Africa Regional Democracy Fund - Eswatini Democracy and Human Rights Resilience Project

Program Objectives:

The Eswatini Democracy and Human Rights Resilience Project will fill a need for U.S. action to change the narrative of U.S. programs funded in Eswatini and stimulate an end to the cycle of violence within Eswatini. Through this program, the grantee will capacitate new national leaders to actively engage in defending the Constitution of the Kingdom of Eswatini, to support the active engagement of civil society in the political life of the country/in pursuit of human rights and justice, to advocate for civic space that this would require, and contribute to the momentum to swing the pendulum in the direction of enduring justice.  

Project Objectives  

1.     To provide restorative relief for local human rights defenders, organizations, institutions, and allies to generate and sustain momentum for fundamental human rights in Eswatini.

2.     To complement Southern Defenders by providing psychosocial support to the family and extended network of Thulani Maseko, strengthening resilience among advocates and allies of the former Lawyers for Human Rights network which Thulani Maseko co-founded. 

3.     To reinforce the work of human rights lawyers of the University of Eswatini (UNESWA) Legal Aid Clinic representing emaSwati in legal jeopardy and providing pro-bono services as a check on the power of the State to instill fear and marginalize those working for constructive change within Eswatini.

4.     To strengthen public discourse on the value of human rights in Swati society, including press, media, social media and online for a and engagement, build new allies, confront misinformation, and build literacy about human rights in a manner to improve the country’s commitment to and record of human rights conventions.

Participants and Audiences:

Citizens of Eswatini, the University of Eswatini Legal Aid Clinic, the Law Society, and other legal support civil society organizations, while boosting support to the fragmented Swaziland Human Rights Coalition which has degraded over the past several years.