BONELA

CONSTITUTIONAL AMMENDMENT BILL FAILURE A VICTORY FOR RIGHTS

📷𝐏𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐋: 𝐁𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐋𝐀 - 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 𝐒𝐔𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐃𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐃𝐀𝐘








***dePreventionDay

𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 𝐒𝐔𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐃𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐃𝐀𝐘

September 10 is World Su***de Prevention Day. The theme identified for 2024-2026 is ‘Changing the Narrative on Su***de’ with an associated call to action of; ‘Start the Conversation’.

Changing the narrative on su***de aims to inspire individuals, communities, organizations, and governments to engage in open and honest discussions about su***de and suicidal behaviour. By initiating these vital conversations, we can break down barriers, raise awareness, and create better cultures of understanding and support.








National AIDS & Health Promotion Agency
***dePreventionDay

B𝐎N𝐄L𝐀 𝐋A𝐔D𝐒 𝐓H𝐄 𝐂O𝐍S𝐓I𝐓U𝐓I𝐎N𝐀L A𝐌E𝐍D𝐌E𝐍T B𝐈L𝐋’𝐒 𝐅A𝐈L𝐔R𝐄 𝐀S A V𝐈C𝐓O𝐑Y F𝐎R R𝐈G𝐇T𝐒

1. The Botswana Network on Ethics, Law and HIV/AIDS ( ) welcomes the decision by Parliament to reject the Constitutional Amendment Bill. This outcome follows significant public outcry, including widespread protests at Parliament, during which citizens were subjected to police brutality for exercising their right to dissent.

2. BONELA, along with other , has been at the forefront of advocating for the withdrawal of this Bill. We raised substantial concerns about the lack of openness, inclusive and transparency in the process. The Bill, in its current form, failed to address critical reforms necessary to safeguard democracy, fundamental rights and the independence of key institutions.

3. Our opposition to the Bill was further reinforced by its failure to expand fundamental rights and freedoms. Additionally, the 14-day delay in making hard copies of the Bill available to the public limited meaningful public engagement, violating the 30-day access period mandated by law before the Bill's first reading in Parliament.

4. It is ironic that the proponents of the Bill now assert that Parliament’s decision infringes upon the fundamental human rights of Batswana, when the introduction of the Bill itself failed to genuinely reflect the public's interests and instead sought to further a concealed agenda. The citizens of Botswana, recognizing this, exercised their right to protest, only to be met with excessive force and unlawful detention for defending their rights.

5. BONELA calls for a constitutional review process that is open, inclusive and transparent, and one that genuinely represents the will of the people. While we support constitutional amendments, they must involve the public from the outset. We therefore celebrate the failure of the Bill as a victory for democracy and the protection of human rights.


https://bonela.org/06-09-24-bonela-lauds-the-constitutional-amendment-bills-failure-as-a-victory-for-rights/

𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐲: 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐂𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐥 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲’𝐬 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐍𝐎.𝟒 (𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒) 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐨𝐭𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐚.

Cindy Kelemi-Baeletsi, Botswana Council of NGOs Chairperson's Media Address:

"The failure of the bill to go through in parliament is a result of civil society action. We must be very proud of ourselves and the work we have done. From the beginning of the process, BOCONGO has always reiterated that 𝙬𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙖 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙚. We say inclusive because we are the ones who work with communities. 𝙒𝙚 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨’ 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙨𝙤 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙨. Therefore, that is why inclusivity was very important to us and as we have maintained, the process to us was not inclusive.

We have also lamented that we want the process to be participatory and we have maintained our stance even this morning to say we want to see a process that is participatory. We have also maintained that we want to see a process that is 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙 and we reiterate that what has happened in our view is not people centered because the interests of the people were not put at the forefront in the way that we would have expected.

We have extended a hand to government to say as Civil Society we believe 𝙬𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙣 𝙙𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙥𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 and most importantly we play a critical role in a democratic state as our own and therefore 𝙘𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙡 𝙨𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙩𝙮 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙. A lot of times our voice as civil society has been questioned and I want to take this opportunity to remind those who might have forgotten who we are, 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙘𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙡 𝙨𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙩𝙮 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙨, 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝘽𝙊𝘾𝙊𝙉𝙂𝙊 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙨, 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚’𝙨 𝙫𝙤𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙩 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙨 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙝.

