Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – On Sunday, December 10, 2023, the Center for the Advancement of Rights and Democracy (CARD) hosted a vibrant Human Rights Festival at the Capital Hotel in Addis Ababa to commemorate International Human Rights Day. The festival, organized in partnership with Stiftung Menschenrechte, the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, and the Consortium of Ethiopian Human Rights Organizations (CEHRO), has created a platform for organized human rights organizations and the next generation of human rights defenders network and exchange inspiration.

The Ambasador for the Federal Republic of Germany to Ethiopia, Mr. Stefan Auer, has done a keynote speech to the participants stressing the fact that the promotion of human rights guarantees stability and human rights. Additionally, the Ambassador told the human rights commucommunitynity at the festival that “Germany firmly stands with human rights defenders in Ethiopia”. In his welcoming address, Befekadu Hailu, the Executive Director of CARD, also noted his trust that the next generation of human rights defenders would move the human rights condition in Ethiopia better than the current and past generations of defenders have tried.  

The highlight of the festival was the naming ceremony for 191 high school students who have undergone training by CARD, with the support facilitated from Stiftung Menschenrechte, as the new generation of human rights defenders (NGHRDs). These young leaders will play a crucial role in promoting human rights in their communities and building constituency for human rights and democratization. Yostina Solomon, an 11^th grade student from the Fountain of Knowledge School, who took participation in the training, told the gathering that, after the training, she set up a Gender Equality and Human Rights Club in her school with the support of her teachers. Now, the club has attracted more than 30 members. 

The festival also featured a lively human rights Q&A competition by the NGHRDs, showcasing their knowledge and passion for human rights. Nine students, who were recruited based on evaluation assessment scores from the nine groups of trainees this year, have battled in three rounds of human rights Q&A completion where Beamlak Matebe, 12^th grade student at the Renaissance International School, Saron Tezera, 11^th grade student as the Cathedral School, and Lidya Getahun, 9^th grade student at the Ethio Wales Global Academy, scored top three and have been prized with a laptop, a tablet, and a smartphone, respectively.

In a parallel session of the human rights festival, a panel discussion was held by various human rights organizations to address the contemporary challenges and the way forward for human rights promotion in Ethiopia. The panelists were Yared Hailemariam, the Executive Director for the Ethiopian Human Rights Defenders (EHRDC), Sehin Teferra, the Executive Director for the Setaweet Feminist Movement, and Meron Tesfaye, a representative for the Lawyers for Human Rights. During the panel discussion, Yared stressed that arbitrary detentions are among the challenges human rights defenders face in Ethiopia; he added, more than 50 human rights defenders were detained in 2023 alone in Ethiopia. The NGHRDs and the members of the human rights defenders who participated in the panel discussions have actively raised questions and comments on the issue. 

Beyond the discussions, a side-exhibition provided a platform for eight human rights organizations, Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCo.), Ethiopian Human Rights Defenders Center (EHRDC), Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association (EWLA), Setaweet Movement, Association for Human Rights in Ethiopia (AHRE), Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR), CEHRO and CARD to showcase their work and connect with festival participants. This diverse representation fosters collaboration and strengthened the network of human rights defenders in Ethiopia. One of the participants of the exhibition, EHRDC, introduced the human rights clubs it has helped establish in 12 universities for the NGHRDs to join. 

The Human Rights Festival served as a powerful platform for celebrating achievements, addressing challenges, and empowering the future generation of human rights advocates in Ethiopia. The festival demonstrated CARD’s strong commitment to building a more just and equitable world for all.

At the end of the festival, CARD’s Program Director, Atnafu Brhane, facilitated the pledge by the new generation of human rights defenders to "stand together for human rights". 

This year’s human rights festival is the third in a row, and CARD has so far provided similar training and hosted human rights festivals naming a total of 925 high school students as new generation of human rights defenders. Many media outlets, including Ethiopia Insider, Arts Television, and Addis Ababa Media Network, gave the festival a media coverage.