Human rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948 gave Human Rights legal status.
- People are human, therefore they are entitled to Human Rights.
- Human Rights do not have to be bought, earned or inherited; they are inalienable, which means that no one has the right to deprive another of them for any reason, even if the laws of their own country do not recognize or protect them.
- Human Rights thus set standards for states and governments to protect vulnerable individuals and groups against oppression.
- Any modern approach to Human Rights must be coherent. It must include the full, indivisible range of Human Rights. Not only do they mean protection from physical oppression, but involve economic, social and cultural rights.
- We face many interrelated problems that can be traced to lack of knowledge on human rights. We believe equipping the people with the knowledge on human rights is the best ever which can happen to them. They will use it, as a tool to combat all human rights violations be it economic, social, political, civil and cultural rights.
- To do this effectively there is the need for a human rights institute where teaching and learning on human rights can take place.
- There is a need for Human Rights Education. This shall be done at our proposed human rights institute to be established in
Human rights fall in three categories
1. Civil and Political Rights (first generation rights). These are liberty-oriented and include the rights to: life, liberty and security of the individual; freedom from torture and slavery; political participation; freedom of opinion, expression, conscience and religion; freedom of association and assembly.
2. Economic and Social Rights (second generation rights). These are "security-oriented" rights; amongst others, the right to: work, education, a reasonable standard of living, food, shelter and health care.
3. Environmental, Cultural and Developmental Rights (third generation rights). These are the rights to live in an environment that is clean and protected from destruction and rights to cultural, political and economic development.
The global recession of 1980’s caused debilitating economic and social hardships in the developing countries. Coupled with the inadequacies of structural adjustment and economic recovery programmes, the situation in
• low income;
• worsened situation for women;
• rural-urban migration;
• criminality;
• poor education, many school drop-outs;
• prostitution and teenage pregnancy;
• lack of employment opportunities;
• high health costs.
This has affected the primary social institutions like education, health care, family-relations etc. to the extent that the social and economic order is almost in a state of disintegration. To combat this, there is a need for Human Rights Education.
This is defined as:
• all kinds of education, including training;
• dissemination of information and efforts aimed at the universal realisation of human rights;
• awareness, promotion and provision of material support towards achieving and enjoying those rights.
More often than not, people think of Human Rights in a very restricted manner. It is important that, after the traditional focus on political rights, we should now also conceive of human rights in their economic, social and cultural dimensions.
Fortunately, they are given full expression in chapters 5 and 6 of the 4th Republican Constitution of Ghana, dealing with fundamental human rights and freedom and the directive principles of state policy respectively. The rights of women, children, the aged and the disabled are given special emphasis.
This suggests that economic, social and cultural rights are of equal weight and should be accorded as much attention as that given to political rights.
But are domestic and international environments and attitudes conducive to achieving this?
NO.
Women, children and the poor in general are the most vulnerable and bear the greatest brunt of social and economic malaise:
• the introduction of the SAP (Structural Adjustment Program, World Bank IMF) has led to an unstable currency situation.
• because of the weak currency, landlords have decided to collect rents in dollars;
• the price of imported goods has sometimes risen several tiimes in a year, raising its costs beyond the means of ordinary people;
• women die in childbirth, often the children as well;
• divorce rates have increased;
• increase in domestic violence against women;
• as a result of unemployment, teenage pregnancy has increased, together with the risk of AIDS.
This is why we are moved to adopt prevention and intervention strategies in partnership with whoever cares, to forestall further hardship. To this end, we hope to set up a Centre for Human Rights Education, aimed at promoting the basic rights:
• to provide the power, means and access to the basic resources necessary to enable everybody’s participation in society and lead to a reasonable standard of living;
• to provide all kinds of education and training;
• to disseminate information towards awareness and the universal realisation of Human Rights;
• to promote and provide material support for the above, including credit assistance to the beneficiaries.
Main principles
• to construct contents and methods of Human Rights Education from the context of the learners;
• to employ a holistic and indivisable concept of Human Rights;
• to empower the people, especially the oppressed, and give the oppressor a conscience;
• to learn from the reality of Human Rights violations;
• to emphasize participatory methodology for a horizontal relationship.
Sub principles
• enable people to develop critical understanding of their life situation, to question the barriers and structures which prevent the partial or full enjoyment of their rights and freedom;
• help in the process of value clarification as thinking people; the effects on such values as fairness, equality, justice etc.;
• bring about attitudinal changes in teaching tolerance among and between members of different ethnic and national groups;
• promote attitudes of solidarity, e.g. helping people recognize the struggles of others both at home and abroad as our fellow beings, seeking to meet their needs and responding to violations of human rights anywhere;
• effect behavioural change, bringing about action that reflects people’s respect for one another, e.g. men behaving in nonabusive ways towards women, government officials behaving respecfully towards citizens by honouring everyone’s human rights, changing certain work habits which inhibit progress.
The groups which have no social rights are the poor, disabled, children, women, unemployed men and women, a large number of youths and indeed all the people who have no "shock absorbers" to contain the harsh realities of economic restructuring.
However, our main attention would be directed to illiterate adults who need some Human Rights Education as well as some starting capital to be able to make a living.
When we have enough resources, we should gradually be able to cover all segments of the population. Especially young girls at risk of teenage pregnancy and AIDS would be tackled if there is sufficient funding.
Teachers, pupils, pastors, police, doctors, and all others who have an interest in working with or implementing human rights in their teaching or daily activities are welcome.
