This week — World Refugee Day and climate change as a human rights risk

From Tuesday 18 June till Friday 21 June, the 21st iteration of the International Anti-Corruption Conference 2024 will take place in Vilnius, Lithuania.

On Tuesday at 9am, there will be a workshop titled “Ally or Enemy? Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Procurement & Democracy-Building”.

“This session seeks to explore the complexities and contradictions of artificial intelligence and technology’s role in fighting corruption in public procurement and building democracy. With a particular focus on case studies from the global south (Africa specifically), reflections will centre on the experiences and expertise of actors in civil society, the private sector and government,” read the agenda.

This will be moderated by Zukiswa Kota from the Public Service Accountability Monitor and speakers included Karabo Rajuili from Open Ownership, Nicki van t’Riet from Corruption Watch, Nati Carfi from Open Data Charter and Kavisha Pillay from Code.

This is an in-person event and the sessions will be available on the IACC Youtube channel directly after the Conference.



On Wednesday, 19 June at 10am, Section27 will host a webinar launch of their latest report, “Climate Change as a Human Rights Risk: A Resource for Health and Education Rights Activists in South Africa”.

“The report, launched in Youth Month, sheds light on the intersection between climate change and children’s rights, focusing on access to healthcare, basic education, gender equality, and budget justice. As climate change intensifies, vulnerable groups such as children and young people become more vulnerable to its effects, such as extreme weather events, environmental degradation, and socioeconomic disruptions,” read the media statement.

The report also explores the role of climate financing and budgeting in redressing climate change impacts and delves into the pillars of climate action, explores the current state of children’s rights in the context of climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts,  and explores policies aimed at safeguarding children’s rights in a changing climate.

Speakers include Tatiana Kazim, Senior Legal Researcher at Equal Education Law Centre, Mbali Baduza, Civil Society Commissioner at Presidential Climate Commission, Celeste Madondo, Senior Programme Manager at Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute, Motheo Brodie, Candidate Attorney at Section27, and Matshidiso Lencoasa, Budget Researcher at Section27.

Register here

For Inquiries contact Gillian Pillay at [email protected] or  082 772 0052



The 26th Encounters South African International Documentary Festival, which takes place in Cape Town and Johannesburg from 20 to 30 June, features thought-provoking films from around the globe.

Mother City is a documentary that follows the Ndifuna Ukwazi and Reclaim The City movements over six years as they fight to rectify past and ongoing injustices created by apartheid spatial planning in Cape Town.

“Three decades after the end of apartheid, Cape Town remains one of the world’s most racially and economically segregated cities. As the documentary Mother City points out, not a single home to accommodate working-class people has been built in the inner city since 1994, and Cape Town remains very much an apartheid city. Against this backdrop, the Reclaim the City movement emerged; a collective of dispossessed people who are challenging the notion that Cape Town — and the world’s urban centres — are only for the rich. The film follows the activists over several years as they move into an abandoned former government building on the waterfront and make it their home, as well as a base from which to lobby for the needs of the city’s poor and working class. Beautifully observed, the film is a riveting look at the politics of urbanism from a deeply human perspective”.

Read more here

Mother City opens Encounters on 20 June at the Ster-Kinekor V&A in Cape Town. Further screenings are on 22 June at the same cinema, and then in Johannesburg at The Bioscope on 27 June.

Thursday 20 June is World Refugee Day

World Refugee Day is an international day designated by the United Nations to honour refugees around the globe. It falls each year on 20 June and celebrates the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home countries to escape conflict or persecution. The theme for 2024 is ‘For a World Where Refugees Are Welcomed’.

“Refugees need our solidarity now more than ever. Solidarity means keeping our doors open, celebrating their strengths and achievements, and reflecting on the challenges they face. Solidarity with people forced to flee also means finding solutions to their plight — ending conflicts so they can return home in safety, ensuring they have opportunities to thrive in the communities that have welcomed them, and providing countries with the resources they need to include and support refugees,” according to the United Nations. DM