Murakaza Neza! Welcome!

June 2011

Discussing Human Rights and US and Rwandan Constitutions June 2011

Muraho Mwese? (“Hello and How are You Everyone?” in Kinyarwanda)

It is our great pleasure to welcome everyone out there to the start of another Summer of Global Youth Connect / AJPRODHO Human Rights Learning and Action Programming in Rwanda!

GYC has developed this blog to make the Learning and Action program accessible to other interested persons who cannot be here with us for one reason or another. We invite you and others you know to take part in the Human Rights Learning and Action in Rwanda virtually, send in comments, and check back for updates and developments.

• To read-up on this and previous Human Rights Learning and Action Programs check out the sidebar (look to your right) and also link to our traditional Program Reports by clicking here!

• A quick overview of this Summer’s 2011 Program’s key HR Learning and Action components:
  • Human Rights Learning Workshop Discussions (special emphasis on Defining Human Rights from a personal perspective, on HR Law history, on Development, Gender, Conflict Resolution under a Human Rights Framework)
  • Learning Visits related to the Workshop Discussions (Opening Reception with Inspirational Rwandan Alumni, Norwegian’s People’s Aid, Rwanda Development Organizations, Kigali Genocide Memorial, National Youth Council Members in Karongi, Nyange School Memorial, Search for Common Ground)
  • Observation Visits in Karongi District related to the work of our partnering Rwandan civil society organizations (Kiziba Refugee Camp, Mubuga “Potter’s” Community, Karongi Police Station)
  • Learning and Advocacy Meetings with Key Officials and Stakeholders (including the Mayor of Karongi, National Youth Council, US State Department, Rwandan Ministry of Youth, Ministry of Internal Security, Rwandan Parliamentary Committee on National Unity, Human Rights, and Genocide Prevention, Ministry of Gender, Ministry of Justice)
  • Advocacy Topics Will Include: Police Detention Center Living Conditions, Human Rights of Historically Marginalized People, LGBTI Rights, Children’s Rights, Domestic Workers, Women’s Rights to Choose (Abortion), Rights of Refugees, and others that may arise during our work together
  • Volunteering with the civil society organizations for five days — this time we are adding Inalas Legal Aid to the mix of organizations!
  • Leading Human Rights Learning exercises whenever we can! Especially with the Youth in Karongi, but also at our organziations

Some Intro Theory: What is your definition of human rights?

After arriving in Rwanda in December, Jesse Hawkes was discussing with a colleague about how Global Youth Connect approaches its mission — to empower youth to advance human rights and create a more just world. He mentioned that GYC’s definition of “human rights” is that of a holistic concept — in line with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights — which includes both civil and political rights as well as economic, social and cultural rights.

At hearing this, the colleague said, “I am so glad we had this conversation because when I originally saw that you were doing ‘human rights’ work, the hair went up on the back of my neck. I mean, ‘human rights’ is a highly controversial issue in the world today, especially here in Rwanda, because Rwanda is so criticized for its so-called ‘human rights’ record.”

This resonated greatly with us, for as you may know “human rights” is indeed a loaded and often divisive term today, heard most often in the media in reference to the negative aspects of a countries’ record, often looking mainly at civil and political rights. Narrowing the focus to fundamental freedoms and only pointing out negatives can stigmatize the terminology and the various partners, alienating international entities, including youth in our workshops, from taking part in a friendly dialogue with one another. This is why we  always try to de-stigmatize that term “human rights” in our Learning and Action Programs by bringing the youth into contact with so many different human rights issues, all under one framework. Dialogue is the crux of our work, and it begins with a shared vocabulary and a respect first and foremost for positives, for agreement, before focusing on negatives and disagreements.

This is why we open each of our workshops with the question “what is your definition of human rights?” After getting back to the basics of this definition, we have never found that youth are unable to find positive common ground prior to focusing on where they disagree.

In our workshop this time we will discuss not just the concept of “human rights” but also “development” and its relationship to “human rights”. In September, 2010, President Obama opened his speech at the UN concerning the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) with a reference to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

In the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we recognized the inherent dignity and rights of every individual, including the right to a decent standard of living. And a decade ago, at the dawn of a new millennium, we set concrete goals to free our fellow men, women and children from the injustice of extreme poverty.

Thank you, President Obama for contextualizing the “development” ideals within the UDHR!

GYC and AJPRODHO