Meet our Conference Speakers
Chaeli Mycroft
Chaeli Mycroft is a South African ability activist with cerebral palsy who won the International Children's Peace Prize in 2011 at age 13. The medal, Peace Summit Medal for Social Activism by Nobel Peace Laureate F. W. de Klerk, on behalf of all Nobel Peace Laureates, was presented to her by Nobel Peace Laureate Mairead Maguire. Mycroft now serves as the Co-founder and Global Ambassador of The Chaeli Campaign & Chaeli Foundation USA, a foundation for children with disabilities providing accessibility and inclusion, which she started at the age of 9. At 21, she was the first quadriplegic to summit Kilimanjaro.
Recognitions include the 2013 World of Children Award (Youth category) and the 2018 Obama Foundation African Leader. Notably, Chaeli holds the distinction of being the first female quadriplegic to conquer Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, the world's highest free-standing mountain.
Jessica Dewhurst
Jessica Dewhurst is the founder of The Justice Desk, an international Human Rights non-profit organization. A passionate advocate, she is involved in activism for justice, and has received recognition as one of Africa's and South Africa's most inspiring youth. Dewhurst is a human rights defender, Everyday Activist, international speaker, and advocate for human rights, with a particular emphasis on women's rights, and is presently ERI UN Advocacy Director for Africa. The Justice Desk leads global efforts against human trafficking, gender-based violence, and unjust policies. Through education, advocacy, and empowerment initiatives, JDA works with youth, governments, civil society, and vulnerable groups across the continent to advance human rights. Justice Desk Africa is a recognized partner of the World Summit of Nobel Peace Prize Laureates and The Queens Commonwealth Trust. Their impactful work extends to various African countries, including South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone, the Gambia, Ghana, and Liberia.
Thuli Madonsela
Professor Thuli (Thulisie) Madonsela is the director of the Centre for Social Jistice(CS) in the Faculty of Law at Stellenbosch University and the Law Trust Research Chair Professor of Law in Social Justice Studies. She is the founder of the Thuma Foundation for Democracy Leadership and Literacy and a member of the African Academy of Sciences She was recently appointed to the UN Scientific Advisory Board and as Chairperson of Cities Alliance. She is a member of the International Anticorruption Advisory Councill and Global Justice Leaders.
The former Public Protector of South Africa and full-time Commissioner in the South African Law Reform Commission, Prof Madonsela was one of the 11 technical experts who helped draft the South African Constitution and is a co-architect of several constitutionally mandated laws including the Equality Act, Employment Equity Act and Promotion of Administrative Justice Act. She has an extensive background in applied constitutional, social justice and administrative law principles mainly based on her public service years and her investigation of improper conduct in state affairs as Public Protector. A regularly sought keynote speaker, Prof Madonsela has written, taught.,presented papers and published for decades on these matters and on ethical leadership, good governance and gender mainstreaming
Prof Madonsela helped draft several international human rights instruments at UN, AU, and SADC level and country reports on such matters. She currently teaches Constitutional Law. Social Justice Law. Administrative Law, and Constitutional Governance and Ethical Leadership. She holds eight honorary law doctorates in addition to two law degrees a Harvard Advanced Leadership Certificate and other post graduate qualifications.
Named one of Time 100 most Influential persons in the world in 2014, Prof Madonsela's global recognition includes over 70 awards, among them the Rotary's Paul Harris Commonwealth Lawyers Truth and Justice and the global ACE Cressy Award. Prof Madonsela is a mother of two, a philanthropist and avid mountaineer who has summited Mt Kilimanjaro twice under the #Trek4Mandela-#Caring4Girls anti-period poverty campaign and the Musa Plan for Social Justice and regularly hikes for the #Action4Inclusion campaign, a quest to end student debt.
Janah Ncube
Janah Ncube is currently the Deputy CEO at Crisis Action, a global organization focused on protecting civilians in conflict. Before this, she served as the Pan Africa Director at Oxfam. As a global development strategist, Janah has played a key role in influencing changes in multilateral institutions like SADC, AU, AfDB, and the UN, addressing issues such as regional integration, governance, gender, peace, and security. Her work has impacted over 15 crisis situations worldwide, saving lives.
In addition to her executive roles, Janah is actively involved as a board member and advisor for various local and international organizations. She is the founder of Inspiring Africa, a platform that mentors women and youth to be change-makers. Janah remains an activist for democratic governance in Zimbabwe and supports the strengthening of the African Union.
Recognized for her achievements, the University of Bradford honored her in 2005 for outstanding diversity management. She was named one of the Ten Outstanding Young Persons in Zimbabwe by the Junior Chamber of Commerce in 2011 and, in 2020, was celebrated as one of the most influential women from her hometown, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Janah holds a master's degree from the University of Bradford.
Wenzile Madonsela
Mrs. Wenzile Madonsela Masimanga is Social Entrepreneur, Mental Health activist and Democracy Defender. She is Chief Well-Being Officer and co-founder at Unafundo, which focuses on empowering people through enterprise development, mental health advocacy, and enterprise intelligence. Having worked in the development sector, she liaises between communities and public / private institutions, including through her Youtube channel Wholehearted Women, which aims at extending access to early interventions in the Mental Health space, especially for previously disadvantaged persons. In 2020 she became an internationally accredited Emotional Intelligence Practitioner with an interest in Neuro-Linguistic programming and later co-authored a catalyst children’s book on African Humanity, Melo’s Kingdom. She serves as an advisory board member for the Basic Internet Foundation, South African Norwegian Association, Board Secretary to the Thuli Madonsela Foundation – THUMA and recently appointed to serve as Secretary General to Impilo-Collection Foundation.
