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2016 Carter Center Human Rights Defenders Forum, Part 1/6

On June 18-21, 2016, more than 60 activists, scholars and community leaders came together to discuss ways to end violence in all its forms during the Carter Center's annual Human Rights Defenders Forum, "A Time for Peace: "Rejecting Violence to Secure Human Rights."

The Carter Center participates in hosting Human Rights Defenders Policy Forums, which bring together human rights activists from a number of countries. President and Mrs. Carter, the U. N. high commissioner for human rights, and the special representative on human rights defenders have keynoted these conferences.

Among the themes of this year's forum are the economics of peace, unlearning violence, and nonviolent approaches to security and law enforcement.

This year's participants included:

Rana Allam, an outspoken Egyptian journalist and an adviser with the Women Alliance for Security Leadership.

Murairi Bakihanaye Janvier, the president of the Association pour le Développement des Initiatives Paysannes, who works to fight slavery and exploitation of mineral resources in Democratic Republic of Congo.

Rodolfo Manuel Domínguez Márquez, director of Mexico's Justice, Human Rights, and Gender Civil Association, which monitors and sometimes litigates cases of femicide and works to protect women in situations of violence.

Deeyah Khan, a music producer and the documentarian behind the films Banaz: A Love Story, about so-called honor killings, and Jihad, which investigates the motives of Western-born Islamic extremists, convicted terrorists, and former jihadis.

Sylvie Kinigi, the only woman to serve as prime minister of Burundi (July 1993 to February 1994).

Fatima Akilu, an expert in countering violent extremism who helped design Nigeria's countering violent extremism program, which takes a multipronged approach that includes PTSD training and education.

Learn more here:
https://www.cartercenter.org/peace/human_rights/defenders/index.html

Founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter in partnership with Emory University, The Carter Center is committed to advancing human rights and alleviating unnecessary human suffering. The Center wages peace, fights disease, and builds hope worldwide.