– By Eltayeb Bashar, 2023-24 HART Prize Winner, Senior Essay Category
My main aim for participating in the 2024 HART Prize for Human Rights Competition was to advocate for my community and to shed light on the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Sudan.
I discovered the competition through my research into opportunities for broadening my human rights experience, and was immediately impressed by the work that HART did to help communities in need. I recognised that the competition was a great opportunity to shed light on a massive, under-represented humanitarian crisis that personally affected me:
On April 15th, 2023, a civil war broke out in Sudan between the SAF and RSF forces. It’s led to one of the greatest humanitarian crises of our time, where mass violence, starvation, and displacement have become a daily reality for millions of Sudanese people living in the country. My family, who had been living in Sudan for generations, was forced to leave everything behind and seek refuge in Egypt. I dedicated my essay to them.
When I realised how unknown this crisis was in the West, I wanted to do my part to change that. So, I wrote about the situation in Sudan, offering recommendations for bringing about an end to the crisis and establishing lasting peace in the region. I was ecstatic to find out that I had won, partly because it was a great achievement, but mostly because I knew that it would bring attention to the crisis and the ongoing suffering of the Sudanese people.
After winning the HART Prize, I was given an amazing tour of the Palace of Westminster; a highlight for me was seeing the House of Commons Chamber. I completed a day of work experience with HART, where I crafted some Questions for Written Answer for Parliamentary review on the crisis in Sudan, which have been tabled. I also had the privilege of seeing my essay published. I am thankful to my hosts and new friends for having me, Beth Stephens and Bethany Oliver-Dee.
The opportunity to be part of such a prestigious competition dedicated to human rights advocacy was truly inspiring and fulfilling. I hope to continue to bring more attention to the crisis in Sudan and to upscale my human rights work.
Click here to read Eltayeb’s winning essay.