REDHAC honours Mrs. Hannah J. Forster

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RELEASE

The Central Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (REDHAC) based in Douala, Cameroon award the Courage Prize for Human Rights Defenders to Mrs. Hannah Forster, Executive Director of the African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies (ACDHRS).

The presentation was made on 20^th November, 2019 at the Franco Hotel in Yaoundé, Cameroon at a Gala marking the 10^th anniversary of the establishment of the REDHAC network.

According to REDHAC, the Award was in recognition of Mrs. Forster’s support for the establishment of REDHAC, its visibility and her work in promoting and protecting human rights work in the Central Africa region.

In a statement read on her behalf, while accepting the award, she borrowed from the Greek philosopher, Aristotle who aptly said that “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act, but a habit”. Our collective engagement in the work for human rights, as we seek to achieve an Africa without human rights violations has indeed become a habit and not a simple act. Together, we will build an Africa without human rights violations’.

Although she is a recipient of previous awards, Mrs. Forster noted that for the past 30 years that she has worked in human rights and democracy in Africa and beyond, that was the first time that her humble contribution towards the promotion and protection of human rights was recognized by colleagues and fellow defenders.

She dedicated the award to all human rights defenders who walk the talk but have never been recognized. She equally thanked the sub-regional focal points who in one way or another supported the ACDHRS in its endeavor to achieve its mandate. She finally thanked the participants and partners of the NGOs Forum preceding the Ordinary Sessions of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the staff at the NGOs Forum Secretariat.
REDHAC is a Member of the Steering Committee of the NGOs Forum and is the sub- regional focal point for Central Africa.