The Migration Unit at the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, cordially invites you to a webinar on the inclusion of refugees in Africa in health, education and sports in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The webinar will engage experts in the field to discuss the critical importance of, and challenges to, the inclusion of refugees in health systems, education and sports in the COVID-19 era in the region. Presentations will be followed by a Q&A session.
Inclusion of refugees in Africa in health, education and sports in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic
Monday 21 June 2021
09:00 GMT / 10:00 WAT / 11:00 SAST / 12: 00 EAT
All participants are required to register on Zoom.
Zoom Meeting ID: 958 5820 6531 (registration required)
The event will be live-streamed on Facebook and YouTube.
Background
Refugee Day. This day has been commemorated annually since 2001, with the aim of celebrating refugees’ resilience in the predicaments that they find themselves in, and bringing to the limelight their plights and rights.
As we celebrate #WorldRefugeeDaythis year in Africa, against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, we recognise the challenges faced by refugees in accessing healthcare and education, and in participating in sports. Due to the pandemic, health systems in many African states have been stretched to their limits, adversely impacting both refugees and other sections of society. Schools have been closed or partially closed, and alternative modes of teaching have left disadvantaged groups, including many refugees, excluded.
In light of this, it is crucial to assess the extent to which refugees’ rights to health and education are realised, to identify key challenges, to generate and share ideas in order to effectively overcome the challenges, and to advocate for the emulation of best practices across Africa.
This webinar seeks to raise these and other related issues. It will feature a panel of experts from academia, civil society organisations, government, the African Union and the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Agenda
Moderator: Prof Frans Viljoen
Director, Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria
Panellists:
- Dr Allehone Mulugeta Abebe
Assistant Representative (Protection), UNHCR, South Sudan - Dr Walters Samah
Head of Mission Analysis Cell (MAC), African Union Mission in Somalia - Hlengiwe Mtshatsha
Manager, Refugee Law Clinic, Lawyers for Human Rights Head Office, Pretoria - Dr Michael Addaney
Lecturer, University of Energy and Natural Resources, Ghana - Dr Callixte Kavuro
Senior Researcher and Refugee Rights Expert
Contacts
