Ten years after being recognised as the Most Influential Student Media Personnel at the maiden Campus Clique Awards, Dr. Joseph Kobla Wemakor has transitioned from being an award recipient to the founder and convener of an international platform dedicated to recognising contributions to human rights, democracy, peace, justice, and social development.
The journey, which began in 2016 when he was a student of the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ), now the University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMAC), has seen Dr. Wemakor receive a number of national and international recognitions for his work in journalism, human rights advocacy, development communication, and civic engagement.
In 2026, that experience has culminated in the establishment of the HRRG Global RightsShield Awards, an initiative of Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG), which he founded and leads.
The platform seeks to recognise individuals, institutions, civil society organisations, human rights defenders, journalists, advocates, public officials, and other actors whose work contributes to advancing human rights, democracy, justice, peace, and social progress.
A journey that began on campus
On April 1, 2016, Dr. Wemakor was adjudged the Most Influential Student Media Personnel at the maiden Campus Clique Awards held at GIJ.
The award was presented by then Minister of Transport, Hon Fiifi Fiavi Kwetey.
For the young journalism student, the recognition marked an early milestone in a career that would increasingly combine journalism with human rights advocacy, public education, and development communication.
Two years later, in 2018, he won the National Media Competition on Migration Reporting, organised by Media Response with support from FMM West Africa, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the European Union, and the Ministry of Information.
The award was presented by Mr. Albert Kofi Owusu, then General Manager of the Ghana News Agency (GNA).
In 2019, Dr. Wemakor again emerged as a winner in the GIJ 60th Anniversary Media Contest, which focused on the theme “The Role of Media in Promoting Effective Citizen Participation for Achieving Sustainable Development Goals.”
He won the competition with a print report on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The award was presented by Professor Kwamena Kwansah-Aidoo, then Rector of GIJ, during the institution’s Anniversary Grand Durbar on October 16, 2019.
Expanding into human rights advocacy
Dr. Wemakor’s work subsequently expanded beyond journalism into human rights advocacy and community development.
In October 2020, he was featured in the International Business Woman Magazine, based in Ukraine, in connection with efforts to promote women’s rights in the wake of the COVID-19 lockdown.
In 2021, he received the Honorary Award for Peace, Security, and Education of the Year at the maiden edition of the Africa Early Childhood Awards (AECEA).
Through HRRG, Dr. Wemakor continued to combine media, public education, civic engagement, and human rights reporting to highlight issues affecting communities and vulnerable groups.
International recognition
The year 2023 marked another significant period in his professional journey.
He received the Africa Peace Advocate Award 2023 from the International Association of World Peace Advocates (IAWPA) and was selected as a finalist for the fourth edition of the African Human Rights Defenders Shield Awards, presented by AfricanDefenders, the Pan-African Human Rights Defenders Network based in Kampala, Uganda.
He also received the prestigious 5th UN Global Entreps Award for Best International Practice on Sustainability for the nationwide KTT Project—Kidnapping, Teenage Pregnancy, and Tramadol/Drug Abuse Sensitisation Campaign.
The project, implemented through HRRG, had reached more than 60,000 people through community sensitisation, public education, and advocacy.
The award was conferred in Costa Rica by Entreps—International Board of Global Actors and Business for Sustainability in collaboration with the United Nations.
According to the award documentation, the global competition assessed 1,912 projects and initiatives from 126 countries and regions over a two-year period before selecting initiatives demonstrating strong implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The recognition brought international attention to the work of HRRG and its community-based advocacy programmes.
Further recognition in 2024
In 2024, Dr. Wemakor received the Global Doctoral, Humanitarian, and Ministerial Excellence Award for his contribution to human rights advocacy and social impact.
He also received an Honorary Doctorate in Executive Leadership in Humanity from the International Kingdom University in Margate, Florida, USA.
The same year, he was named among Ghana’s 100 Most Impactful Changemakers.
He was also acknowledged by the World Bank for his expert contribution to the second edition of the Equality of Opportunity for Sexual and Gender Minorities (EQOSOGI) Report.
The recognitions reflected a growing body of work spanning human rights, media, gender justice, civic participation, peace, sustainable development, and community advocacy.
From recipient to convener
For Dr. Wemakor, the series of recognitions eventually prompted a broader reflection on the purpose of awards and public recognition.
Rather than viewing awards solely as personal achievements, he began considering how recognition could also be used to highlight the work of others whose contributions to society might not receive sufficient attention.
That thinking contributed to the establishment of the Global RightsShield Awards in 2026.
The initiative represents a transition from being recognised for his own work to creating an institutional platform through which the work of others can be identified, documented, and celebrated.
The platform is intended to bring greater visibility to individuals and organisations contributing to human rights protection, democratic governance, peacebuilding, justice, civic participation, and social development across Africa and beyond.
A decade of growth
Looking back over the decade from 2016 to 2026, Dr. Wemakor’s journey reflects a progression from student journalism to national media recognition, community advocacy, and international human rights engagement.
It also demonstrates the evolution of his approach from using journalism and advocacy to highlight social issues to creating an institutional platform aimed at recognising those working to address such issues.
Through HRRG, he has been involved in advocacy on human rights, child protection, women’s rights, gender justice, environmental and land rights, climate justice, migration, and sustainable livelihoods.
The Global RightsShield Awards is positioned as an extension of that work, with an emphasis on documenting impact and celebrating individuals and institutions contributing to positive social change.
Recognition and responsibility
Dr. Wemakor’s journey also highlights the relationship between recognition and responsibility.
For him, the value of an award extends beyond the certificate, plaque, or ceremony. Recognition can provide an opportunity to encourage further service, strengthen advocacy, and inspire others to contribute to society.
Ten years after receiving his first major student media recognition, he now occupies a different position.
The young journalism student who once stood on a university campus to receive an award is now building a platform through which human rights defenders, advocates, journalists, institutions, and other changemakers can be recognised.
From 2016 to 2026, the journey has, therefore, moved from personal recognition to collective recognition and from receiving a platform to creating one for others.
Dr. Wemakor is the Founder and Executive Director of Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG) and Founder & Convener of the HRRG Global RightsShield Awards.
