LEGAL RESOURCES FOUNDATION (LRF) LEADS DIALOGUE ON SAFE PUBLIC SPACES Legal Resources Foundation facilitated a Policy Dialogue entitled Reform Towards Safer Public Spaces on 5 June 2019. Participants were drawn from community-based organisations, independent policy experts, the general public and representatives of the Harare City Council. Policy issues in line with the ineffectiveness of bi-laws, decongesting transport routes for safer spaces and City of Harare environmental issues were discussed. See a full video report here ARE OUR LEARNING INSTITUTIONS SAFE: RESEARCH AND ADVOCACY UNIT (RAU) Research and Advocacy Unit launched a Violations Against Teachers report which emphasised that education institutions in Zimbabwe have become sites of repression. Children have been forced to attend political rallies, schools have become places where partisan political meetings take place, and teachers have become the targets of intimidation and violence. The full report is available here. RAU also convened a youth engagement conference in Mutare on 10 June 2019. The youth engagement focussed on youth unemployment and its challenges on skills retention in the country. Participants were drawn from youth organisations in Manicaland, the general public, church representatives and the Mayor of Mutare. Key issues that came out of the workshop were the need for inclusive policies to improve youth employment and the need for national policies that foster entrepreneurship. See full report here. THE CONSTITUTION IN EVERY LANGUAGE: CATHOLIC COMMISSION FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE (CCJP) • The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace embarked on the know your constitution outreach on 15 June 2019. The awareness covered the following areas Mutare, Nyamaropa, Chipinge, Mutasa, Gokwe, Hwange, Bulawayo, Tsolotsho, Gwanda, Plumtree, Fort Rickson, Marian Hill, and Masvingo. An estimated 1300 people have benefitted from the outreach. Earlier in the year, CCJP launched vernacular versions of the Constitution of Zimbabwe. The available versions include Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Koisan, Nambya, Ndau, Ndebele, Shangani, Shona, sign language, Sotho, Tonga, Tswana, Venda and Xhosa. GALZ APPLAUDS BOTSWANA HIGH COURT •GALZ convened a capacity building workshop at Holiday Inn in Mutare, focusing on the government’s pledge to end HIV/AIDS by 2030. Participants were drawn from 70 Members of Parliament from various portfolios including health, justice and gender. Key issues that came out of the workshop were access to health services, legal barriers to justice as well as sharing of lived experiences from LGBTI community members. See the full report here. • Botswana decriminalises same-sex relations. The Botswana High Court has decriminalised same-sex relations in a move commented by the United Nations Independent Expert on sexual orientation and gender identity. “This landmark ruling sends a positive message to gay, lesbian and bisexual, trans and other gender-diverse people in Botswana, showing they are in a country in which their dignity and integrity are valued and effectively protected under the rule of law,” said the UN Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, Victor Madrigal-Borloz. See the full report here. In response to the developments, GALZ has issued a statement available here, welcoming the ruling as an outstanding victory for the country and Africa at large. INTERNATIONAL ADVOCACY United Nations Urged to Act Against Criminalisation of Human Rights Work in Zimbabwe On 25 June 2019, the Executive Director of the Forum, Ms Blessing Gorejena, delivered a statement at the 41st Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), in Geneva. She urged the UNHRC to act against the criminalisation of human rights work in Zimbabwe. Watch the presentation in the UNHRC here. COUNSELING SERVICES UNIT (CSU) CONTINUES ITS HEALING MISSION • In June 2019, a total of 96 clients (41 Female and 55 Male) received medical treatment and counselling at the Counselling Services Unit. o All clients received legal assessments from the resident legal officer. Referrals for further legal assistance were made to law-based organisations including the Chapter 12 Commissions • All the 96 cases were documented according to the Istanbul Protocol. • CSU also partnered with WLSA to deliver medical, psychological and legal services to victims of the 1 January military crackdown. A total of 79 (33 Female and 46 Male) clients were assisted through this program, coming from Harare and Chinhoyi.