It’s human rights day – stand for someone’s rights!

By Yomi Fawehinmi

Today is the Human Rights Day. This is a day set out annually to celebrate Human Rights. It commemorates the day on which, in 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The focus for the 2016 Human Rights Day is a call on everyone to stand up for someone’s rights!

So what’s Human Rights? According to the United Nations,  “Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, whatever our nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status.”

They are rights we have because we are humans . As a result, we are all equally entitled to our human rights without discrimination.

That’s the understanding the late Fela Kuti had that made him sing:

“Human rights na my property

So therefore, you can’t dash me my property

Human rights na my property”

Indeed Human Rights are yours.

Chapter IV of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, lists the following fundamental human rights:

• Right to life
• Right to dignity of human person
• Right to personal liberty
• Right to fair hearing
• Right to private and family life
• Right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion
• Right to freedom of expression and the press
• Right to peaceful assembly and association
• Right to freedom of movement
• Right to freedom from discrimination on the grounds of ethnic group, place of origin, circumstance of birth, sex, religion or political opinion.
• Right to compensation for property compulsorily acquired

These rights are Fundamental and justiceable rights i.e you can approach the courts for its enforcement. In addition there are other rights which are equally important though not justifiable like the right to:

• Free and compulsory education
• Adequate health care, gainful employment
• Shelter, food etc

These latter non-justiceable rights cannot be enforced. Therefore , citizens cannot  go to court to enforce them if denied. However some of these rights become justiceable with some other laws like the Child Rights Act.

Bob Marley sang that we stand up for our rights. Which is correct and expected.  However we need to do more. We need to stand up for the rights of others. We need to be the voice for those who have no voice. He need to advance the course of all.

The mandate to speak up is also a spiritual one. The Bible in Proverbs 31: 8-9 states in the Message version:

“Speak up for the people who have no voice,
    for the rights of all the down-and-outers.
Speak out for justice!
    Stand up for the poor and destitute!”

Therefore you aren’t just being nice for speaking for others. You are being spiritual and rational.

I think Nigerians have had their rights denied many times both by the state and those in authority including leaders,  employers,  property owners. This has to stop.

But a voice is needed to ensure this stops. On this Human Rights Day,  be that voice. Speak against evil. Speak for what’s right. Yes you can.

Fawehinmi is an author and expert on learning and development