Being a Rural Woman: A life of service to the community

“Nothing decisive,Nothing sustainable,can be done in our country as long as this important part of ourselves remains in the oppression imposed on them by different systems of exploitation….the true empowerment of women is that which makes the woman responsible,that includes her in productive activities, and in the fight against the different challenges faced by our people. The true emancipation of women is that which forces consideration and respect from men”

Though these words may sounds like those of a convinced women’s rights activist of the second decade of the 21^st century, they aren’t. These are words from Burkinabe revolutionary leader Thomas Sankara to women gathered to celebrate International Women’s day on March 8^th 1987 a few months before his assassination.

The above was not only an appeal for women to never lose sight of the fundamental role they play in the progress of a society, but above all, a call to men and society as a whole to support them as they selflessly invest in the nation’s future at times through acts of courage that are often taken for granted or ignored such as beautifully balancing their role as mother, caretaker of the family, and increasingly bread winner for most families in my part of the world.

Rural Women deserve more……

 The brave women of the rural areas of Cameroonlive what I call “A life of service to the community” by waking up early to prepare the children for school; prepare breakfast for the family; toil all day in farms; return home late and despite the hard day’s work prepare dinner for the family. This makes me so proud of these women and reinforces my conviction that they merit more attention than is currently being accorded them by politicians and policy makers in the far away capital cities and comfortable skyscrapers in Yaounde, Addis Ababa, and NewYork.

Women make up more than half of Cameroon’s vastly youthful population. A majority of this very “important part of ourselves” live in the most ignoble of conditions in its rural areas and are on a daily basis subjected to torture, rape, and abuses of all sorts by men who are themselves oppressed by a society in which the gap between the very rich and the very poor is ever widening.

Economic Injustice is an Effective fertilizer for the Oppression of Women

Yes, a man who is powerless in the face of  his family’s inability to eat to their fill; cannot pay  health bills for his family; and cannot afford to send his children to school,  transfers the injustice done  him by society to his wife, sister, and daughteronly  in the face of whom he feels  “a real man”.Non-inclusive redistribution of a country’s resources therefore leads not only to economic inequality among a nation’s citizens but aggravates the already existing inequality through abuses of all sorts on women and girls.

Achievement of Millennium Development Goals is impossible without women 

Thus, greater economic opportunity is to be extended to rural area dwellers if the Millennium Development Goals to which this year’s International Women’s Day is dedicated are to ever be achieved and this cannot be done without the brave women who though living in these socially challenged areas, have put their lives “at the service of the community” 

If Poverty Had a Name

‘If Poverty had a name, it will be called Tansa Rose’, commented in a melancholic mood a reporter of Cameroon’s public Radio (CRTV). Tansa Rose is this 35 year old woman who died while giving birth to 4 babies in Kumba-a populous city in the South Western Region of Cameroon-recently. As shocking as this news is, it is common place in Cameroon to hear of women dying while giving birth so much so that nobody is surprised that in the 21st century; 3 years to the so much talked about 2015 dateline for the achievement of the millennium development Goals(MDGs) and not too far from 2035-the year Cameroon dreams of becoming an emerging nation.
In Cameroon, far from being neglected, Maternal Health has been at the heart of politicians’ manifestos and development policy documents. But the importance of maternal health has never been translated into concrete actions by these politicians once elected into office. After all, which Cameroonian will not remember the famous “Health for all in the year 2000 “slogan and the now ever present “emergence by 2035” argument?
One will never really know how sincere those politicians and policy makers that created such lofty slogans as those above were but one thing one can be certain of is the fact that women like Tansa Rose die while giving birth at home because they are too poor to get prenatal and postnatal care.
Tansa Rose as 1/3 of women in developing nations was the sole bread winner for her family and her children like all those whose mothers die while giving birth to them are 3-10 times likely to die before their second birthday than those whose mothers survive according to the UN in its We Can End Poverty 2015 report and the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) State of the World’s Children 2007. This coupled with the uncertainty of what the future holds for late Rose’s babies in terms of health, education, and opportunity for them to live worthy lives revolts me as while precious resources are being invested in white elephant projects that are doomed to failure, thousands of Cameroonians continue to die because they cannot afford the services of health care professionals or stay in remote areas with the nearest health facility hundreds of miles away. This is shameful and must be change if Cameroon is to ever become the emerging country it so much dreams of becoming because a nation whose women and children plagued by ills of all sorts cannot achieve any development worth its name.
Access to health care for men, women, and children of a nation’s present and future generations must be at the heart of any nation’s development policies. For, “People are dying unnecessarily because they do not have clean water, enough good food, or basic medical care-which is what economic development means for us. The most basic human right of all is the right to life itself, and a life which is not made miserable by hunger, ignorance, or preventable disease”, argued Julius Nyerere in his Plea of the Poor to the world.

