Agbor Balla Nominated For Dutch Government Human Rights Award

By Tarhyang Enowbikah Tabe

Cameroonian Lawyer and Human Rights Defender, Barrister Felix Nkongho Agbor Balla has been nominated for the 2021 Dutch Government Human Rights Tulip Award.

The lone Cameroonian nominated amongst the 12 is Felix Nkongho a human rights lawyer and renowned activist who defends and promotes universal rights and non-violence from his office in the conflict zone in Cameroon.

He is the founder and president of the Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa (CHRDA), a NGO dedicated to the protection and advancement of human rights and the promotion of democracy as a political culture in Africa.

According to a release from the Organizers of the Award, those nominated have been selected because of the innovative, creative ways in which they work to defend human rights, the courage they demonstrate doing this work under difficult circumstances and the positive impact their work has on their community and their country. 

An independent jury composed of 5 members will select 3 candidates from the 12 shortlisted and the Minister of Foreign Affairs will then choose a winner from the three remaining candidates.

The Human Rights Tulip is an annual award of the Dutch government to support human rights defenders in their work advancing and protecting human rights around the world, while highlighting related issues.

Each year since 2008 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has awarded the Human Rights Tulip to an outstanding human rights defender.

The winner receives €100,000 in prize money and a bronze sculpture in the shape of a tulip.

The Dutch government hopes that the prize will enable the winner to gain international visibility and recognition, further develop and expand the scale of their human rights work and allowing them to reach more people in as many places as possible to inspire others.

It should be noted that Human rights defenders stand up for vulnerable groups, expose human rights violations and demand justice.

 Human rights defenders often work under difficult circumstances, receive death threats and are jailed, tortured and sometimes even killed.

It is on this premise that The Netherlands supports human rights defenders so that they can work effectively and safely.

 

Other Nominees 

Gamal Eid – Egypt

Gamal Eid is a prominent human rights defender, lawyer and advocate of freedom of expression in Egypt. He is the founder and director of the Arab Network of Human Rights Information (ANHRI), established in 2003 to promote freedom of expression, campaign against censorship in the Middle East and North Africa, and provide legal assistance to journalists and internet activists.

Oleksandra Matviychuk – Ukraine

Oleksandra Matviychuk runs the non-governmental organization Center for Civil Liberties. She works to protect the freedom of peaceful assembly, the right to freedom of expression and opinion and the fight against impunity and accountability for international crimes. The activities of the Center for Civil Liberties are aimed at protecting human rights and establishing democracy in Ukraine and the OSCE region.

Nicholas Opiyo – Uganda

Nicholas Opiyo is a Ugandan lawyer who is always willing to handle sensitive court cases. He is executive director of Chapter Four Uganda, an independent NGO dedicated to the protection of civil liberties and promotion of human rights for all in Uganda. Although his work focuses mainly on civil liberties, he has also worked on protecting the rights of sexual minorities.

Reporters Sans Frontièrs (RSF)

RSF is one of the world’s leading NGOs in the defence and promotion of freedom of information. It provides information on media freedom situations worldwide, mobilizes public and government support for media freedom and provides protection to journalists and bloggers at risk.

Angelina Very – South Sudan

Angelina Very is a human rights defender working on a broad range of areas. She is active in the field of justice, accountability, transparency good governance, gender inclusivity in political participation, social and economic rights of women, refugees and vulnerable people across communities.

Human Rights Centre Viasna – Belarus

Human Rights Center Viasna is a human rights organisation created in 1996 during the mass protests of the democratic opposition in Belarus. Viasna was initially a group created to help the arrested rally participants and their families and registered as an NGO in 1999. Its aim is to contribute to the development of civic society in Belarus.

Marie Davtyan – Russia

Marie Davtyan is an attorney and an expert on legal issues for the Consortium of Women’s NGO’s. She is the head of the Center for Protection of Victims of Domestic Violence. Her activities are aimed in general at women’s rights and gender equality and more specific on the protection of victims of domestic violence.

Nadeen Ashraf – Egypt

Nadeen Ashraf is addressing gender-based violence in Egypt by utilizing social media to amplify girls and women’s voices that speak out against it. She founded Assault Police in 2020, an Instagram account to allow girls and women in Egypt to share their stories of sexual harassment and to provide referral services.

Colectivo Nicaragua Nunca Mas

The Human Rights Collective for the Historical Memory of Nicaragua (Nicaragua Nunca Más) is an organization made up of Nicaraguan human rights defenders, exiled in Costa Rica. One of its main purposes is to continue the documentation process of human rights violations in Nicaragua.

Flaviano Lopez Villanueva – Philippines

Father Flaviano Villanueva is a priest and has been working as a human rights defenders for the past 35 years. He is the founder of the PAGHILOM program, a church-based support group that works with families of victims of extrajudicial killings.

Acción Solidaria – Venezuela

Acción Solidaria was founded in 1995 as a humanitarian organization providing comprehensive care to many people living with HIV. In recent years, the organization has expanded its mandate to advocate for the rights of LGBTI and women. In addition, Acción Solidaria has been active in addressing civic space issues in the country.