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Standing for Human Dignity Since 2003

Defending human rights and freedom of expression

The MagkaSama Project logo: three Sama, drawn by Max Dana, forming a water molecule

Since 2003, the MagkaSama Project has defended human rights and freedom of expression. It started with a newsletter on the crisis in Darfur, and grew with the 60 Signers Initiative in 2008.

Freedom of speech is often the first right to be taken away, in authoritarian regimes and in war zones alike. We accept no public funding, which leaves us free to say what we think.

We publish reports, interviews and testimonies, organize documentary screenings and discussions, join campaigns and open letters, and relay the work of organizations we trust.

Our founder, the artist Max Dana, created the project and still funds it personally. A small team of volunteers runs it day to day, from writing and research to organizing screenings.

Stand with us.

Our Focus: In Solidarity for Justice

Human rights and peace in Sudan, the DRC, Haiti and Tunisia.

Our main focus is on Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, two countries where war has driven millions of people from their homes. We also follow human rights in Haiti and Tunisia.

These countries have rich histories and cultures, and communities that keep going despite conflict and instability. We listen to the people who live there, and relay the work of those who defend their rights, often at great personal risk.

Map highlighting Sudan, the DRC, Haiti and Tunisia

Voices

Testimonies from people who lived through these crises, shared by organizations we trust.

🇸🇩 SUDAN / DARFUR

Elsadig's Story, Reported by Waging Peace

We were introduced to Elsadig after he shared [...] his personal testimony of escaping genocide in Darfur. Elsadig’s testimony was deeply impactful to his community; many of whom were also survivors of genocide and persecution in Sudan. To this day, understandably, many cannot and will not relay the horrors of their experiences – especially to their own community. It is rare to hear first-hand public testimony from a Sudanese survivor not only because the security and safety of loved ones (and themselves) remains a real threat but also present is the anguish of shame, pain, grief, loss...

Elsadig's Story (Sudan, Darfur), Reported by Waging Peace

Our Campaign: Sama For Human Rights

Human rights, every day of the year.

Celebrate Human Rights Week, ending on December 10.

Learn. Share. Speak up. Stand together.

Every day should be Human Rights Day.

Max Dana, Founder, The MagkaSama Project

More on the 60 Signers Initiative
Support Sama For Human Rights!

Heroes of Humanity

Dr. Tom Catena and Dr. Denis Mukwege are physicians working in crisis zones. We have screened a documentary about each of them, followed by a discussion.

Dr. Tom Catena, Nuba Mountains, Sudan

Dr. Tom Catena
Nuba Mountains - Sudan 🇸🇩

The people of Sudan's Nuba Mountains have lived through years of bombings, war and isolation. Dr. Tom Catena, the only permanently stationed doctor in the region, works seven days a week at Mother of Mercy Hospital, as surgeon, obstetrician and pediatrician for more than two million people. In 2017, he received the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity.

To highlight his work and the crisis, we hosted a screening of The Heart of Nuba (2016) at Paris City Hall, in the presence of its director, Kenneth A. Carlson, followed by a discussion with experts and NGO representatives, including Human Rights Watch.

More info about Dr. Tom Catena

Check out our page on the film
Visit The Heart of Nuba website | Watch the trailer
Follow Tom Catena on X

Dr. Denis Mukwege, Panzi Hospital, DRC

Dr. Denis Mukwege
Panzi Hospital - Congo (DRC) 🇨🇩

Dr. Denis Mukwege, founder of Panzi Hospital in Bukavu, is a gynecological surgeon whose work has earned international recognition, including the United Nations Human Rights Prize (2008), the Right Livelihood Award (2013), the Sakharov Prize (2014), and the Nobel Peace Prize (2018). His work is featured in the documentary The Man Who Mends Women: The Wrath of Hippocrates (2015).

We hosted a screening of the film, supported by Amnesty International France, followed by a discussion with our partners and members.

More info about Dr. Denis Mukwege

Visit the Panzi Foundation | Mukwege Foundation
Watch the The Man Who Mends Women trailer
Follow Dr. Denis Mukwege on X


What People Say

This is a space for our community to share messages, reflections, and experiences on topics, news, and events that matter. Submit your own contribution here.

Sometimes you think you are alone

Sometimes you think you are alone and that your voice doesn't count, but it does. Thanks for your support over the years and for all your positive energy!

Anna Wagner (Germany)

Tunisians with incredible kindness

Hello to the MagkaSama Project, thank you for giving us a voice on your site because I want to say that I went to Tunisia two months ago and I was welcomed by people with incredible kindness. I traveled all over Tunisia from north to south and I'm both happy to have discovered this country but also a little sad to see that the country is still struggling to move past years of dictatorship. Anyway I'm going back next year!

Melody Varanti (Lille)

Our Latest Posts on X

Follow @MagkaSama for updates, stories and campaigns.