Protecting the champions of change on human rights
Posted on 19 October 2009
Paul Njenga, who faced death threats as a result of his human rights work in Kenya, will be sharing his experiences at the House of Commons on Wednesday 21 October.
Human rights defenders often work in very difficult situations and find themselves the subject of surveillance and intimidation
Paul Njenga
Mr Njenga spent 15 years promoting human rights in Kenya but fled the country in March fearing retaliation over his part in exposing the role of police units in almost 400 extrajudicial killings. His life was threatened following the release of a report by the United Nations Special Rapportuer on Extra-Judicial Killings, Professor Philip Alston. Two colleagues involved in a similar investigation were killed by state agents.
He is spending six months at the University’s Centre for Applied Human Rights under its Protective Fellowship Scheme. The scheme enables human rights defenders at risk to take some time away from a difficult environment and to develop their knowledge so that they can return to their activism with new energy and skills.
Mr Njenga will be speaking on Wednesday alongside Baroness Helena Kennedy at an event called “Champions of Change”, which will highlight the work of human rights defenders and the value of the Protective Fellowship Scheme, the only one of its kind run by a UK university.
He said: “Human rights defenders often work in very difficult situations and find themselves the subject of surveillance and intimidation.
“This fellowship gives me time away from that environment to reflect, to develop contacts with people who can support my work and to gain a better grounding in human rights that will help my practice on the ground.”
Professor Paul Gready, Director of the Centre for Applied Human Rights, said: “The scheme brings tremendous benefits to the human rights defenders involved, and also gives our other students the opportunity to learn from their experiences.
“We have already welcomed nine human rights defenders to York and we plan to invite five people every year.”
The event will be attended by MPs and members of the House of Lords, as well as lawyers and activists working in the human rights field.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- More information about the Centre for Applied Human Rights and the Protective Fellowship Scheme can be found at http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/cahr/index.html or contact Lena Barrett at 01904-434396 or lb556@york.ac.uk
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