Countering Identity Violence in Sudan
Find out about some of our prevention and human rights work in
Sudan.
Countering & preventing hate speech in the name of religion at national and regional levels in Sudan
Addressing the root causes of inter-communal conflicts and preventing widespread ethnic violence.
Hate-based violence is escalating in the conflict areas such as West Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile due to continued control of military structures that existed prior to Sudan’s ‘transition’ in 2019, with the addition of increased volatility due to power gaps. Reports of genocidal language such as “we need to clean up the black plastic bags”, referring to black (non-Arab) ethnic minority groups in these regions have been recorded in the last year, and are now on the increase.
Between August 2020 and February 2021, Rights for Peace implemented a project which provided focused human rights training for up to 15 local activists (50% female). The project created collaborative local networks and provided training for local activists to identify, monitor and document hate speech and related human rights violations. The activists were able to gather information and report instances of hate speech, incitement to violence and any associated violence. Read more about our project funded by KAICIID here.
Darfur's 'Hamakat' elders revise songs for peace
Developing cultures of tolerance, solidarity and dialogue.
In January 2021, Rights for Peace held a two day awareness and training workshop for 24 Hakamat women and influential leaders in Darfur. The workshop aimed to encourage attendees to channel messages of peace rather than incitements to violence in their songs, using their influence to develop a culture of tolerance, solidarity and dialogue in their communities.
Participants came up with recommendations they would like to see actioned by their communities and national government . They agreed that Hakamat and local leaders have the ability to mobilize communities and a desire to contribute in peace building and preventing hate speech. The workshop equipped participants with resources to build on this new found motivation, empowering them to bring positive change. Read about the workshop here.
Photo credit: UNAMID. https://www.flickr.com/photos/unamid-photo/14253409641/in/photolist-dxS8J4-dxS974-25SnBQe-27aT9dN-nFLPE5-nrjZj5-nHws76-nrjZ5Y-nrkK3K-DPC4wZ-27776fm 24uja6d-25So5QB-nFMpTL Creative Commons License: CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
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Countering prejudice and violence in Sudan
Human rights training, research and advocacy.
We have led workshops with civil society from Port Sudan, Darfur, Kassala, Al-Gadarif, South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, as well as Khartoum, exploring issues of identity, prejudice and discrimination. Human rights training is strengthening local capacities to identify, monitor and collect records of hate speech amounting to incitement to violence or genocide.
Research findings identify that prejudice, discrimination and divisions, that are often exacerbated by incitement, have impacted communities and are continuing to fuel violence. Advocacy is contributing to constructive dialogue about measures needed to build social cohesion in Sudan. See our Sudan publications and stories.
