Fred Bauma

Fred Bauma is a democracy activist and leader of the collective La Lutte pour le Changement (LUCHA), a non-violent civil society movement in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that advocates for social justice and democracy in that African country. Referred to popularly as the “Gandhi of the Congo”, Bauma is known for encouraging young people to create a better future through political participation and social entrepreneurship. After participating in a peaceful political event, Bauma was arrested and imprisoned in Kinshasa in March 2015. Following an international media campaign led by Amnesty International, he was released 18 months later. Considered one of the leading exponents of non-violence on the African continent, Bauma is still an active member of LUCHA and is involved in all kinds of activities aimed at raising awareness on the political situation and the state of authoritarianism in the DRC.