February 25, 2022
Throughout its history, IIE-SRF has supported hundreds of courageous scholars whose academic work or activism has led to threats against their lives and careers. Among these scholars is Domingos da Cruz, a political philosopher and human rights defender whose work examines topics such as media freedom and nonviolent resistance in the context of modern-day Angola. In his writings, he has detailed possible pathways to democratic transition in Angola and presented analyses of human development indicators in the country, among other topics.
Da Cruz’s research has taken a critical view of the Angolan government, which has been accused of widespread human rights violations. Also a well-known journalist and author of 11 books, he reported on alleged human rights abuses perpetrated by authorities. He experienced harassment and targeting as a result of his academic work and reporting, culminating in his arrest and imprisonment from 2015 to 2016. Facing continued threats to this safety, he fled with his family to Europe in 2017, where he applied for and was awarded IIE-SRF support.
Da Cruz is currently undertaking a fellowship appointment at Concordia University in Canada, where he works as a visiting scholar in the Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Society and Culture. “The relevance and impact of the IIE-SRF fellowship is enormous,” he says. “Doing science without fear is extraordinary now that I am in a country where the scholars are valued. From Concordia, I receive literally everything that I need as a scholar to work.” His current work at Concordia is focused on guaranteeing human rights for those experiencing mental illness, research that applies Kant’s theory on human dignity. While on fellowship, he has also delivered several presentations on topics impacting Angola, including electoral integrity and the politics of surveillance.