Incest: The Ugly Face of a Rising Evil Practice

A 24 year old suing her father. This is a very rare phenomenon in Cameroon which has a culture which makes it taboo for the dirty linens of the family to be washed public. Even more rare is when it is a young girl suing her father and for an atrocious practice which though seen as such by a majority of people in this part of the world is growing in intensity because of inaction on the part of society, guilt and shame on the part of the victims and, desire by most stakeholders not to tarnish the family’s image.
But Elsa II Jacqueline Nyatè, a 24 year old who has been victim of a victim of incest for more than 10 years now took the bold step and sued her father for rape, sexual violence, and incest. Her father, a man whose appetite for his children seems to be unquenchable now sleeps in the same room with Vanessa’s 15 year old kid sister whom Vanessa is more than convinced is Being subjected to rape and repeated assaults by their divorced father. It is conscious of the effects her 10 years ordeal now has on her and what these effects could be on her kid sister that Vanessa has decided to speak out on this rising evil.
The Cambridge Advanced Learners dictionary describes incest as: a sexual activity involving people who are closely related and not to legally permitted to marry. In Cameroon, just as is the case with most societies in our world, incest is a forbidden practice and feelings of guilt, shame, unworthiness, and other post traumatic disorders abound among rape and incest victims.
A study recently carried out by an NGO, Réseau National des Tantines (RENATA), indicates about 10% of unmarried mothers had their pregnancy or an incestuous relationship. Shocking as these figures may be, they are very insignificant compared to the reality as the number of undocumented cases and silent victims far out-number those who are speaking out. More shocking to me is not the incestuous act itself but the violence the victims, who are often daughters, sisters, cousins, and nieces of the perpetrators of acts of incest has to go through-they are molested, beaten, and subjected to all sorts of harsh conditions which will contribute in keeping secret the incestuous relationship
But things are fast changing and need to change even further because despite the taboo surrounding the making public by victims of this demeaning and senseless act, rarely does a day go-by in Cameroon without people in one of its major towns being informed of a victim of incest coming out to denounce the incestuous family member. That the rate at which victims of incest are speaking out is rising is good news. But I am convinced that, though, a necessary step this alone is sufficient. The fact that mothers most victims of incest whom I have known keep a blind eye or helplessly watch their husbands ruining their child’s future pains me so much, the delay in the rendering judgment in cases of incest makes me wonder why the judicial system should exist if it has to cover up perpetrators of hideous acts.
Elsa has knowingly or unknowingly through this heroic act in my opinion become the symbol of the rising rebellion against this rising evil practice-incest-which has long lasting physical and psychological effects on the victims. But we all as a society have to act by denouncing perpetrators of this evil practice and demanding justice for their victims. It’s our duty to spare the children in and around us of this abuse. Together, and only together can we overcome incest in our society.

Don't Pregnant Teens Also Deserve Education?

The destiny of every nation, village and community lies in the hands of its people and is closely linked to their intellectual development. All the nations, villages and communities we admire, hail or despise today are only a fruit of its people’s concern or complacency to partake in their nation, village and community development efforts.

Education and especially that of the girl child is one of these development efforts from which people in rural and urban communities in Cameroon are being excluded. Consciously or unconsciously, an ever increasing number of young girls are, because of pregnancy, being refused their rights of belonging to a community, their right to education is continuously abused, and they are restrained from taking part in community developmental activities.

