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.