It has been widely said that civil society in Botswana is weak, 𝘾𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙡 𝙨𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙩𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝘽𝙤𝙩𝙨𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙖 𝙞𝙨 𝙉𝙊𝙏 𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙠. 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙖 𝙙𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙘𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙡 𝙨𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙩𝙮 𝙮𝙞𝙚𝙡𝙙𝙨 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙮, 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙚 𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙯𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚. It has also been by many commentators that civil society is not united, we have proven the naysayers wrong. Civil society is very much united in its diversity as we have proven in this process. The achievements that we are recognizing today are a result of the fact that we are united.

In conclusion I would like to say that as civil society 𝙬𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙣 𝙜𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙪𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙧𝙤𝙡𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙨𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙪𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙖𝙜𝙚. This was not an easy process for us, it was marred with a lot of issues including 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩. In a country where we believe civil society should be recognized as a key player, we do not expect such things to be happening. Therefore, we have a very clear message to the government to say, 𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙪𝙨 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙮, 𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙪𝙨 𝙚𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙮, 𝙬𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙥𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙖 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙩 𝙨𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙛𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙧𝙚. "

IN Action!

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 (𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭) 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

𝗕𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗟𝗔 | 𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗧𝗜𝗙𝗬
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*xualReproductiveHealthRights

𝗖𝗦𝗢𝘀, 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗛𝗜𝗩 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝗟𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵.

In her keynote address at the Tlokweng Main Kgotla for the National Month of Prayer Launch, Assistant Minister for State President, Honourable Ms. Boitumelo Gofhamodimo, reflected on the significance of this annual observance. "The Month of Prayer was declared in 1996 to pray specifically for HIV, and over the years, it has expanded to address other pressing social issues," she noted, expressing gratitude to the Christian community for 27 years of dedicated intercession.

The theme for this year, Developing a Transformative Mindset—"Tlhabololo ya dikakanyo go tlisa phetogo"—aligns with the President's roadmap for Mindset Change, acknowledging the profound impact of prayer on people's lives. Hon. Gofhamodimo also commended the collaborative efforts with key stakeholders in achieving the 95/95/98 targets, and highlighted Botswana's pioneering role in extending free ART/ARVs to non-citizens. (𝘈 𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘺 𝘉𝘖𝘕𝘌𝘓𝘈 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴.)

Minister Gofhamodimo highlighted pressing societal issues that demand collective action. “The 5th Botswana AIDS Impact Survey 2021 revealed that younger people are at an elevated risk of HIV infection,” she noted, urging a united effort to address this critical concern. She also underscored the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), stating, “We need to work towards controlling NCDs by changing our mindset, embracing exercise, healthy eating, reducing stress, cutting down on alcohol intake, and stopping smoking.” On the issue road safety, she emphasized that “mindset change” is essential for preventing accidents through safe driving practices. Hon. Gofhamodimo also addressed the pandemic of gender-based violence (GBV), revealing that “Botswana is gradually becoming one of the most violent countries in the continent” and called for the church to lead in combating violence against women and children.

She concluded by expressing gratitude to civil society organizations, development partners, and the church for their significant contributions to the national HIV response. The Minister urged churches to foster a mindset shift among their congregants and officially declared the Month of Prayer launched to support these vital causes.

𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗨𝗟𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗬 𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗩𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗦 𝗔𝗗𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗧𝗜𝗦𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧.-— (BONELA) Botswana Network On Ethics Law and HIV/AIDS

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📜🗳️📻 Tune in and Join the conversation as we reflect on the Winter Parliamentary session, it's crucial to assess how consultation and public participation processes have evolved and impacted legislative outcomes. Over the past few months, we've witnessed an increased emphasis on inclusivity and transparency, highlighting the importance of engaging citizens in shaping policy and law reforms.

❓𝙄𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙮 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙘 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨?

❓𝙒𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝘼𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝘽𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙨𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙗𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙮 𝙎𝙚𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧 – 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙥𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙣 𝙗𝙮 𝙔𝙊𝙐 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙔𝙊𝙐𝙍 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙔𝙊𝙐𝙍 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝘼𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝘽𝙞𝙡𝙡?

🗣️Share your comments and questions for the guests.

𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗚𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀: 𝗘𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗣𝗼𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀' 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘀𝘄𝗮𝗻𝗮 - 𝗞𝗔𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴

In her welcome remarks, Kgosi Basadi Seipone of Kang underscored the critical role of informed gatekeepers in fostering a supportive and effective community environment. She appreciated the significance of the week-long training in equipping gatekeepers with the necessary knowledge and skills to address key issues affecting vulnerable populations. Kgosi Seipone expressed gratitude to BONELA, National AIDS & Health Promotion Agency (NAHPA), and Bummhi for their commitment to enhancing the capacity of gatekeepers to address emerging challenges related to key populations (KPs) in Botswana.

