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Alice Mogwe

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Alice Mogwe
Alice Mogwe in 2010
Born (1961-02-14) 14 February 1961 (age 63)
Molepolole, Botswana
Occupation(s)President of the International Federation for Human Rights; Director of Ditshwanelo

Alice Bahumi Mogwe (born 14 February 1961) is a Motswana activist and lawyer. She is the founder and director of the human rights organization Ditshwanelo.

In 2019, she was elected to a three-year term as president of the International Federation for Human Rights, and she was reelected in 2022.

Mogwe's work focuses on protecting political freedoms, abolishing the death penalty, and ensuring rights for minorities, women, children, LGBTQ people, domestic workers, and refugees and other migrants.

Early life and education

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Alice Mogwe was born in 1961 in Molepolole, Botswana. She began university in South Africa during apartheid at the University of Cape Town.[1] After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1982 and then a bachelor of laws in 1985, she moved to England to obtain a master of laws from the University of Kent in 1990.[2][1]

Career

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After returning to Botswana, Mogwe began her career as a human rights lawyer, becoming a founding member of the organization Women and Law in Southern Africa.[2][3]

In 1993, she established the human rights organization Ditshwanelo, which she has continued to direct.[2][3][4] The organization, also known as the Botswana Centre for Human Rights, provides legal aid and otherwise advocates for human rights causes.[5]

Her human rights work with Ditshwanelo included supporting the rights of indigenous groups in Botswana such as the Basarwa.[2][6][7] She is also known for having organized legal fights against death penalty cases and against the deportation of refugees.[2][4][8]

Mogwe founded and worked with various other civil society organizations in Botswana, including the Domestic Workers’ Foundation and the Botswana Labor Migrants Association.[2] She has also worked as an election observer in Botswana and as co-chair of Tanzania Elections Watch.[1][9][10]

A practicing Anglican, she is a member of the Anglican Peace and Justice Network.[11] Early in her career, she served as a delegate for the World Council of Churches.[12]

In 2019, Mogwe was elected president of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), a major nongovernmental human rights federation and watchdog group.[4][13] After her first three-year term, she was reelected in 2022.[14] She had previously served as deputy secretary-general, then secretary-general of the organization.[15][16] Mogwe has also served two terms on the board of International Service for Human Rights.[17]

Awards and recognition

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  • FES Human Rights Award 2021
  • Human Rights Prize of the Commission Nationale Consultative des Droits de l’Homme (CNCDH) (2012)
  • David Rockefeller Bridging Leadership Award (2010)[1]
  • Recognition of Contribution as a Vanguard Women's Leader of Botswana (2005)
  • Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Merite awarded by the Government of the Republic of France (2005)[2][18]

Publications

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  • Mogwe, A. (1994). Human Rights in Botswana: Feminism, Oppression, and “Integration”. Alternatives, 19(2), 189-193.
  • Mogwe, A. L. I. C. E., & Melville, I. N. G. R. I. D. (2012). Human dignity and democracy. A Fine Balance: Assessing the Quality of Governance in Botswana, 83-99.
  • Mogwe, A. (1992). Botswana: Abortion ‘debate’dynamics. Agenda, 8(12), 41-43.
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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Alice Mogwe". International Center for Not-for-Profit Law. Archived from the original on 2020-12-02. Retrieved 2020-12-02.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "MOGWE Alice Bahumi". Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. 2018-01-21. Archived from the original on 2018-02-05.
  3. ^ a b The governance of legal pluralism : empirical studies from Africa and beyond. Zips, Werner, 1958-, Weilenmann, Markus, 1954-. Wien. 2011. ISBN 978-3-7000-0517-9. OCLC 706409713. Archived from the original on 2020-12-02. Retrieved 2020-12-02.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: others (link)
  4. ^ a b c "La militante botswanaise Alice Mogwe élue présidente de la FIDH". Le Monde (in French). 2019-10-25. Archived from the original on 2020-11-16.
  5. ^ "Ditshwanelo - the Botswana Centre for Human Rights". Eldis. Archived from the original on 2020-09-21. Retrieved 2020-12-02.
  6. ^ Meldrum, Andrew (2004-03-05). "San fight to keep Kalahari hunting grounds". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2019-10-25. Retrieved 2020-12-02.
  7. ^ Kenyon, Paul (2005-11-06). "Row over Bushmen 'genocide'". BBC Radio 4. Archived from the original on 2018-10-03. Retrieved 2020-12-02.
  8. ^ Tebele, Mpho (2019-09-02). "Bots gives Nam refugees ultimatum to return home". The Southern Times. Archived from the original on 2019-10-25. Retrieved 2020-12-02.
  9. ^ "Tanzania Election Watch Panel of Eminent Persons Calls for Release of Arrested Opposition Leaders". AllAfrica. 2020-11-03. Archived from the original on 2020-11-25. Retrieved 2020-12-02.
  10. ^ Mutambo, Aggrey (2020-10-30). "Magufuli takes wide lead over Lissu in Tanzania presidential election". The East African. Archived from the original on 2020-11-20. Retrieved 2020-12-02.
  11. ^ "Alice Mogwe is elected President of the International Federation for Human Rights". Anglican Peace and Justice Network. 2019-10-29. Archived from the original on 2020-12-02. Retrieved 2020-12-02.
  12. ^ Anderson, David E. (1993-06-26). "Making human rights a universal objective". St. Petersburg Times.
  13. ^ Lynch, Justin (2020-02-12). "Will Sudan's Bashir Be Handed to the ICC at Last?". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on 2020-11-30. Retrieved 2020-12-02.
  14. ^ "Alice Mogwe re-elected President of FIDH for a second three-year term !". International Federation for Human Rights. 2022-10-27. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  15. ^ "FIDH opens an office in South Africa". Fédération internationale pour les droits humains. 2015-05-27. Archived from the original on 2020-09-30. Retrieved 2020-12-02.
  16. ^ "Botswana activist Alice Mogwe, new FIDH President:"The universality of human rights is under attack - we must fight back!"". International Federation for Human Rights. 2019-10-24. Archived from the original on 2020-12-02. Retrieved 2020-12-02.
  17. ^ "SOAS PhD scholar wins prestigious human rights award". SOAS University of London. 9 December 2021. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  18. ^ "DITSHWANELO receives human rights award". Sunday Standard. 2012-12-13. Archived from the original on 2020-09-19. Retrieved 2020-12-02.
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