Mr Karlsson: "If we don't keep fighting for democratic values, we may become victims ourselves"

What was the tipping point when you decided to really take action on the famine in Sudan? Because the war already started two years ago, and yet your action only came now.

Mr Karlsson: True, the war started on 15 April 2023, but that extreme famine is actually a more recent phenomenon. The real tipping point for me came when I read a publication by Médecins Sans Frontières which stated that Sudan is currently experiencing the world's biggest humanitarian crisis. What shocked me most: I hadn't seen anything about it in the media. And yet I follow international news on a daily basis. If I hadn't happened to subscribe to the Facebook page of Médecins Sans Frontières, I wouldn't even have known about it. This is heartbreaking, because a famine - as has been declared in Sudan - children and innocent civilians always die first.

I started talking about it to friends, colleagues, family - all people who follow the news closely - and nobody knew about it. And I really didn't think that was right.

So I started thinking: how can we raise awareness? How can we create solidarity? The fact that the world is ignorant about this crisis is heartbreaking, because in a famine - as has been declared in Sudan - children and innocent civilians always die first. Because another €2 billion is needed to literally save people from starvation. And that is not a grand metaphor - that is rock-hard reality.

The campaign also got some media coverage - nine news media published something about it, including some well-known newspapers and news sites. So yes, it was a promising start.

It is a start, but you are still planning a lot of actions. For example, what can we expect?

Mr Karlsson: Right, I am planning a year of awareness and solidarity actions. One of the bigger actions coming up is a benefit concert, probably on the weekend of 6 or 7 September. I am still in the middle of preparations - I am currently still looking for musicians and a venue, but I have already found two professional artists who want to perform, for free or almost free. That's really heartwarming.

There will also be several smaller actions. For instance, I want to put up posters on campuses and hand out flyers. I am also planning something sporty during the summer: a long trek on horseback or by bike, with tent and all - about 500 kilometres for Sudan, somewhere through the Alps. The exact plan is not quite finalised yet, but I am in full preparation.

I will announce all actions on the blog of my campaign page on the Médecins Sans Frontières website. There, people can follow everything and hopefully be inspired to take action themselves.

You stress that this crisis is under-reported. Why do you think this is so, and what do you think can change it in the short term?

Mr Karlsson: I think the timing of the crisis plays a big role. Not surprisingly, the media is focused on the horrors in Trump's America and its impact on international politics. There are also other crises close to home that get a lot of attention, such as the war in Ukraine and the genocide in Palestine. Sudan, on the other hand, is far away and the war there has been going on for some time. It's a bit "old news", but the humanitarian crisis and extreme famine arising from that war is on a larger scale than those in many other conflict zones, even Gaza. The lives of 25 million people in Sudan, almost half the population, are at stake because of famine, and the UN predicts that 770,000 children could die from hunger and related diseases in the short term. This is absolutely catastrophic.

While we may feel less culturally connected to Sudanese than to Ukrainians or Palestinians, they are just as much people like us. So to the indifference and silence surrounding this crisis, I want to help put an end to it. We can all do something, and it costs absolutely nothing. Everyone can start by informing themselves about the situation in Sudan, talking about it with friends, family and colleagues, and where possible offering financial support to organisations like Médecins Sans Frontières or UNICEF. Awareness does make a difference.

The media obviously play an important role in informing the public, but they often focus on the "breaking news". The deaths of people in protracted conflicts therefore get less attention. But through awareness, the reader or viewer also determines a bit of what is news, and what they want to hear more about. So our signal to the media is also important, and I think we have that moral obligation to help where we can, even if it's just this. "A child crying is a child crying", no matter where in the world children are dying of hunger, whether it is an old war or a new crisis. Everyone, individuals and governments alike, must do everything in their power to stop this.

Do lawyers as a profession then, in your opinion, have a special responsibility to help raise awareness of social issues?

Mr Karlsson: Absolutely. As a profession, we are part of the judiciary, and thus we have a unique role in protecting democratic and moral values. We have communication skills, knowledge and access to information, which enables us to pursue justice and support vulnerable groups.

We see a good example of this responsibility now in the US, for example, where lawyers and judges are standing up against a regime that violates the law and constitution. It is the lawyers who stand up for the victims of injustice, often against the will of the regime. Lawyers do not necessarily have to specialise in humanitarian law, but they can contribute to a more just society from their area of expertise. Whether you work for a property developer or in another sector, you can always do your bit.

As a group, we can do a lot for victims of injustice, whether they are far away, like in Sudan, or closer, like in Belgium. Every injustice we accept paves the way for more injustice. Just look at the recent attacks on trans people and immigrants in the US.

If we do not continue to fight for democratic values, here and elsewhere, we ourselves may become victims of underfunding of education and a weakened justice system. It is important that we continue to stand in solidarity, especially for minorities and those exploited or oppressed in indifference.

What would you say to lawyers who want to take up this social role?

Mr Karlsson: My advice might be a bit unusual, but I always say: start with yourself. Take good care of yourself. If you are not balanced and happy in your private life, you cannot help others well either. This applies in your professional and private life. It is important that you make space to support others, and if you can do that, the possibilities are endless. If every individual pursues the right values, and every lawyer tries to be fair and just, as our code of ethics also prescribes, we can all already do a lot.

Those who want to take it a step further can join an organisation to gain experience and build a network. Once you have a glimpse into this world, you can even start your own project. There are countless causes you can get involved in - be it famine, climate change or something else - but always start with yourself.

Do you feel that your actions are having an effect?

Mr Karlsson: Of course it is difficult to measure the effect exactly, but I strongly believe in the snowball effect. On my small scale, I may not be able to reach huge groups, but thanks to the pony, we got media coverage and I think we reached thousands of people. Of course, there will always be people who are not interested, but for those few who are, it is already worth it. If I have touched even one person, I think the action is already successful. And if we can all reach one person, we will make the world a better place step by step.

What struck me during the march in Brussels was that we talked to a lot of high school students. I went with my cute, cuddly pony to the end of school days, and I must say: they were much more interested than most adults we met. They were shocked by the famine, asked for a flyer and gave it home. I even saw some parents making a financial contribution, which means the children encouraged their parents to get involved. This gives me a lot of hope for the future. The younger generation, aged between 10 and 18, was clearly affected by the situation, and I truly believe that my campaign will continue to influence them. I hope they will continue to educate themselves on international humanitarian issues in the future. It is crucial that they see the importance of being active and getting involved, especially now that we are living in a time when so many rights are being challenged again.