OSI s Office of the Africa Regional Director and grantee the Human Rights Advocates Program welcomed 2005 Human Rights Advocates J. S. Datuama Cammue of Liberia and Masoka Hubert Tshiswaka of the Democratic Republic of the Congo for a discussion of how grassroots organizations are addressing impunity of transnational corporations and of armed groups that commit violations in connection with the extraction of natural resources in their countries.
Cammue, program and media relation officer for the Association of Environmental Lawyers of Liberia, discussed how Liberian civil society can sustain the gains they have made in formulating national laws to hold government and corporations accountable. He elaborated on what is needed to build on this success under the newly democratically elected, woman-headed government.
Tshiswaka, executive director of Action Against Impunity for Human Rights, discussed the links between transnational corporations and violations committed during the war in the DRC. He presented an example of a company implicated in human rights abuses in the country, the way his NGO is networking on the issue, and the attitude of local communities and government officials. He also described the threats human defenders are facing.
The Human Rights Advocates Program, a capacity-building program run by the Center for the Study of Human Rights at Columbia University, prepares human rights leaders to participate in national and international policy debates on rights and the global economy.