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Farida Bemba Nabourema is a Togolese author, social activist, and a pan-Africanist who has been at the forefront of criticising corruption, dictatorship, inequality and human rights abuses in Togo. Nabourema who co-founded the Faure Must Go Movement, is among the 2021 Ford Foundation Global Fellows recently announced in recognition of their roles in social welfare and activism in different communities across the world. In this exclusive interview with Prime Business Africa, she highlights how the Ford Fellow award has rekindled her resolve to continue pushing against prevailing social vices in her country.
As a new Fellow of the Ford Foundation, what are your expectations in the cause of social justice in Africa?
Join our WhatsApp ChannelImpactful leadership is the cornerstone of good governance, and we cannot solve an ounce of the social inequities we are facing without improving our governance. As a Ford Fellow, I am interested in improving my leadership skills with the ultimate goal of positively influencing governance in Africa, which requires the uprooting of corruption, authoritarianism, neo-colonialism and unethical capitalism.
As a human rights activist, how would you leverage the new global award by Ford Foundation to further address issues of human rights abuses suffered by poor and vulnerable people in communities in your country?
The most important benefit of this fellowship is the community of actors that are working towards building a more just and inclusive society across the globe. As a human rights activist who is constantly under the radar for agitating and challenging the status quo that has kept my country, Togo in bondage for many decades, this fellowship comes at a time when I am facing very deep exhaustion and dispiritedness following years of making ultimate sacrifices that do not seem to be paying off. After joining this fellowship and meeting fellow fellows, I was able to rekindle my commitment and regain faith in the righteousness of my struggle for justice.
What kinds of interventions would you be considering to undertake in the fight against corruption and marginalization of vulnerable groups like rural women, children and disabled persons?
I am a firm believer in people’s power and civil resistance. My approach has always been that of organizing citizens to resist, challenge and amend their society and this can only be achieved by raising awareness and making citizens understand that they hold the true power. I do not believe that marginalized groups need to be empowered as they already hold a surmountable power, but they need to guide on how to use it to end their oppression and I hope to contribute to inspiring and guiding such actions.
How do you intend to continue advancing the struggle for the return of real democracy in your country currently being ruled by a leader with a dictatorial mindset?
The military regime that has ruled my country for the past 54 years has always benefited from its invisibility. The fact that the world didn’t know about its existence and level of cruelty aided in elongating their rule. I made it my job to expose this regime to the world and I am fulfilling that mission still but most importantly, I decided to build allyships for Togolese citizens that are resisting this authoritarian government at the grassroots and at the diplomatic level. It is not that I do not believe we can end dictatorship in Togo by ourselves, but I know we aren’t just fighting this regime alone. It relies on foreign companies like NSO to acquire spywares that it uses to spy on us, it relies on military equipment and training provided by world powers to repress us, it relies on foreign banks to hide the money it loots, and it spends our taxpayer funds to buy the expertise of lobbyists to polish its image. We are therefore fighting against invisible forces that have been aiding this regime in maintaining us in bondage. I want to mobilize democratic forces to join us the people of Togo in our struggle just so we have equilibrium in this fight which we the people shall win.
