“Speaking up for others is defending human rights.” Penboy,
In may 2025, Penboy was selected alongside artists from other parts of Africa to take part in an 8-day training at the Nigerian capital, Abuja. The training, known as the TTAALA workshop was organised by DefendDefenders and AfricanDefenders with the support of the Swedish Arts Council.
As the word “TTAALA” (Ugandan expression for “Light”) implies, the workshop provided Penboy with clarity on the concept of Human Rights defence. “Before the workshop, I didn’t know my art was a medium of fighting for human rights. I thought that to be a human rights defender, one must have formal training and some sort of certification,” says Penboy.
“After spending 8 days with other artists and Human Right experts, I gained clarity on the existing and potential impact of my art in the fight for human rights. The training has reshaped my view of Human Rights defence and redefined the context of my art…,” he adds.
Not only was this workshop an eye-opener, but it also armed Penboy and the other artists with shields on how to protect themselves in the digital age through fact checking, ethical data collection and respect the of ethics in digital spaces.
The TAALA DefendDefenders Workshop was indeed a source of light for Penboy, but where will this light guide him to?
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