Writivism

Changemaker: Brian Bwesigye

Most youths today prefer to read anything else than political-social issues, notably human rights ones. To engage the youth in social change initiatives, specifically those that concern identity, equality and diversity, Brian Bwesigye through the Center for African Cultural Excellence (CACE) is setting out to use Literature, especially realist fiction to inspire, train and engage the youths in changing their communities. WriTivism combines Writing and Activism and includes six steps;

1. A writing competition for short realist prose written by young people is held in October-December.

2. The best of the stories sent in are shortlisted and their writers attend a one-day writing and human rights workshop in January.

3. The writers are placed under the mentorship of established and published writers.

4. Their stories are published online, in two national newspapers and in an anthology and circulated widely for reading by fellow young people and the general public.

5. Writers’ clubs in schools are visited and toured by the writers to encourage sharing of reading experiences of the stories and exchange of information on actions and initiatives taken by the readers at individual and group levels.

6. By August, the story with the biggest impact is voted by the readers through feedback on the initiatives that the stories inspired them to undertake and the WriTivist of the Year awarded.

The project is run annually to ensure the engagement of youth in human rights activism and general social change initiatives.