really thought about people with disabilities until he became one himself. Following an accident in his twenties, he developed paraplegia and now uses a wheelchair. Used to studying, playing guitar, and having fun with friends, Kyung Seok attempted to rejoin society, but he soon found life in his country as a person with a disability is not only difficult, but life threatening. Undaunted, he began a new life as an activist for the rights of people with disabilities.
Manahel finds strength and resilience in exercise, so much so that she became a fitness instructor herself. She is also an outspoken advocate for women’s rights. In recent years, Saudi Arabia’s authorities have made big claims about advancing women’s rights, and at first Manahel believed them. But in 2022, her world, and these hollow promises, came crashing down.
At home, 32-year-old Ana da Silva Miguel is a singer and devoted mother to her two young children. But on TikTok she is better known as “Neth Nahara”, a fearless and fun social media influencer.
A professional musician, Maryia Kalesnikava has filled her life with music and art. She’s passionate about meeting people and learning from them, and dreams of a Belarus where everyone is respected and allowed to speak freely.
Joel is a young father from the northern Argentine province of Jujuy. He is a ceramicist by trade and plays a “bombo” drum in a local band. But one night last year changed his life forever, and now he’s fighting for justice.
The Indigenous Wet’suwet’en Nation have lived on and cared for their ancestral lands for generations, sustaining their culture and raising their children. As Sleydo ’ Molly Wickham, a Wet’suwet’en land defender says: “Our medicines, our berries, our food, the animals, our water, our culture, are all here since time immemorial”.