Youth uncover principles of human rights
Alexandra Murdoch
03/02/09
Amnesty International is calling for Governments to place Human Rights at the top of their agenda and Ghana is leading the way. Human Rights are defined as the basic rights which many societies believe every person should have in order to be treated in a fair way. However, they need to be universally recognized in order to pave the way towards a peaceful and democratic society, which begs the question then- why do so few young people understand the meaning of Human Rights? Perhaps the answer lies in their misconception of what Human Rights are. Shockingly, Abraham Junior Agblo, a student recently interviewed at Teshie Presbyterian Senior High School presumed that ‘Human Rights are for only important people in the country’ and it seems that this is a common misunderstanding amongst young people within society and one that Civitas-Ghana is trying to rectify. Civitas-Ghana is an NGO which works to promote democracy and human rights through education and they are targeting schools within the greater Accra region.
Following a recent workshop at Teshie Presbyterian Senior High School, the response from the students was overwhelmingly positive, with many claiming that they were able to defend themselves properly with the new knowledge they had learnt, they now know what they are accountable for and can take responsibility for their actions. Furthermore, they know what they are entitled to and that each person has equal rights, regardless of age, race and gender. There was a sense that they all felt very passionate and enthusiastic about the prospect of knowing their rights, not only because the knowledge is useful but also because they are being accepted as important people in society with voices and opinions.
Perhaps one of the reasons the classes were so successful is because Human Rights awareness is such a big International issue. The Universal declaration of human rights states that ‘a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance’ and this has been reflected in the students learning within the school. As Civitas-Ghana’s Human Rights Education session could only cater for 50 students at one time, Students were chosen from different classes and picked at random so as to accommodate a wide range of person types. The success of this was reflected in the students’ appreciation of the project and extremely eye opening, with one student, Christiana Hayford-Ocloo, stating that usually ‘those who don’t have the money to enjoy their rights are treated badly’. Her words are wise beyond their years and echo the concerns of International NGO Amnesty International who reported that cases of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment took place in more than 81 countries as recently as 2007. Facts such as these stress the importance of the work to inform people that they are all entitled to their rights- clearly organizations such as Civitas-Ghana are fundamental in implementing this knowledge within young people.
As well as Teshie Presbyterian Senior High School, Civitas-Ghana is working in many schools in the Greater Accra region, including Aquinas Senior High School, O’Reilly Senior High School, Kaneshie Secondry Technical Senior High School, Accra High School, also Junior High Schools, including Nima 1, Kizito and Nima Presby, also with some basic schools such as Teshie Presbyterian Basic and Street Academy. Civitas- Ghana is currently only able to supply the project to ten schools due to space and resources but it is definitely leading education and youth work in the right direction. Civitas-Ghana achieves its goals through a network of dynamic partnerships, civil society groups and independent constitutional bodies with similar objectives, led by the president of Civitas-Ghana, Samuel Amankwaa Bosompem.
The structure of the programme means that learning is kept interesting and structured. Each student is given a book on ‘Everyday Law: Education towards a democratic society’ and this covers issues such as ‘Access to Justice’, ‘How government works in a democracy’ and ‘Family Law’. Students are also lectured on different topics for about an hour which is followed by practical exercises and question time to encourage interactive learning. Feeling inspired by the project, many students felt the desire to get involved in more human rights work, with one hoping to form an association one day to educate other people about such important issues.
A Social Studies Teacher, Naa Adjeley Sowah at Teshie Presbyterian Senior High School echoed her students’ excitement, commenting on how useful the programme is as it improves their vocabulary and grammar, as well as providing career inspiration and instilling a sense of confidence in their rights as a young person. It is hoped that these young people will spread the word about human rights and educate those around them- their schoolmates and even their family.
In a recent publication, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, an NGO within Ghana, stated that ‘no society can claim to be truly free unless it has both the instruments and the practice of providing its people with access to information’. UN Secretary General, Ban- Ki-Moon has already spoken of Ghana’s ‘continuing show of commitment to the democratic process’ and if Civitas-Ghana continues its good work, the youth of today can be responsible for a democratic future.
