Magkasama means “together” in Tagalog. The name also carries the Sama, the eye-like beings imagined by our founder, the artist Max Dana: they watch, they notice, and they stay. In our logo, three Sama form a water molecule. Water is made of small things holding on to each other. So is any movement worth the name.
We are an independent civil society initiative, with no government or public funding. We follow a few places closely and over the long run: Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti and Tunisia. We publish reports, testimonies and interviews, and relay the voices of people living through these crises.
Our motto, “Stand together, because unity is strength,” comes from the coat of arms of Haiti.
The MagkaSama Project logo: three Sama, drawn by Max Dana, forming a water molecule.
Max Dana's commitment to human rights started early, with a fanzine in which she wrote about press freedom and international crises. In 2003, as the crisis in Darfur unfolded, she started a newsletter that gathered information from many sources to alert readers to what was happening in western Sudan. That newsletter was the beginning of the MagkaSama Project.
In 2008, for the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, she created the artwork "60 Signers for the 60th Anniversary", signed by sixty organizations and personalities, among them Amnesty International, UNICEF, UNESCO, Stéphane Hessel and Mary Robinson. The work is permanently held by CIVICUS in Johannesburg. Every December since, we have marked Human Rights Week, and the initiative later grew into our year-round #SamaForHumanRights campaign.
Since 2006, Max has also run Sama Kids Day, drawing workshops where children talk about empathy, bullying, poverty and the world around them.
Purpose
We defend human rights and freedom of expression, with a particular focus on Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti and Tunisia. Learn more about our mission.
Impact
Since 2003, we have published news digests, reports and interviews, joined campaigns and open letters, and organized screenings and discussions. In 2016, with Human Rights Watch and the Paris City Council, we held the first screening in France of The Heart of Nuba, in the presence of its director.
Approach
We relay the work of organizations we trust and join their campaigns, such as the joint letter initiated by the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies ahead of the 39th session of the UN Human Rights Council, which we signed with 31 other organizations. Discover our partners.
Vision
A world where people can speak freely and live with dignity, wherever they were born. No single initiative will get there alone. That is why we work together.
Collaborative Spirit
We are an independent initiative, not a large organization. Volunteers write, research and organize, each according to their time and skills.
Community
Many of our volunteers come from the Samayan community. Some host screenings and discussions where they live; others moderate our online conversations.
Your Part
Every campaign we relay comes with something concrete to do: sign, write, share, or simply learn more. Take action today.
Independence
We accept no government or public funding. Max Dana funds the project personally, which leaves us free to choose our subjects and to say what we think.
