Beakanyang celebrates IHRD with schools’ HRC

Beakanyang Kafo, in collaboration with Youth for Human Rights The Gambia, Saturday celebrated international human rights day with school human rights clubs at St. Peter’s Technical Senior Secondary School in Lamin, on theme: youths standing for human rights.

Executive director of Beakanyang and country coordinator of Youths for Human Rights International (YHRI), Nfamara Jawneh said the celebration is meant to honor the United Nations Assembly’s adoption and proclamation on December 10, 1948, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which turns 71 this year.

Mr Jawneh said over ten thousand copies of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) have been distributed to schools and communities nationwide to ensure that people are aware of their rights.

Jawneh, who was named among the top 100 recognized human rights defenders across the world this year, urged the government, as primary duty bearer to ensure that human rights are fully protected in the country.

“Under Gambia’s 1997 constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the country has an obligation to protect and promote human rights for all in the country irrespective of their status. Gambians have suffered a lot during the past autocratic rule and therefore shall never again experience human rights violations,” he said.

He commended the government, saying the country’s human rights record has significantly improved since the advent of the new government. He said the government is committed that the history of human rights violation in the Gambia does not repeat itself.

“The creation of a National Human Rights Commission, Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC), and the entire transitional justice process is a clear manifestation of the government’s commitment to ensure that gross human rights violations are never repeated in this country,’ he said.

Mariama Bah, member of the human rights club at St. Peter’s Technical Senior Secondary School said the concept of human rights has evolved over the years, adding that societies have recognized the importance of giving each individual access to certain rights and respecting them. 

She said basic human rights are indispensable hence all human beings irrespective of nationality, race, religion etc is entitled to.

Beakanyang Kafoo called on government to strengthen the justice system, end arbitrary arrests and torture, promote and protect girls and women rights, comply with human rights obligations, take firm efforts towards ending corruption, ensure non- discrimination and ensure the rights to freedom of expression and assembly.