THE HUMAN RIGHTS DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE (HRDI)
HRDI is a regional non-governmental organisation based in Pretoria, South Africa working in Southern Africa and the Great Lakes Region.
HRDI’s mission is to challenge political, economic and social elitism and promote equality of people regardless of race, place of origin, gender, social status, class, religion, sexual orientation, belief, ethnicity, HIV status or any other quality or trait that might be used as a basis for unfair discrimination, using international and regional human rights standards as the barometer.
Constantly bearing in mind that human rights is not about what we write or say, but what we do.
HRDI’s overall goal is to contribute to the protection, promotion and respect for the rule of law and human rights in Africa through increasing access to regional and international human rights forums to the poor and vulnerable groups in society.
To this end, HRDI works with university based law clinics at leading universities and human rights non-government organisations in Southern and East Africa to build a cadre of young lawyers dedicated to social and economic justice.
On 27 June 2011, 18 students from 10 different countries (in Southern Africa, East Africa and the Great Lakes region) started the LLM programme in International Human Rights Law and HIV in Africa, the first of its kind in the world. It is unique, not only because of the theme, but also because every Friday is dedicated to hard manual work with PLHIV in a low income community outside Pretoria. HRDI is proud to run this in partnership with the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria.
The ACHPR's Committee for the Protection of the Rights of PLHIV, Those at Risk and Vulnerable to HIV in Africa has appointed six independent experts which completes the Committee. Among the appointees are the two nominees by HRDI, Ms Agnes Atim from the National Community of Women Living with HIV in Uganda, and Mr Patrick Eba from UNAIDS.
For a complete list of the independent experts see the Final Communique from the 48th Session:
http://www.achpr.org/english/communiques/Final%20Communique_48.pdf
