CONTENTS | ANB-BIA HOMEPAGE | WEEKLY NEWS
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Malawi |
YOUTH
Human rights and the respect of the rule of law
are cornerstones of Malawi’s
young democracy.
Some organisations have decided to make a positive investment
in instilling a sense of justice and democratic values among young people
Rev. Allan Chiphiko is an executive member of the Nkhoma Synod of the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) in Malawi’s central region. He is also Board Chairman of a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) known as the Centre for Youth and Children’s Affairs (CEYCA) which recently organised a training Workshop on human rights for youth NGO leaders coming from all over the country. He says: «Human rights issues affect all stages of human development and need to be promoted and protected at all costs. Training young people in human rights issues now, will help prevent violations of people’s rights and freedoms in the future».
Rev. Chiphiko acknowledges the government has done a lot to address human rights questions in Malawi. This is clearly shown through the establishment of the Office of the Ombudsman, the Law Commission, the Human Rights Commission, the Anti-Corruption Bureau, the National Compensation Tribunal, as well as undertaking prison reform. But there is need to include young people in this effort.
Importance of training young people
CEYCA‘s Executive Director, Rodgers Newa, says that: «Training the youth in practising human rights, will help them understand that other people have rights, as well. This is all-important, as we have an unfortunate past history on human rights abuses to overcome». Mr Newa emphasised the importance of networking with other NGOs with similar objectives, as educating the youth in human rights cannot be achieved by one NGO alone. He also commended those NGOs which have taken an interest in this kind of youth training; likewise the UK-based Westminster Foundation for Democracy which has made a substantial financial donation so that a training Workshop on human rights could be organised for NGO youth leaders.
But the work does not stop there. Other organisations have decided to take the information on how to handle human rights issues into secondary schools, so that students can make informed choices for themselves. One such organisation is the Paralegal Resource Centre (PARECE) attached to Chancellor College (a constituent college of the University of Malawi), which, with financial assistance from the European Union, has gone to several secondary schools in the south to educate students on their rights.
PARECE‘s Liaison Office, Kelvin Sentale, makes an important observation: «Young people have the capacity to impart the same knowledge they have received, to their relatives and other people at home. And they are listened to by the village-folk»
Both PARECE and CEYCA, together with other similar organisations, have centred their lessons to young people on such issues as: The right to education; the right to life; the right to freedom of speech and expression; Wills and inheritance; gender equality, juvenile justice; child labour.
Are there any effects from all this effort made? Here’s what the Deputy-Head of Balaka Secondary School has to say: «Organising Workshops for training in human rights issues has really helped the students appreciate that democracy goes hand-in-hand with responsibility, and they have responded to this challenge».
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