30 days of advocacy against Witch-hunts in Africa
29 March to 27 April 2010

The ‘witchcraft epidemic’ in Africa is fueled by religious extremism. Practitioners of traditional African religions, traditional healers, witch-doctors and Christian missionaries and religious leaders incite witch-hunts on this continent.

There are comparisons to be made between Africa’s current witch-craze, European Inquisitions and American witch-hunts. Perhaps the lessons to be learned in Africa are the same as those that needed to be learned by Europeans and Americans; there is no ‘culture’ without human rights.

All men and women, including Witches, have the right to live without being falsely accused, assaulted, persecuted or murdered.

Say NO to witch-hunts in Africa!

Sign a petition in support of this campaign here
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/30-days-of-advocacy-against-witch-hunts...

TO: The African Union General Assembly
The Pan-African Parliament

We the undersigned, call upon the African Union and all its member countries to act decisively to bring an end to witch-hunts in Africa.

We call on all African nations to:

- halt the persecution of suspected or accused witches,

- uphold and strengthen a culture of human rights for all Africans equally,

- respond appropriately and humanely to incidences of witchcraft-related violence and accusations of witchcraft,

- make the eradication of violence against suspected witches a national priority,

- train local police to manage witchcraft-related violence in a way that affirms the dignity and humanity of those accused of practicing witchcraft,

- create victim support units to facilitate reintegration and conciliation of those accused,

- adopt comprehensive public education and awareness programmes aimed at eradicating the real causes of witchcraft accusations, and

- reform legislation that currently seeks to suppress witchcraft or criminalize accused witches.

Campaign Background

The words witch and witchcraft are used predominantly as an accusation throughout Africa, either to describe a number of clearly defined traditional religious practices that do not self-define as witchcraft, as well as a number of variable urban legends perpetuated by religious leaders, churches and traditional healers, or to identify women, children and men who are not actual Witches.

In rare instances where alleged confessions of being a witch or practicing witchcraft are made by the accused, reported testimony is either irrational or coerced through torture or threat.

United Nations officials and civil society representatives from affected countries have urged African governments to acknowledge the extent of the murder and persecution of women, children and men in their countries, as a result of witchcraft accusations.

Murder and persecution of women and children accused of being witches is spreading around the world and destroying the lives of millions of people, experts said Wednesday. United Nations officials, civil society representatives from affected countries and non-governmental organization (NGO) specialists working on the issue urged governments to acknowledge the extent of the persecution. [1]

[1] 'Killing of women, child "witches" on rise, U.N. told' by Robert Evans
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE58M4Q820090923

In an attempt to dissuade witch-hunts in Nigeria, two Nigerian Catholic Bishops have asked the Synod of Bishops for Africa to "…make a clear commitment to educating Catholics about the fact that, while the devil exists, witchcraft does not." [2]

[2] 'Bishops ask for action against belief in witchcraft' by Cindy Wooden
http://www.wcr.ab.ca/news/2009/1019/action101909.shtml

Bishop Augustine Akubeze is quoted as saying "Witches do not exist and so the accusations are always false. Even worse, people have been known to accuse someone of being a witch just to settle personal squabbles. Witchcraft lacks any justification in reason, science and common sense but people continue to believe in it."

The 'witchcraft' referred to as accusation, allegation and harmful superstition, exists only in the minds of those who believe that witchcraft is the embodiment of evil and that witches are responsible for misfortune, disease, accident, natural disaster and death.

"Children alleged to be witches and wizards are persecuted through torture and inhuman and degrading treatment, which sometimes leads to their death. Such children are starved, chained, beaten, matcheted or even lynched. At the churches, pastors subject children alleged to be witches and wizards to torture in the name of exorcism. Witchdoctors force such children to drink potions (poison) or concoctions which can kill them or damage their health." [3]

[3] 'Leo Igwe on child rights in Nigeria'
http://www.iheu.org/leo-igwe-child-rights-nigeria

In Gambia President Yahya Jammeh is reported to have invited "witch doctors" from Guinea to find and neutralize witches, because he believed that witchcraft was involved in the death of his aunt. Reuters and Amnesty International reported that witch doctors and security forces in Gambia detained up to 1,000 people on suspicion of being witches, and forced them to drink hallucinogenic substances. [4] [5]

[4] Rights group: 1,000 seized in Gambia 'witch-hunt'
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/03/18/gambia.amnesty.witchcraft...

[5] Hundreds accused of 'witchcraft' persecuted in The Gambia
http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/news/hundreds-accused-witchcr...

The horror of witch-hunts is not confined to Nigeria or Gambia. Witch-hunts occur in every country in Africa, and they are increasing in occurrence and brutality. Perhaps few other words has elicited more hatred, hostility and suffering in twentieth and twenty first century South Africa than the word witch. Since the 1980’s thousands of innocent men and women have been accused of being witches or of using witchcraft. Many have been murdered by their communities without trial. Many more have been banished from their villages, their homes destroyed and members of their families murdered or forced to flee in fear of their lives.

Campaign History

The 30 day advocacy campaign against witch-hunts in Africa was launched in 2008 by South African Witches (represented by the South African Pagan Rights Alliance & the South African Pagan Council) and targeted the South African government, institutions established to protect constitutional democracy and human rights in South Africa and political parties.

In 2009 the advocacy campaign focused on highlighting the role of institutionalized prejudice against witchcraft and witches within South African legislation, politicians, the South African Police Service and South African human rights institutions including the Human Rights Commission and the Commission on Gender Equality.

The 2010 campaign is aimed at petitioning the African Union General Assembly and the Pan-African Parliament, to address the ongoing witchcraft hysteria in Africa, through constructive and humane programmes that seek to entrench and strengthen human rights and human dignity, instead of seeking to suppress witchcraft or ignore ongoing human rights abuses within member countries.

Witchcraft Reclamation by Pagan Witches in South Africa

South Africa is the only African country in which actual Witches have identified themselves as Pagans. South Africans who are self-identified Witches, by virtue of their very existence, publicly challenge firmly entrenched and prejudicial African beliefs concerning witchcraft, and they contradict attempts to eradicate a belief in witchcraft in Africa by claiming, "there are no witches".

In 2007 the South African Pagan Rights Alliance and the South African Pagan Council requested the South African Law Reform Commission to investigate whether or not the existing Witchcraft Suppression Act 3 of 1957 undermines the constitutionally guaranteed freedoms and rights of existing religious minorities in South Africa, by deliberately criminalising Witchcraft and prohibiting the right of Witches to exist and to practice their religion.

Under the South African constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion, Witchcraft is regarded as a constitutionally protected religion. The South African Pagan Rights Alliance, the South African Pagan Council and the Correllian Nativist Tradition, are already designated as ‘religious organizations’ by the Department of Home Affairs. The South African Pagan Council is a Section 21 Public Benefit Organization in terms of the South African Revenue Services Act.

Support, participate in, or promote this campaign?
Contact: paganrightsalliance@ananzi.co.za

Join the campaign on Facebook for planning and action updates:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?invites&eid=274505543709

This advocacy campaign is sponsored by the South African Pagan Council and the South African Pagan Rights Alliance

Campaign Supporters:

Pagan Federation International

Correllian Nativist Tradition (U.S. & S.A.)

Support this campaign too?
Contact: TouchStone Advocacy - paganrightsalliance@ananzi.co.za

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Pagans Tonight! Witch-hunts

Listen to: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/witchschool/2010/01/27/pagans-tonight