We are pleased to welcome Godwin Toko, a Ugandan lawyer, writer and human rights defender, as an HRD-Resident at AR-Safe Haven Helsinki.
Godwin works at the intersection of law, human rights, writing and public accountability. He is a founding member and Deputy Team Leader of the Agora Centre for Research, where he works on human rights and political accountability in Uganda and the wider East African region.
Writing is also an important part of his work. His opinion pieces have appeared in The Daily Monitor, The Observer and ZAM Magazine, and he is one of the editors of Uganda’s Transition Question: A Conversation with Opinion Leaders, published by Agora in early 2026.
His legal work has included cases concerning the rights of persons with disabilities, civil and political rights, and the right to education in Uganda.
During his time in Helsinki, Godwin will have space to write, develop new networks around human rights and political accountability, and take a moment to rest before returning to his work in Uganda.
Since 2025, Artists at Risk (AR) has piloted a programme supporting Human Rights Defenders with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, the City of Helsinki and ProtectDefenders.EU. The program provides human rights defenders an opportunity to stay in Finland for three months, and enables them to continue their work and build networks.
We are very happy to have Godwin with us in Helsinki and look forward to welcoming him to the AR community. 🇺🇬🇫🇮
Our deepest gratitude to our partners the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, the City of Helsinki, and Protectdefenders.eu for making this residency possible.