03/02/09
Amnesty International is calling for Governments to place Human Rights at the top of their agenda and Ghana is leading the way. Human Rights are defined as the basic rights which many societies believe every person should have in order to be treated in a fair way. However, they need to be universally recognized in order to pave the way towards a peaceful and democratic society, which begs the question then- why do so few young people understand the meaning of Human Rights? Perhaps the answer lies in their misconception of what Human Rights are. Shockingly, Abraham Junior Agblo, a student recently interviewed at Teshie Presbyterian Senior High School presumed that ‘Human Rights are for only important people in the country’ and it seems that this is a common misunderstanding amongst young people within society and one that Civitas-Ghana is trying to rectify. Civitas-Ghana is an NGO which works to promote democracy and human rights through education and they are targeting schools within the greater Accra region.
Following a recent workshop at Teshie Presbyterian Senior High School, the response from the students was overwhelmingly positive, with many claiming that they were able to defend themselves properly with the new knowledge they had learnt, they now know what they are accountable for and can take responsibility for their actions. Furthermore, they know what they are entitled to and that each person has equal rights, regardless of age, race and gender. There was a sense that they all felt very passionate and enthusiastic about the prospect of knowing their rights, not only because the knowledge is useful but also because they are being accepted as important people in society with voices and opinions.
Perhaps one of the reasons the classes were so successful is because Human Rights awareness is such a big International issue. The Universal declaration of human rights states that ‘a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance’ and this has been reflected in the students learning within the school. As Civitas-Ghana’s Human Rights Education session could only cater for 50 students at one time, Students were chosen from different classes and picked at random so as to accommodate a wide range of person types. The success of this was reflected in the students’ appreciation of the project and extremely eye opening, with one student, Christiana Hayford-Ocloo, stating that usually ‘those who don’t have the money to enjoy their rights are treated badly’. Her words are wise beyond their years and echo the concerns of International NGO Amnesty International who reported that cases of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment took place in more than 81 countries as recently as 2007. Facts such as these stress the importance of the work to inform people that they are all entitled to their rights- clearly organizations such as Civitas-Ghana are fundamental in implementing this knowledge within young people.
As well as Teshie Presbyterian Senior High School, Civitas-Ghana is working in many schools in the Greater Accra region, including Aquinas Senior High School, O’Reilly Senior High School, Kaneshie Secondry Technical Senior High School, Accra High School, also Junior High Schools, including Nima 1, Kizito and Nima Presby, also with some basic schools such as Teshie Presbyterian Basic and Street Academy. Civitas- Ghana is currently only able to supply the project to ten schools due to space and resources but it is definitely leading education and youth work in the right direction. Civitas-Ghana achieves its goals through a network of dynamic partnerships, civil society groups and independent constitutional bodies with similar objectives, led by the president of Civitas-Ghana, Samuel Amankwaa Bosompem.
The structure of the programme means that learning is kept interesting and structured. Each student is given a book on ‘Everyday Law: Education towards a democratic society’ and this covers issues such as ‘Access to Justice’, ‘How government works in a democracy’ and ‘Family Law’. Students are also lectured on different topics for about an hour which is followed by practical exercises and question time to encourage interactive learning. Feeling inspired by the project, many students felt the desire to get involved in more human rights work, with one hoping to form an association one day to educate other people about such important issues.
A Social Studies Teacher, Naa Adjeley Sowah at Teshie Presbyterian Senior High School echoed her students’ excitement, commenting on how useful the programme is as it improves their vocabulary and grammar, as well as providing career inspiration and instilling a sense of confidence in their rights as a young person. It is hoped that these young people will spread the word about human rights and educate those around them- their schoolmates and even their family.
In a recent publication, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, an NGO within Ghana, stated that ‘no society can claim to be truly free unless it has both the instruments and the practice of providing its people with access to information’. UN Secretary General, Ban- Ki-Moon has already spoken of Ghana’s ‘continuing show of commitment to the democratic process’ and if Civitas-Ghana continues its good work, the youth of today can be responsible for a democratic future.
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