A Policy Based on Stigma and Rumor

In Cameroon, the dismissal of a girl that is pregnant is inscribed in the internal rules and regulations of almost all schools (primary and secondary). Based on these internal rules which have no legal backing, pregnant teenage girls are dismissed daily from these schools on grounds that, they will serve as bad examples to the other girls in the school, and soil the reputation of the educational establishment.

Waves of shock and anger ran through my family last month when Regine, an 18 year old extended family member, was dismissed from school on grounds that she was pregnant. Dismissed from school in Lower sixth (last but one year in secondary, Regina was no doubt luckier than the 57% of pupils in Cameroon who do not survive to the last grade of primary school; a majority of them being girls (UNICEF).But she is also undisputedly very unlucky in that, prospects of her completing secondary school have been greatly compromised by her purported pregnancy and above all her dismissal from school. Did you get it right? I said purported pregnancy because it has turned out that Regine is not pregnant. Yet she will not be readmitted into her school or any other in the village.

Regina’s case is just one in a thousand of such cases whereby, based on rumor and hearsay, the future of girls in Cameroon is sacrificed on the Alter of morality and Puritanism.

Dismissing Pregnant Girls Robs Them of Their Education Forever

According to statistics from the German Cooperation Agency (GTZ) in Cameroon, 20 -30% of young mothers had unplanned pregnancies with more than half of these girls becoming pregnant after their first sexual encounter, and 25% of them dropping out of school permanently. This, coupled with my observation that a majority of girls dismissed from schools on grounds of pregnancy, rarely ever go back to school, poses a problem of the effectiveness of sex education in the Cameroonian educational system and the raison-d’être of practices like these which makes the school not the safe haven it is meant to be but an environment where exclusion, intolerance, hypocrisy, and terror reigns supreme.

While I agree that teenage pregnancy has to be discouraged, I fiercely oppose the approach to achieving this goal which consists of dismissing pregnant teenagers and advocate for an approach that ‘Manages’ rather than ‘punishes’ teenage pregnancy.

Educating on SRHR: A Shared Responsibility

An efficient management of teenage pregnancy is only possible through the education and sensitization of young boys and girls on their Sex and Reproductive Health Rights(SRHR).In my opinion, this approach is even more inclusive and just when the responsibility of educating children on their Sex and Reproductive Health Rights(SRHR) is shared by all the stakeholders in various communities.

There exist a host of cultural and religious taboos in most rural communities in Cameroon, makes sex education to a considerable proportion of people living in these communities a source of moral decay and a means of making children indulge into sex early. Viewed with a bad eye by most traditional and religious authorities, the restriction of lessons on sex education to basics is the order of the day in Cameroon.

A study carried out by the Germano-Cameroonian Health Program (SRJA), reveals that 62 % of girls who admitted having had an abortion had given birth before the age of 19, and 10% before the age of 16.A majority of these girls did not do any pre-natal medical consultations with 26% of them girls having contracted a sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the previous year. Frightening, no doubt, are the above facts and figures are, even more frightening is the number of girls who die while having an abortion in the towns and villages of Cameroon. How many of these poor outcomes could good sex education and contraceptive access have prevented?

Dismissal: Not a Solution; the Source of More Troubles

To reduce the horror caused by unsafe abortions in Cameroon, Sex and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) should be given the place it deserves in the school curricula. The way sex education is currently being done in schools across the country is very shallow with pupils and students limited on to the concepts around sex while they are not taught their Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights.

In addition to the above, the exclusion of teenage mothers from society through dismissal from school and isolation is a problem rather than a solution. Rather than constantly telling pregnant teenagers that they are a disgrace to their family, their church, or community, they should instead be shown that they can a play a fundamental role in the development of their communities.

The impact of the stigmatization of teenage mothers and the dismissal of pregnant teenagers from schools thus goes beyond just negatively affecting their ability to exercise their right to education, but is having a huge impact on the sexual and reproductive health rights of girls in rural communities in Cameroon. Action that is inclusive is needed if development efforts of each and everyone are to be counted. Because in my opinion, the dismissal of pregnant teenagers rather than being a solution has been the source of many more troubles for communities in my country.

