Graduates of the academic programmes of the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, continue to make significant contributions to advance human rights, democracy and the rule of law around the African continent. Fourteen of these alumni were among the attendees of a recent meeting on the implications for the African human rights system of the ongoing African Union reform process. The meeting, organised by the Initiative for Strategic Litigation in Africa, was held in Nairobi, Kenya.  Alumni of the Master’s programme in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa (HRDA), Sexual and Reproductive Rights in Africa, and a now discontinued programme in HIV and International Human Rights Law were present.

 “It is hardly possible to attend a gathering of African human rights activists, professionals and scholars without encountering a number of the Centre’s alumni.  The meaningful work and commitment of these continental change agents  warm the hearts of all of us at the Centre, and leave a significant mark”, remarked Frans Viljoen, previous Centre director, who was also at the Nairobi convening.