Acceptance Speech by Salwa Elsadik

Dear Mr. Fischer, 
Dear Mayor, 
Distinguished guests, 
Ladies and gentlemen, 

Thank you. 

I stand before you today deeply honoured and truly humbled to receive the Tonhalle Düsseldorf Human Rights Award. 

But I do not stand here alone. 

I stand here on behalf of millions of Sudanese women—women who are not in this room, whose voices are rarely heard, yet who carry the weight of survival, dignity, and hope every single day. 

Today, Sudan is facing one of the most severe humanitarian crises in the world. 

And yet, as we have heard, it remains largely invisible. 

But let me tell you something important: 

Sudanese women are not only victims of this war. 

They are first responders. 

They are peacebuilders. 

They are leaders. 

When institutions collapse, women organize. 

When communities are displaced, women rebuild. 

When violence spreads, women protect. 

In the midst of war, they create spaces of care, solidarity, and resilience. 

Through our work at WADI, we witness this every day. 

We support women and girls with protection, health services, and livelihood opportunities—but more importantly, we stand beside them as they lead their communities through crisis. 

This award is not only a recognition of my work. 

It is a recognition of their courage. 

It is a message that their efforts matter. 

That their voices matter. 

That Sudan matters. 

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the Tonhalle Düsseldorf, to Mr. Adam Fischer, and to all those who made this recognition possible. 

Your support does more than honour—it amplifies. 

It brings visibility to a crisis that must not be forgotten. 

And it reminds us that human rights are not abstract principles. 

They are lived realities—for better or for worse. 

Today, I would also like to acknowledge and stand in solidarity with Jacques Tilly. 

His courage in defending freedom of expression reminds us that human rights are interconnected. 

Whether in Sudan or in Europe, the struggle for dignity, freedom, and justice is shared. 

Ladies and gentlemen, 

If there is one message I would like to leave with you today, it is this: 

Supporting women is not charity. 

It is an investment in peace. 

When women are supported, families recover. 

Communities stabilize. 

And societies move closer to justice and lasting peace. 

Sudanese women are ready. 

They are leading. 

They are building the foundations of a better future—even in the most difficult circumstances. 

What they need is recognition, partnership, and sustained support. 

Thank you for seeing them. 

Thank you for standing with them. 

And thank you for standing with Sudan. 

I would also like to acknowledge two close partners and collaborators present here today—Niemat from the Darfur Women Action Group and Kennedy from the American Friends Service Committee—whose support and inspiration have been invaluable in this journey. 

So tonight, I ask you not only to hear about Sudan— 

But to stand with Sudan. 

Because in the end, human rights are not measured by our words— 

But by whether we choose to act when it is no longer in the headlines. 

Thank you. 

(Die Rede hielt Salwa Elsadik am 29. März 2026 im Rahmen des Menschenrechtskonzerts in der Tonhalle Düsseldorf.)