The training program aims to provide gatekeepers with a comprehensive understanding of human rights issues, health services, and regulatory frameworks pertinent to key populations.

The training has thus far covered the following core sessions:
✅Human Rights Issues Related to Key Populations:
Discussions centered around the fundamental human rights principles and their application to key populations, including People Living With Disabilities (PLWD), People Living With HIV, Prisoners, LGBTIQ+, Men who Sleep with Men (MSM), and S*x Workers.
From Mandla P**e, BONELA's presentation the workshop participants were able to highlight specific human rights challenges faced by these groups within their district and came up with possible solutions.

✅Health Services for Key Populations:
Keiumetse Mariri of Bummhi's presentation examined healthcare services available to key populations in Botswana, including access, quality, and effectiveness.
He underscored the importance of gatekeepers (Health care workers) understanding the specific health needs of each group and evaluating the adequacy of current services to meet these needs.

✅Assessment of International & National Legal and Regulatory Frameworks:
Mandla P**e gave an evaluation of laws and policies concerning HIV and AIDS, including their effectiveness and areas for improvement. He continued to give an analysis of existing legal frameworks related to gender and women’s rights, with a focus on addressing gender-based violence (GBV) and discrimination. It was clear from the comments and questions around this issue that a gravely concerning issue. Some of the questions that came up and divided the room were: Can men be r***d? Should relationships now have legally binding contracts to avoid conflict when relationships end? Where does the cultural and biblical norm that promote men as providers put unemployed men?

✅Presentation by Sadie McKenzie – BONELA, Stigma and Discrimination discussion explored harmful norms, forms, effects and measures in place to combat stigma and discrimination against key populations.

The training aims to equip gatekeepers with the knowledge and tools necessary to advocate for and implement effective solutions for key vulnerable groups and develop a deeper understanding of the human rights issues, health services, and regulatory frameworks impacting key populations in Botswana.




📸🖼️ DAY 1 & 2 PICTORIAL

𝐒𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄: Thursday 29 August, LIVE on Gabz-FM

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐔𝐌𝐀𝐍 𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐄𝐑 (𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐀𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 𝐇𝐔𝐌𝐀𝐍 𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐔𝐄𝐒)

📜🗳️📻 Tune in and Join the conversation as we reflect on the Winter Parliamentary session, it's crucial to assess how consultation and public participation processes have evolved and impacted legislative outcomes. Over the past few months, we've witnessed an increased emphasis on inclusivity and transparency, highlighting the importance of engaging citizens in shaping policy and law reforms.
BONELA

𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐁𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐋𝐀'𝐬 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐃𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐕𝐮𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐬.

BONELA Executive Director Cindy Kelemi-Baeletsi and team graced the Dinokeng Charity Bushwalk organized by the Madikwe Community Care Group, a dedicated non-profit organization focused on advocating for the rights of vulnerable populations, particularly persons with disabilities and the elderly. The primary goal of the event is to raise funds for the construction of a much-needed respite care center.
The organization is a member of BONELA, and its Founding Director, Dr. Lilian Moremi is the BONELA Board Chairperson. Our participation in the Dinokeng Charity Bushwalk fundraiser not only supports this crucial cause but also embodies our core values of Botho and demonstrates our passion as an organization. It further shows our commitment to supporting our member organizations. This event aligns with BONELA's mission of advocating for and supporting key and vulnerable populations through community-based interventions.

THE DINOKENG CHARITY BUSHWALK- Madikwe Community Care Group

Madikwe Community Care Group ( MCCG) Welcomes the Botswana Network on Ethics, Law and HIV and AIDS (BONELA) to the inaugural Dinokeng 26 Km Charity BushWalk 2024. MCCG is delighted for the sponsorship and participation in the 2024 Bush Walk.

BONELA is intentional about strengthening human rights movement in Botswana to make the right to health a reality and ensuring no one is left behind including persons with disabilities.

