By: Moreblessing Mbire, Acting Country Director, Harare Office
Today, the Raoul Wallenberg Institute (RWI) Harare welcomes partners, institutions, practitioners, and friends to the End of Programme Event and Celebration of a Decade of Human Rights Capacity Development in Zimbabwe (2016-2026) funded by the Embassy of Sweden in Zimbabwe.
The event has been officially opened by the Ambassador of Sweden to Zimbabwe, H.E Per Lindgarde, the Deputy Minister of Justice Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Honourable Advocate Norbert T. Mazungunye and the RWI Regional Director for Africa Mikael Johansson who have underscored the significant contribution of RWI to human rights in Zimbabwe. Among the achievements highlighted is the expansion of human rights education and research, the development of professional and tailored training programmes, support to independent commissions and justice sector institutions, the growth of clinical legal education, and the creation of spaces that bring diverse actors together to engage constructively on human rights issues.
Over the past decade, the programme has been built on a simple but powerful belief that strong and capable institutions, locally developed human rights literature and a critical mass of human rights experts are essential for the promotion, protection, and respect of human rights. Through long-term partnerships grounded in trust, mutual respect, and local ownership, the programme has worked alongside universities, independent commissions, justice sector institutions, government departments, and civil society organisations to strengthen both institutional capacity and platforms for human rights dialogue.
As we commemorate this milestone, we celebrate not only the results achieved, but also the relationships, knowledge, and foundations that will continue to shape human rights work in Zimbabwe for years to come.
Read more about RWI’s work in Zimbabwe here
