Ghislain Muhiwa

Ghislain Muhiwa is an activist with the citizen movement Struggle for Change (LUCHA) in the Democratic Republic of Congo since May 2012. He finished his studies (BAC+5) in public economics in 2015 at Goma University and works professionally as a Researcher in social sciences and financier for humanitarian organizations in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In his work as an activist and human rights defender within LUCHA, Ghislain leads public campaigns for citizen demands and demonstrations on the ground to demand access to water, democratic elections, education, employment, sanitation and several issues aimed to restore social justice and human dignity.

He was recently a political prisoner and released because of popular and diplomatic pressure in November 2021, after more than two months of unjust detention, and having been previously detained for 6 months in August 2016 for having refused, with his colleagues, a third term to DRC former President Joseph Kabila.

Because of his actions and those of his comrades, their movement ,LUCHA, received the Ambassador of Conscience Award from Amnesty International  in 2016, the Defenders at Risk Award from Frontline defenders in 2016, and the Peace Award from the Ecumenical Network of Germany.

His fellowship explores the impact of citizen engagement in a context of repression and highlights some actions of LUCHA that have had a concrete impact in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It aims to inspire people in different countries to use citizen engagement as a way to access to their rights.