Let's Welcome Our Valued Sponsor, BONELA to the 2024 Dinokeng Charity BushWalk Family

𝗛𝗨𝗠𝗔𝗡 𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦 & 𝗞𝗘𝗬 𝗣𝗢𝗣𝗨𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗣 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗚𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗞𝗘𝗣𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗦-𝗚𝗢𝗢𝗗𝗛𝗢𝗣𝗘

BONELA in partnership with Bummhi & NAHPA collaborated on a week-long training of Gatekeepers in Goodhope focusing on Key Populations minimum package of services, human rights and stigma and discrimination. The gatekeepers consisted of the District Commissioner, Dikgosi, Pastors, Teachers, Police officers, DAC, Healthcare workers, S&CD department, the VDC and CSOs. The training's purpose is look to at the current legal provisions and assess if we do need a paradigm shift in addressing identified gaps.

Cindy Kelemi-Baeletsi, the Executive Director of BONELA, equipped the workshop participants with thorough and detailed insights into the areas of Human Rights and Legal Environment Assessment-HIV/TB Services for vulnerable Key Populations ( Prisoners, S*x Workers, People Living with Disability, People Living With HIV/AIDS, LGBTIQ+...) . She delved into the various obstacles that obstruct universal access to HIV services, particularly for key and vulnerable populations. Her sessions aimed to enhance participants' understanding of these critical issues and identify the challenges such as stigma and discrimination that need to be addressed to improve access to essential health services.

Mandla P**e from BONELA, concluded the training with a practical exercise titled "7 Steps of Moving to Action." This exercise was designed to help the participants, referred to as gatekeepers, outline and define the specific actions and steps they need to implement. The goal was to ensure that these gatekeepers could effectively support compliance with servicing KPs and enhance access to services. Through this exercise, participants were guided in creating actionable plans to improve their support and facilitate better service accessibility for these groups.

A significant outcome of the training was the emphasis on encouraging gatekeepers to take ownership of KP programs. This involves not only becoming actively engaged in these initiatives but also effectively disseminating information to their respective communities. The goal is to ensure that the knowledge and support systems for KPs are strengthened and more widely accessible at the grassroots level.

𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗗𝗮𝘆

Today BONELA and the rest of the world commemorates , a day dedicated to all humanitarian workers who selflessly put themselves at risk to alleviate human suffering during crises. . Let's recognize the power of compassion and the impact of humanitarian work.

🎙️🏓📌📻HUMAN RIGHTS CORNER

TOPIC: Amendment of section 3 of the constitution and its Impact on socio-economic rights

📻Tune in Duma FM
⌚️9:30am

HUMAN RIGHTS CORNER

TOPIC: Amendment of section 3 of the constitution and its Impact on socio-economic rights

📻Tune in today
⌚️9:30am

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐔𝐌𝐀𝐍 𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐄𝐑 (𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐀𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 𝐇𝐔𝐌𝐀𝐍 𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐔𝐄𝐒)

SAVE THE DATE, SATURDAY17TH AUGUST TO TUNE IN!
BONELA Advoacy Officer, Tlamelo Mothudi will be hosting Itumeleng Johane DITSHWANELO, Project Support Assistant on Duma FM to explore the 2024 Constitution (Amendment) Bill on the Amendment of Section 3 of the Constitution and its impact on Socio-Economic Rights. — Don’t Miss It!

Share your comments and questions for this conversation.

📻🎙️Tune In for this insightful conversation.

⁉️Share your comments and questions for the guests.

Today on The Rush from 8am, we're joined by BONELA Advocacy Officer, Tlamelo Mothudi, and LEGABIBO Head of Policy & Legal Advocacy, Laone Van Vuuren.👨‍🏫

We’ll be discussing the 2024 constitutional amendment on discrimination, sexual minority, and intersex identity.👩🏻‍🦰🧑‍🦰

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐔𝐌𝐀𝐍 𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐄𝐑 (𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐀𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 𝐇𝐔𝐌𝐀𝐍 𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐔𝐄𝐒)

SAVE THE DATE TO TUNE IN!
BONELA Advoacy Officer, Tlamelo Mothudi will be hosting Laone van Vuuren LEGABIBO Head of Policy & Legal Advocacy on Yarona FM to explore the 2024 Constitution (Amendment) Bill on Discrimination, S*xual Minority Protections, and the Intersex Identity — Don’t Miss It!

Share your comments and questions for this conversation.

*xualMinorityProtections

BONELA honored the Pot Support Group invitation and facilitated on the human rights in Pitseng village during a capacity workshop. The members of the group were encouraged to use the government officials as there have been placed to assist the community.

Present were Moshupa DAC,Ms. Nfila, BONEPWA, Pitseng kgosi and dikgosana,police, health care workers, social workers and the members of the support group.

#