Various individuals and organisations call for an apology to the Tibetan spiritual leader
LETTER TO PRESIDENT MOTLANTHE: GOVERNMENT MUST PROVIDE GLOBAL LEADERSHIP ON HUMAN RIGHTS
We, the undersigned organizations and individuals support the call by Health Minister Barbara Hogan for government to apologise for the decision to prohibit the Dalai Lama from entering South Africa. We also call on government to reverse the decision.
As Minister Hogan stated, this decision by the government was made on behalf of all citizens. It undermines the values of freedom, equality, dignity and sovereignty upon which our Constitution is founded. Given our history South Africa should be at the forefront of resisting the use of economic power to bully other countries into silence on human rights violations. But we are also concerned that there may be undeclared interests at play in the decision to bow to China on this issue, such as party political funding.
It is unfortunate that Minister Hogan has become the centre of attention regarding the ban on the Dalai Lama. The South African Human Rights Commission and others had already publicly expressed their concern regarding the government's decision prior to the statement that was made by Hogan. The real issue is not about Hogan but about the foreign policy choices of our government.
Political leaders must be loyal first and foremost to the Constitution. Hogan was not only giving voice to her conscience, but was also speaking in defence of our Constitution and the duty of the state to represent us all in a manner that is befitting of constitutional values. In the past, threats by presidents of the United States based on its economic power did not stop Nelson Mandela and other senior government leaders from speaking honestly on global human rights violations, including torture in Iraq and the rights of oppressed people to self determination.
Again we call on our government to reverse its decision to deny the Dalai Lama entry into South Africa and to apologise for its mistake. This will take courage but our people will support it as will the global community of citizens. We also call on the government to assure us that no action will be taken against Minister Hogan whose leadership of the health department has begun to repair the damage and despair caused by her predecessor.
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SIGNED BY:
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Prof Quarraisha Abdol-Karim
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Board Member, AIDS Law Project
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Zackie Achmat
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Treatment Action Campaign - Deputy General Secretary and ANC Supporter
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Sieraaj Ahmed
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AIDS Law Project
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Paula Akugizibwe
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Stef Albertyn
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Gabriela Altamirano
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Habonim Dror Southern Africa
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Yvette Andrews
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Anglican Diocese of the Free State
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Premi Appalraju
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Tara Appalraju
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Artists for a New South Africa
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Assitej South Africa
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Balspindie Press
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Laurel Baldwin-Ragaven
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Ms Vivian Black
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Reproductive Health & HIV Research Unit
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Ms Lucilla Blankenberg
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Community Media Trust
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Zenariah Barends
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Daniel Barnett
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Habonim Dror Southern Africa
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Yoni Bass
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Lunga Biyela
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Lucilla Blankenberg
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Adv Julia Boltar
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Johannesburg Bar
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Andrew Boraine
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Deena Bosch
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Joel Bregman
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Derek Brian
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Dr Brian Brink
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Board Member, AIDS Law Project
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Nathalie R Bucher
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Adv SF Burger SC
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Group 621
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Rober Carr
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Jamaica
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Centre for Applied Legal Studies
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Centre for Law and Social Justice (CLSJ)
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Polly Claydon
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Thomas Coggin
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Rachel M Cohen
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Colonnades Theatre Lab, SA
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Prof. Mark Cotton
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Creative Voices
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Anthony Day
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Anne Katrin Detjen
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Xavier Donceel
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Nikki de Havilland
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Jacques de Villiers
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Andries Dippenaar
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Ms Vuyiseka Dubula
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Board Member, AIDS Law Project and General Secretary of the Treatment Action Campaign
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Sandi Du Bowski
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United States of America
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Evi Eggers
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Sharon Ekambaram
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Collin Eglin
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Deborah Ewing
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Andrew Feinstein
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Friends of TAC (FoTAC)
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Anik Gevers
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Erica Glyn-Jones
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PANSA National Chair
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Andrew Feinstein
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Doret Ferreira
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Jenifer Festis-Ferguson
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Prof. Sharon Fonn
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Board Member, AIDS Law Project
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Louis Fourie
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Vivian Fritelli
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Nicole Fritz
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Sr Veronica Fynn
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Nathan Geffen
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Treatment Action Campaign
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Eric Goemaere
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Gregg Gonsalves
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United States of America
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Lucia Gorne
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Andy Gray
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Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in SA (CAPRISA)
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Temoris Grecko
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Mexico
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Jacqueline Green
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United States of America
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Dotan Greenvald
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Israeli Peace and Justice Activist
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Charlie Greenwood-Elliott
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Anna Grimsrud
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Deon Groenewald
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Grant Gunston
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Habonim Dror Southern Africa
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Camilla Hansen
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Prof. Shireen Hassim
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Wits University
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Yvette Hardie
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Paula Hathorn
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Dr Anneke C Hesseling
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Health and Human Rights Programme and School of Public Health and Family Medicine - UCT
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Robert Hendricks
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Frances Hill
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Nokhwezi Hoboyi
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Rebecca Hodes
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Treatment Action Campaign
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Karl Hoffman
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Dr Simone Honikam
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Head: Perinatal Mental Health Project : UCT
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Dr Lyn Horn
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Denise Hunt AIDS Consortium
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Gilad Isaacs
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Vuyani Jacobs
