Human Rights Clubs

Human Rights Clubs in Kumba Secondary Schools

The 1993 United Nations World Conference on Human Rights held the view that human rights education was “essential for the promotion and achievement of stable and harmonious relations among communities and for fostering mutual understanding, tolerance and peace.”

GCI agrees with this and so we have launched a project to establish Human Rights Clubs in secondary schools in Kumba. These clubs will be run by students and will be open to both students and staff. Their aim is to enable members to learn about their human rights and their corresponding responsibilities. The groups will be active in spreading human rights information to their colleagues, families and friends. The clubs will also learn how to promote human rights in Kumba by raising awareness of human rights abuses, working to change attitudes and lobbying the authorities. They will learn how to oppose human rights abuses safely, democratically and legally. GCI hopes that this will eliminate instances of violent demonstrations which have occurred in the past in Kumba.

GCI believes that the first step in promoting and protecting human rights is to know what these rights are.

For the basic principles of a human rights culture to survive, people must continue to see a point in defending them: “I have a right to this. It is not just what I want, or need, It is my right. There is a responsibility to be met.” But rights stand only by the reasons given for them and the reasons must be good ones. Unless people have the chance to work out these reasons for themselves – and where better than in school? – they will not claim their rights when they are withheld or taken away, or feel a responsibility to defend the rights of others. We have to see for ourselves why rights are so important, for this in turn fosters responsibility. ( Teaching Human Rights )

We believe that the Human Rights Clubs in Kumba will be a success in this regard.

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