The People’s President – Bobi Wine

Description

WATCH the academy award-nominated film “The People’s President – Bobi Wine” (2023), available on National Geographic. In your 500 word response, discuss which key civil, political and other human rights issues you see playing out in the story. Be sure to list specific articles from the ICCPR and CAT in relation to the story. Feel free to also write in a free-form style about what affected you in the film, the story (even the music), in Uganda’s history, or connections you see between Bobi Wine and what we are studying in this course.

1. Follow the format you see in terms of structure, sub-headings, and citations that you see in dozens of Submissions to the UN Human Rights Committee or Submission to the UN Committee against Torture that you see on www.hrw.org. I have included several additional ones here and in the KEY ASSIGNMENTS link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tELRxg-ugXbflyzGwktJZpuj0t1niQjX/edit
   1. https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/02/12/human-rights-watch-submission-un-human-rights-committee-review-united-kingdom
   2. https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/07/15/human-rights-watch-submission-united-nations-committee-against-torture-turkiye
   3. https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/02/03/submission-human-rights-watch-united-nations-human-rights-committee-advance-its
   4. https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/02/02/indonesia-submission-un-human-rights-committee
   5. https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/10/05/egypt-submission-un-committee-against-torture
   6. https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/10/20/submission-united-nations-committee-against-torture
2. Remember the role you are playing in this memo. You represent a non-governmental organization which presumably does its own research. When you present facts and information try your best to cite primary news resources rather than the press releases or reports of your “competitor” organizations such as HRW. Some limited citations are allowed, but I want you to avoid using the evidence collection or narrative style of another organization in the way you construct your information.
3. Use sub-headings. Think about presenting the violation of one article to the ICCPR or CAT in each section.
4. In your sub-section, introduce the facts that describe the violation, mention the relevant article of the treaty at issue, present a discussion or analysis of how these actions by the relevant government or authorities violate that rule, and then make a quick conclusion. In some cases, your analysis should go further, and cite the argument’s attempt to justify its actions. But then you can rebut that argument and move on to your conclusion. Almost every citizen should have a citation.
5. In the entire memorandum, avoid using phrases like “I believe,” “In my opinion,” or emotional phrases like “it is outrageous!” Stick as close as possible to a narrative, journalistic style where active voice is felt throughout.
6. Include citations in the style you on HRW.org, which is Chicago style.
7. Include a Works Cited page at the end
8. Important: Do not forget the final section: RECOMMENDATIONS. Develop 3-5 of your own recommendations on what the Committee should urge the State Party to do. Feel free to be creative. Think about the laws that should be amended, the persons released, the compensation to be provided or the access to lawyers or loved ones… Lots of possibilities here and opportunities to be creative.
9. Also, ask yourself whether the Committee in the past has issued a specific opinion on the right you are looking at. You might want to cite to it for additional support in the course of your analysis. For example, on reproductive rights, you may cite to this ruling: https://opiniojuris.org/2019/03/06/the-un-human-rights-committees-general-comment-36-on-the-right-to-life-and-the-right-to-abortion/