*From the Archives*: Tech, democracy, human rights, and the urgent crisis in Sudan
These past few weeks, as violence and instability have escalated in Sudan, I’ve had one particular conversation on my mind, an episode of the show that I recorded a few years back with Mohamed Abubakr. In April of this year, clashes broke out in cities, with the fighting concentrated around the capital city of Khartoum and the Darfur region. As of 27 May, at least 1,800 people had been killed and more than 5,100 others had been injured. The conflict began with attacks by the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on government sites across Sudan. At present the conflict has killed hundreds, injured thousands, and triggered a humanitarian catastrophe with international sanctions and a global response emerging from governments, including the United States, and international groups. In light of the conflict, I wanted to revisit the conversation I had with Mohamed, where we talked about the role that tech plays in democracy and revolution in the middle east to call attention to Sudan and those who are working passionately to help protect and restore democracy there, to recall the possibilities and optimism for a better Sudanese future, and to help remind us of our interconnectedness to others around the world. Mohamed Abubakr is a Sudanese human rights activist and peacemaker with a decade and a half of civil society experience. Since high school, he has founded and led organizations and initiatives focused on humanitarian, human rights, youth empowerment and peace programs across the Middle East and Africa (MEA) including in Darfur, South Sudan, Sudan, Egypt, Israel, the Palestinian Territories and beyond. Mohamed has also documented, reported and mobilized against human rights abuses across MEA, and since arriving in the United States has become a sought after voice at the State Department and in Congress concerning policy and human rights issues in the region. Mohamed Abubar is the president of the African and Middle Eastern Leadership Project (AMEL). AMEL empowers young activists from the Middle Eastern and African region, and connects them with one another and with peers, leaders and audiences in the global north, in order to advance human rights for all human beings. Using online platforms, social media networks, and technological innovation, AMEL provides training, mentoring, and advocacy to African and Middle Eastern activists, empowering them to step up their civil society activism, while at the same time building their skills and experience to ascend to top leadership positions.