Catégorie : Training

Artwatch Africa in partnership with Assalamalekoum Culture and Zaza Production,  with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Hadcraft, organized from December 14 to 17 the initial workshop on « Human Rights, Cultural Rights and Artist Rights »”, in Nouakchott and conducted by Simone Andrade and Malik Chaoui. This training raised a lot of issues around Human Rights that Mauritanian have to face in their daily life.

After 4 days-workshop, artists, journalists and activists from civil society were invited for a public seminar on « Individual liberty and Culture : freedom of creative expression for a cultural diversity. » on Friday 18th of December 2015. This session was moderated by Pr.Cheikh Saad Bouh Kamara

On behalf of the Minister of Culture and Handicrafts, the Director of Arts and Culture, Adnan Ould Beyrouk addressed the opening remarks and emphasized the importance of culture in social cohesion and national unity. He highlighted the commitment of the authorities in the past years by supporting cultural initiatives, like the festival organized by his department in 2011 and 2013 which focused on cultural diversity. He said that culture is a priority for the national strategy development.

This seminar was also an opportunity for the public to express their demands and their opinion. They also talked about selfishness within the sector.

http://mauritania-isabel.blogspot.co.za/2015/12/art-watch-africa-conference-at-hotel.html

Artists, civil society organizations and media between 14 and 16 December, 2015 met at Esibayeni Lodge in Swaziland, for a training on Human Rights, Cultural Rights and Artistic Rights under Art Watch Africa Project implemented by Arterial Network.

At the end of the three day training participants had to meet and discuss the way forward after being empowered. A task team composed of Arterial Network Steering Committee Members in Swaziland (Muzi Ntshangase, Hanson Ngwenya, Smanga, Dlamini, Bonginkhosi Mnisi, Nonhlanhla Dlamini and Maswati Dludlu) and people elected during the training namely Banele Mdziniso, Bonsile Mamba, Bheki Gama and Representative from Lawyers for Human Rights in Swaziland were tasked to lead the process of coming up with activities that will address the above mentioned problems. Such programme will form Arterial Network – Art Watch Africa Project activities

The training was followed by a session with 3 MP’s where a presentation by selected participants led by Diana Ramarohetra was made to MP Thwala, MP Sikhumbuso Dlamini and MP Jele and the main recommendation made was that MPs need a workshop because they cannot understand these issues and make a meaningful contribution from a face value. It was suggested that a residential workshop would more effective during the time when MP’s are not busy, immediately after passing national budgets.

Following the lessons learned during its 3-day workshops covering “Human Rights, Cultural Rights and Artist Rights,” Arterial Network, through its Artwatch Africa project and in partnership with the Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA), will launch a new phase of training workshops to be known as “Artwatch Africa Response.”

Arterial Network is calling for law firms and individual lawyers to apply for this training that will look specifically at Freedom of Creative Expression litigation and Cultural Rights cases.

Purpose of the training 

The training will be conducted by IHRDA and aims to create a pool of lawyers for the defense of Artist Rights within the continent, especially litigations regarding Freedom of Creative Expression.

The training will be held in French and English, and according to the national and regional system in place. Each participant is invited to submit litigated cases (resolved and unresolved) related to Freedom of Creative and Artistic Expression, in order to improve legal and judicial defense and protection.

Profile 
Participants must fall under the following prerequisites:

• be registered at their national Bar in one of the following countries : Mauritania, Nigeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania
• have some experience in freedom of expression litigation cases and/ or in defense of Human Rights Defenders
• have knowledge of the arts and cultural sector
• be committed to the defense of artists at risk and work for some public interest cases

Submit your application (CV and motivation letter) by email to info@arterialnetwork.org, with Artwatch Africa Response as the email subject, before:

– Sunday 28 May 2017 for Mauritania
– Sunday 4th June 2017 for Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Nigeria, Tanzania and Egypt

For more information, please contact Diana Ramarohetra: diana@arterialnetwork.org.

Arterial Network
Arterial Network is a member-based, civil society non-profit network of artists, cultural activists, NGOs, organisations, enterprises and entrepreneurs engaged in the building and strengthening of networks and structures in the creative and cultural sectors of Africa. The organisation seeks to identify solutions and strategies within Africa to improve the growth and the impact of the cultural sector, to foster dialogue, information exchange and strengthening partnership between creative communities, private sectors, public authorities, CSOs in order to contribute to democracy and Human Rights in Africa.

Artwatch Africa
Arterial Network’s Artwatch Africa programme aims to assert, promote and defend artist rights and freedom of creative expression for artists and cultural practitioners in Africa, to monitor cases of violations and advocate all stakeholders on issues and threat faced by artists. The programme is supported by Swedish Foundation for Human Rights, Swedish Institute, Mimeta and Doen Foundation.

The Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA)
IHRDA is a pan-African non-governmental organisation established in Banjul, The Gambia in 1998. It promotes knowledge of human rights and aims to improve respect for human rights in Africa. The institute envisions an African continent where all have access to justice using national, African and international human rights protection mechanisms.

IHRDA Fields of Activity
IHRDA’s work can be summarised in three words: defend, educate and inform. IHRDA offers pro bono legal assistance to victims of human rights violations. The institute also organises training workshops and disseminates information in order to improve knowledge of the African human rights system.