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In the aftermath of the fall of communism in 1989, the cause of democracy in Africa gained new momentum. There were elections across the continent, NGOs were proliferating, the independent press was growing, and dictators and military governments were disappearing.
The reality today is far more sobering: while some progress has been made, democracy remains an uncertain prospect for millions of Africans throughout the continent. Although many governments have acquired the trappings of democracy, they remain controlled by political elites that are repressive and unresponsive to the needs of the population. Governments of all types have had difficulty promoting economic development, fighting poverty and unemployment, overcoming crime, or rooting out corruption. Drought, famine, and the scourge of HIV/AIDS and other diseases ravage the continent, and ethnic and religious conflict still rage. Yet in the midst of such daunting challenges, there is hope. The individuals we recognize on this occasion are, in many ways, representative of African civil society. Its vitality and resourcefulness are making a difference in people's lives and building the foundation for a democratic future for many countries on the continent. We honor the following individuals this evening not merely as representatives of significant groups and movements, but also for their own outstanding achievements, their leadership qualities, and their individual struggles over many years to insure that Africans have a future in which they can derive all the benefits genuine democracy and good governance have to offer:
Immaculée Birhaheka, president of Promotion and Support of Women's Initiatives, an organization she co-founded, who has played a vital role in protecting and promoting the rights of political prisoners and of women, and leading the efforts to end the massive rape of women and girls in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo; Reginald Matchabe-Hove, a physician and medical educator who has worked as a founder of ZimRights and chairman of the Zimbabwe Electoral Support Network to empower his fellow Zimbabweans to demand fundamental human rights, free, fair and transparent elections and the provision of basic social services; and Alfred Taban, whose courageous work as publisher and chairman of the Khartoum Monitor, Sudan's only independent English-language daily newspaper, has made him a leading non-violent voice on behalf of his country's dispossessed and marginalized communities, as well as an advocate for national reconciliation, human rights, and democracy. |
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