African Humanist Youth Days 2016, Nairobi
The first ever African Humanist Youth Days (AHYD) took place in Nairobi, Kenya, 22–24 July, 2016.
The theme of the event was ‘’Youth Perspectives on Strategies to end Witch-hunts’’. The event was also a platform to launch the ‘’International Day of Action Against Witch-hunts’’, a campaign to address the plight of victims of witchcraft accusations.
The event was attended by humanists and Executive members of various IHEU Member Organizations from across sub-Saharan Africa, including representatives from Uganda, Tanzania, Ghana, Nigeria, Burundi, Kenya and South Africa . Delegates included IHEU Board member, Kato Mukasa, and IHEYO Chair of the African working group, Roslyn Mould. The event was hosted by the Kenyan Humanist Association and sponsored by the IHEU, IHEYO and HIVOS.
The speakers included Dr. Adam Ashforth, an author from the Department of Afro-american and African Studies, University of Michigan, Leo Igwe, renowned Nigerian human rights advocate, humanist and researcher on witchcraft accusations in West Africa, and Conor Robinson, Founder and Director of the Humanist Service Corps, an American non-profit organization that currently has volunteers in Bimbilla in northern Ghana, working in conjunction with Songtaba, a local women’s rights group and supported by the Humanist Association of Ghana, to assist victims of witchcraft accusation.
The delegates from Humanist NGOs in different parts of Africa made presentations on topics pertaining to the theme.
The AHYD was a great opportunity for some African humanists who had not previously met to network in person for the first time and to start working relationships to build the African working group. An action plan has been put in place to come up with further research and data to put together a dossier mapping the issues surrounding witchcraft accusations, witch-hunting and related gender-based violence, and to put together plans to educate people in areas in various countries across the continent.
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