Human Rights

This is an interdisciplinary platform for exciting insights, opinions, reviews, and critical analyses of human rights issues in Africa. A cross-section of contributors shares and cover human rights issues related to policy, advocacy, practice, and awareness. The insights shared unveil a wide spectrum where human rights principles and theories interface with lived realities of people and communities in Africa.

Besides the blog contributions, the africanlegalstudies.blog and the Chair of African Legal Studies at the University of Bayreuth are constantly developing new initiatives to exchange and engage with scholars and practitioners. These include research projects such as “Intractable Human Rights Issues” or debate series (e.g. “Everyone’s human rights”).

Why Teaching International Law Should Be an Antiracist Endeavour

Prof. Dr Thoko KaimeNov 15, 202413 min read
Why Teaching International Law Should Be an Antiracist Endeavour

The field of international law, developed in the shadow of colonialism and global power imbalances, has long been influenced by racial biases and hegemonic interests.…

Do Sanctions Work? Memories of a Rhodesian Childhood

Prof. Dr Fareda BandaNov 13, 202421 min read
Do Sanctions Work? Memories of a Rhodesian Childhood

Scene Setting I remember it clearly. Recently arrived in Oxford to start my postgraduate studies, I was visited in my room by one of my…

Why offshore processing of asylum applications is actually racist

Dr Shreya AtreyNov 8, 202414 min read
Why offshore processing of asylum applications is actually racist

In a series of legislative and policy changes including the Illegal Migration Act 2023, Nationality and Borders Act 2022, the New Plan for Immigration, the…

Addressing racial discrimination through international law

Prof. Dr Mehrdad PayandehNov 6, 202413 min read
Addressing racial discrimination through international law

The neglected potential of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination Introduction Why do anti-racism laws fail to combat racism…

Exploring Intersectionality as a Concept to Effectively Combat Racism and Racial and Ethnic Discrimination

Marie-Louise ReuterNov 1, 202414 min read
Exploring Intersectionality as a Concept to Effectively Combat Racism and Racial and Ethnic Discrimination

Introduction This contribution aims to highlight the shortcomings of European and International anti-racism law with respect to discriminations based on nationality. It promotes the concept…

Anti-Black Racism: Queer Europe’s Inconvenience beyond the Law

Dr Serawit DebeleOct 30, 202412 min read
Anti-Black Racism: Queer Europe’s Inconvenience beyond the Law

Drawing on conversations with a queer interlocutor who moved to Austria to escape persecution in their country of origin, I reflect on the limits of…