University of Birmingham student wins international human rights essay prize
Eltayeb Bashar, a Birmingham Law School student, has won the 2024 HART - Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust Prize for Human Rights.
Eltayeb Bashar during his House of Lords tour for his essay prize.
HART is an international development charity that collaborates with humanitarian groups in different countries to assist communities with sustainable development and peace efforts.
The international essay competition invites participants to address human rights issues in HART operational countries, highlighting underrepresented humanitarian issues.
Eltayeb who is studying for his master’s degree in international human rights law at Birmingham Law School, won first prize in the senior category for his essay titled, Sudan’s Forgotten War: Addressing One of the Greatest Humanitarian Crises of Our Time.
My family had been living in Sudan for generations, but when the war broke out, they had no choice but to leave everything behind and go seek refuge in Egypt.
The essay explored and reflected the hardships of civil war in Eltayeb’s homeland and his family's suffering in escaping it.
Eltayeb said: “My family had been living in Sudan for generations, but when the war broke out, they had no choice but to leave everything behind and go seek refuge in Egypt. Their odyssey to Egypt was dangerous; they took a bus filled with people, all escaping with their lives as they passed through desert and rough terrain. This war, and especially the crimes against humanity being committed by the RSF, have made Sudan all but inhabitable for its people. Now we are all dreaming of returning, but nobody has any idea what they will return to.”
Entries from Eastern Visayas State University in the Philippines, an essayist in Armenia, and the University of Sydney in Australia came second, third and highly commended, respectively.
To be recognised for my contribution with a human rights prize is very humbling. I want to publish more works on human rights issues and to continue to be an advocate for the voiceless.
Eltayeb said: “Girls as young as nine are forced to marry RSF soldiers, many women have to sell sex services just to eat, people are indiscriminately killed every day, and a report by the Clingendael Institute thinktank says 2.5 million people in Sudan could starve by the end of September, and yet this crisis rarely gets a mention in the west. This needs to change now. I am grateful that my essay will bring much-needed attention to one of the most neglected major humanitarian crises in the world today.”
For winning the competition Eltayeb won a cash prize, a signed book by HART founder Baroness Caroline Cox and a tour of the House of Lords and Commons. As part of his prize, he also got a work experience placement with HART, where he crafted some written questions and answers for parliamentary review on the crisis in Sudan which have been tabled.
As well as studying law Eltayeb also runs the Anti-Racism Initiative, charity dedicated to promoting racial harmony in Worcestershire through educations events, workshops and talks.
He concluded: “To be recognised for my contribution with a human rights prize is very humbling. I want to publish more works on human rights issues and to continue to be an advocate for the voiceless.”
Notes for editors
Notes for editors
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