A seasoned activist in South Africa during its struggle against apartheid, Kumi Naidoo has never lost his broad vision, deep commitment to people and planet, and his capacity to catalyze communities and movement for justice across issues, sectors and borders.
At the age of 15, Kumi became an anti-apartheid activist. He was deeply involved in neighbourhood organization, youth work in his community, the underground movement, and mass mobilizations against the apartheid regime. His anti-apartheid activities led to his expulsion from high school.
In 1986, Kumi was arrested and charged for violating the state of emergency regulations. Facing imprisonment, he was forced to live underground for a year before fleeing South Africa to attend Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. He remained in the United Kingdom until Nelson Mandela’s release from prison in 1990. Upon his return to South Africa, he began working on the legalization of the African National Congress (ANC). During the democratic elections in 1994, Kumi was one of the official spokespersons of the Independent Electoral Commission and directed the training of all electoral staff in the country.
Kumi became the Founding Executive Director of the South African National NGO Coalition (SANGOCO), an umbrella agency for the South African NGO community. Provoked by the fact that South Africa has one of the highest rates of violence against women, Kumi helped organize the National Men's March Against Violence on Women and Children in 1997.
In 2017 Kumi was appointed as the Secretary General for Amnesty International. After stepping down as Secretary General of Amnesty International, in March 2020, Kumi continues to serve in an honorary capacity as Global Ambassador for the Pan-African civil society movement, Africans Rising for Justice, Peace and Dignity.
He is a founding chair, of the Campaign for a Just Energy Future and is a patron of Future SA, which both advocate for accountability and an end to corruption in South Africa. He has served as Executive Director of Greenpeace International, Secretary General of CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, Board Chair of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP), President of the Global Call for Climate Action (GCCA), and Board member of Shared Interest and the Thembani International Guarantee Fund. He also served as Board member for 350.org, the Global Greengrants Fund, and as an Ambassador to the Southern African Faith Communities Environmental Institute.
Kumi currently serves on the International Council of Transparency International.
Kumi Naidoo is recognized internationally as a forceful advocate for human rights, gender equity, economic justice and environmental justice.
Online access details will be emailed to you prior to the event.
Please read this page before the event:
medium.com/kuminaidoo/covid-is-horrific-but-affluenza-poses-the-greatest-threat-to-humanity
