SALC: Despite significant successes by activists, the global anti-rights movement has swung the pendulum in favour of the increased use of the law and criminal justice system to criminalize and stigmatize marginalized persons and voices. Whether it is Indigenous communities, migrants, refugees, sexual and gender minorities, or people of colour, criminalization negatively impacts historically disenfranchised communities in our societies. This movement has also found traction with governments that increasingly use the law and criminal justice system to limit civic space. Join us for a vibrant discussion focusing on the impact of the anti-rights movement on the criminal justice system and grassroots activism in Africa.

The discussion brought together human rights lawyers, academics and activists to reflect on the extent to which basic principles of constitutionalism have been subverted through the rise in populism and religious rhetoric that discard the fundamental values enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The discussion will feature leaders in the Global Campaign to Decriminalise Poverty, Status and Activism, and will seek to find solutions to stem the anti-rights tide and reinvigorate the UDHR.