IHEU was among the organisations represented at the 42nd session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights(ACHPR) held from November 14th to 30th at Palais du Parlement in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo. This session was organised to mark the 20th anniversary of the Commission.

ACHPR meets twice every year to examine the human rights situation on the continent and to assess how state parties to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights are fulfilling their obligations and commitments. NGOs take part in the activities and programs of the Commission as observers. They make statements, petition state parties and draw the attention of the Commission to any human rights violations by a state or non state actor.

Joining the ACHPR
IHEU has applied for an observer status at ACHPR. All the required documents have been submitted to the secretariat. According to the information on the Commission's web site, the processing of application forms takes several months. So it is expected that IHEU's application will come up for consideration when it meets in May. With an observer status, IHEU would be in a position to take an active part in the defence, promotion and protection of human rights in Africa.

IHEU wants to join the ACHPR in order to provide the Humanist missing links in human rights promotion in Africa. Currently, there is no Humanist voice at the ACHPR. There is no NGO that represents the rights and interests of non-religious freethinking people in Africa. There is no member of the ACHPR that stands for the godless or that works to highlight the human rights abuses perpetrated by state parties against godless Africans. There are no NGOs at the Commission that, specifically, focus on those human rights violations committed in the name of God or religion.

Huamn Rights Abuses
Africa is a deeply religious society. And, very often, religion is practised and politicised at the expense of human rights, dignity and basic freedoms. The God idea has been used to degrade, enslave and exploit human beings. Non-religious non-theistic individuals suffer systematic exclusion, discrimination and deprivation of their fundamental rights. Godless people are perceived and treated with utter contempt and indignity. Unbelievers do not enjoy the same rights and protection under the law as their religious counterparts.

For centuries, freethinkers in Africa have been suffering in silence, behind the thick wall of religious extremism, hatred and intolerance. But IHEU representation at the ACHPR will provide non-religious Africans an historic opportunity to break this silence, tear down the wall of theistic tyranny and oppression and assert and demand for their rights.

Generally, Africa has lost a lot of its human potential to religious fanaticism and other worldly nonsense. The black continent has wasted and continues to sacrifice much of its human capital on the altar of divinized intuitions, sacred misconceptions, magical thinking, transcendental illusions and superstitions. African women and children particularly are systematically victimised and exploited by upholders and peddlers of supernatural myths. And the time has come to highlight these abuses and hold nations that commit them accountable and responsible. The time has come to confront African states with the human rights abuses they perpetrate, aid or abet in the name of religion, God or superstition.

A Humanist voice
At the ACHPR, a Humanist voice is needed to address those areas of human rights where Africa has made very limited progress due to religious fanaticism and bigotry. And they include areas like the abolition of blasphemy laws and the death penalty, the decriminalisation of homosexuality and unbelief, the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women and against non-religious (freethinking) people, the rights of the child and of religious dissenters, separation of religion and state, etc. IHEU needs to join the ACHPR so that it can wave the flag of Humanism, secularism and free thought whenever human rights issues are being discussed and examined.

The world Humanist body needs to help in addressing so many religion-based human rights abuses that occur on the continent. For it is only the Humanist movement that can bring this unique approach to human rights promotion in Africa: defending the rights of Africans as human beings who are on their own in this world and ought to make the best out of this one life they have. As a member of this human rights body, IHEU will be in a position to check the encroachment of religion into public and political space, while highlighting the human rights abuses associated with it and ensure that governments in Africa are secular, that is, not biased for or against individuals with religious or non-religious beliefs.

IHEU representation at the ACHPR will boost the growth and development of Humanism in Africa. One of the reasons why Humanism in Africa is lagging behind and why most African Humanists are still in the closet is because there is nobody that defends the rights and interests of freethinking people in the region. There is no group that makes representations to the African Commission on issues concerning the human rights of unbelievers. And now IHEU wants to fulfil this important role and mission.

IHEU representation at the ACHPR will encourage Humanists in Africa to leave the closets and go public with their views and identity. More African Humanists will be inspired to organise and mobilise and contribute their own quota to the growth and development of the region especially to the cause of African renaissance and enlightenment.

With IHEU's observer status at the African Commission, the black continent will start reaping the Humanist dividend that has eluded it for millennia. IHEU will be sending a very strong, clear and concise message to all African states and peoples:

“You cannot abuse, neglect or infringe on the rights and liberties of
Humanists any longer. You cannot violate the rights of Godless people
any longer. And if you do so, we will hold you accountable and
responsible. Because the rights of Humanists are human rights; the
freedoms of freethinkers are human freedoms.”

Leo Igwe is IHEU Director in West Africa