The laureates

Description

Committed to social justice and the empowerment of women and girls, Fredrick Simon has built his career around the promotion of socio-economic rights and the defense of gender equality. His expertise lies in solving problems linked to poverty alleviation and community development. As a founding member of the Sisi Tanzania Organization and African representative of the Global Youth Coalition, he participates in international negotiations to defend the rights of women and girls. His advocacy work aims to draw attention to gender issues, emphasizing the importance of local ownership and community engagement for sustainable transformation.

Interview with Fredrick Binamungu SIMON - April 5, 2024

Could you please introduce yourself?

I'm Fredrick Binamungu Simon, founding member of the "Sisi Tanzanie" organization, which helps young people commit to human rights. Our aim is to achieve social justice and equality in society, to help young people commit to human rights and create a more inclusive and equitable society. As an international negotiator, I also specialize in problem-solving related to gender equality, poverty alleviation and community development. My work as a human rights defender has enabled me to become one of the winners of the Marianne Initiative Class of 2024.

Throughout my career, I have been involved in initiatives promoting fundamental rights at both national and international levels. I advocate for the rights of Tanzanian communities, and am also committed to the empowerment of women and young people, through the promotion of their economic rights, access to education and the fight against gender-based and domestic violence.

In my role as African representative of the Global Youth Coalition and communications manager for Green Samia, my work lies at the intersection of social justice, economic rights, minorities, the environment and gender equality.

Can you describe your involvement as Rights Defender?

I'm dedicated to defending human rights because I believe in the universality of justice, human rights and respect for the dignity of every individual. I advocate the protection and promotion of everyone's rights, whatever their background or identity.

When I realized that human rights violations, discrimination and inequalities affecting freedoms and rights were systemic, I had no choice but to take action to help make the world a fairer, more equitable place. Through my actions, I draw attention to marginalized and vulnerable populations, ensuring that their rights are respected.

Being a human rights defender is not just about identity, it's above all about the convictions that guide our actions. I am determined to fight injustice and advocate reforms that respect human dignity.

Why did you decide to get involved in human rights?

Witnessing the injustices and inequalities faced by marginalized communities inspired me to take action. In my community, I witnessed gender-based violence, particularly domestic violence, which had a profound impact on me. So it was my experiences that motivated my decision to get involved, in order to contribute to positive change in Tanzanian society so that fundamental rights are respected and protected.

What do you expect from the Marianne Initiative as you consolidate your project?

First of all, I'd like to thank everyone who has enabled me to join the Marianne Initiative. It's an invaluable opportunity both to consolidate my projects, but also to take a break and step back from the work I'm doing, while learning alongside the other winners in the class.

I see the Mariane Initiative as an opportunity to strengthen and consolidate my project, "BreakCycles4HER", which aims to combat gender-based violence and promote access to justice for marginalized communities in Tanzania, particularly women and girls. With the Initiative, I hope to develop collaborations and partnerships, obtain support and resources to expand the scope of this project to effectively combat violence and empower these women and girls. In addition, I hope that this Initiative will support our commitment as advocates. I was lucky enough to meet President Emmanuel Macron and ask him to continue this initiative and his support for rights defenders.

What do you expect from the Marianne Initiative program?

The Marianne Initiative provides us with multi-disciplinary training (project management, legal concepts, etc.) backed up by practical workshops, visits and meetings. It also enables us to acquire fundamental knowledge of the international human rights situation, and to meet people from all over the world involved in defending these rights. It's a unique opportunity for us as defenders of human rights. We learn a great deal from these exchanges, which provide us with the fundamental insights we need to carry out our own commitments. These activities and interactions enable us to learn more about human rights and reaffirm our commitment to this cause.

I aspire to be a driving force for sustainable change, through my international and local advocacy, thanks to the skills I acquired during the program. In this respect, I really appreciated the negotiation and leadership training we received. It helped me to develop my skills in these areas.

What do you plan to do after the program ends?

At the end of the program, I will return to my community in Tanzania to use the knowledge and skills acquired in France to bring my project to fruition through advocacy, expanding partnerships and mobilizing resources. I hope to continue my work as a human rights advocate to contribute to positive change in Tanzania and around the world.

In order to take action on gender-based inequalities and violence, we need support from partners (foundations or the French government) and funding, and I hope to be able to take advantage of the meetings organized as part of the Initiative to obtain such funding.

Would you like to add anything?

I would like to express my gratitude for the opportunity given to me to take part in this Initiative, alongside other human rights defenders, and to thank all the program's partners for organizing it. This program makes our struggles visible and allows us to be recognized as defenders on a global level.

I'd also like to thank President Emmanuel Macron who, through the creation of the Marianne Initiative, recognizes our fight and supports us in his speeches.

This support enables us to pursue our commitment to human rights over the long term.