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Community Media Trust
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Dr Marie Jobson
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Dr G Josias
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Demille Jovan
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Rhoda Kadalie
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Rozanne Kamalie
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Iphegenia Kerfoot
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Julian Kesler
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Mazkir Klali
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Habonim Dror Southern Africa
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Larissa Klazinga
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One in Nine Campaign
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Louise Knight
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Justice Johann Kriegler
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Board Member, AIDS Law Project
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Gerald Kraak
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Atlantic Philanthropies
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Victor Lakay
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Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR)
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Katherine Lawrence
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Adv Michelle Le Roux
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Johannesburg Bar
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Karl Le Roux
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RuDASA
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Yaron Lever
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Habonim Dror Southern Africa
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Simon Lewin
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Jack Lewis
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Community Media Trust
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Graeme Lipschitz
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Daniel Linda
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Habonim Dror Southern Africa
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Prof. Leslie London
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Rev Steven Lottering
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Carol Luka
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Chani Macauley
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Mikhael Manekin
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Israeli Peace & Justice Activist
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Mari Martinsen
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Moses Masitha
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Sithembile Mbete
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Dr Cheryl McDermid
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Stephen McGill
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Canada
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Anneke Meerkotter
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Tshwaranang Legal Advocacy Centre
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Graeme Meintjes
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Letti Mdani
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Gaoretelelwe N N Molebalwa
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Moeketsi Montsho
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David Moore
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Mosamaria AIDS Ministry
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Peter John Moses
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Michael Moss
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Keketso Mptale
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Nhlanhla Ndlovu
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Board Member, AIDS Law Project and Trustee, Centre for Economic Governance and AIDS in Africa
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Tantaswa Ndlelana
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Attapon Ted Ngoksin
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International Treatment Preparedness Coalition Secretariat
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Joseph N Ngunju
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Ambassadors for Change, Kenya
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Dr James Nuttall
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Caleb Orozco
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United Belizze Advocacy Movement - Belize)
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Dr Heidi Orth
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Dr Nesri Padayatchi
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Centre for AIDS Programme of Research in SA (CAPRISA)
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Shane Petzer
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Le Nhan Phuong
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Atlantic Philanthropies
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Prof. Marius Pieterse
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Board Member, AIDS Law Project
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Prof. Wolfgang Preiser
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Ilan Price
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Habonim Dror Southern Africa
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Catherine Pringle
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Public Service Accountability Monitor
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Helena Rabie
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Yvette Alta Raphael
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Zina Raj
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Fazel Randera
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Molebogeng Rangaka
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Michael Rautenbach
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Siyayinqoba, Beat It!
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Shaun Resnik
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Mandy Ristow
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Bernice Roeland
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Director of AIDS Response
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Peter Rutherford
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SA Human Rights Commission
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Cathryn Salter-Jansen
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Joery Sasse
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Eric Sawyer
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Co-Founder ACT UP NY
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Sass Schulz
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Kira Schlesinger
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Simon Sephton
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Fisani Sekwele
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Butjwana Seokoma
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SANGONeT
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Siber Ink Publishers
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Gavin Silber
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Abongile Sipondo
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Jill Sloan
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Social Justice Coalition
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Theo Steele
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Board Member, AIDS Law Project
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Jenny Stead
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Ilan Strauss
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Francois Taljaard
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The AIDS and Rights Alliance for Southern Africa
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Lega Thlame
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Alison Tilley
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Treatment Action Campaign
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Adv Wim Trengrove
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Johannesburg Bar
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Adv Duncan Turner
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Johannesburg Bar
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Daniel Turton
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United States of America
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Adv David Unterhalter SC
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Johannesburg Bar
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Prof. Donna Van Bogaert
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Steve Biko Centre for Bioethics
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Dr Gilles van Cutsem
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Annalie van Niekerk
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Desmond van Niekerk
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Vernita van Niekerk
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Pieter van Rooijen
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Netherlands
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Gert van Zyl
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Rouvanne van der Berg
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Alex van der Heever
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Willem van der Linde
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Ahmien van der Walt
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Dr Francois Venter
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Sara Weiss
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Adv Matthew Welz
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Jodi Wishnia
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Jonathan Whittall
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Thein Win
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Wan Yanhai
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Beiking Aizhixing Institute, China
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Nathan Geffen
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Treatment Action Campaign Treasurer
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Brian Honermann
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AIDS Law Project, Researcher
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Issued by the AIDS Law Project
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