Marrying at 15 is her Greatest Regret

In Cameroon, taxis and other public transport have become the place where Cameroonians most enjoy discussing political and social issues. And so it happened a few weeks ago that I boarded a Taxi whose driver did not stop telling people of the disgust he had for parents who send their girls to school.

‘At 14, when my daughter passes her BEPC(GCE o level), I send her to school for two more years to go and ‘waste time’ so that she reaches 16 and I give her out to a man for marriage. No girl in my home aged 16! Her husband’s home is where she belongs’, said the driver proudly with the tone of his voice revealing how convinced he was of what he had just said.

I looked at him with anger and then thought of the many girls whose lives have been ruined by selfish and inconsiderate decisions taken by their parents to get them out of school and ‘ hand them over’ to their so-called husbands. Furious at the sayings of the driver, I could not help but think about Linda (not her real name), whom I met some years back.

Linda, like 36% of girls in Cameroon, was a victim of child marriage (UNICEF). She hails from one of Cameroon’s rural communities, which account 23% of the cases of forced marriages in the country (UNICEF). Linda dropped out of school in form three (third year of secondary school) 10 years ago following pressure from her parents to marry a man, 20 years older than her, and whom she had never met. Bowing to her parents’ pressure she thus forfeited her rights to education, her rights to choose to marry whom she loves, and her rights as a child.

MARRYING AT 15 YEARS IS LINDA's GREATEST REGRET

Having no choice in the face of this decision taken by her parents, at 15, Linda’s dreams of becoming a Doctor were thus shattered. Today, Linda is 25 , has 3 children whose upkeep is sole dependent her, has become the bread winner for her household, and regrets having giving in to the pressure mounted on her by her parents to get married to this man for whom she has become a child bearing instrument and sole provider.

The 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that marriage should be ‘entered only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses’. Going by this definition and taking into consideration the stands of the Convention on the Elimination on All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), which holds that children below 18 years should not be allowed to get married because they do not have full maturity and capacity to act, one will have every reason to stand against child marriages-any union in this circumstances will be considered as forced marriage.

But according to Plan International, an international Non Governmental Organization (NGO), ten million girls under the age of 18 marry each year. Still not moved? The above figure implies that:
• 833,333 girls under 18 marry each month
• 192,307 girls under 18 marry each week
• 27,397 girls under 18 marry each day
• 19 girls under 18 marry each every minute
• Around 1 girl under 18 marries every three seconds

Despite the fact that all sub-Saharan African countries (except Somalia) are signatories to the Charter on Rights of a Child, Sub-Saharan Africa has the second highest rate of early and forced marriage (38%) according to statistics from the above mentioned NGO . 14.3 million girls in this region are married before they reach 18. Studies show that the average age of marriage in this region remains among the world's lowest and the percentage of adolescent mothers the world's highest.

CAUSES RANGING FROM TRADITION TO POVERTY

In Cameroon, child marriage is most prevalent in rural areas, where poverty , traditions, ignorance of the law, and illiteracy still reign supreme . These include traditional, religious and cultural practices which continue to treat women as commodities and inferior beings that have little or no role to play in their communities and are good only for the kitchen.

Also, the prevailing poverty in rural areas makes the girl the only realistic potential source of income to parents. They thus arrange marriages for these girls and charge a bride price that will enable them buy food, and other household commodities. This may also be to pay back money borrowed by a parent who cannot repay and so gives the daughter in the place of payment.

CHILD MARRIAGE: A WICKED PRACTICE

The negative effects of early marriage in my community go beyond just the girls concerned and affect the children they give birth to. Thus low weight babies and a high rate of morbidity among children born by girls in forced marriages is very common.

Young married girls are more often than not victims of Ve sico Vaginal Fistula (VVF). VVF is incontinence of the bladder which allows the patient to pass urine indiscriminately. VVF in arises in cases of forced marriages because of the very tender age and immaturity of the sexual organs of the girls who are forced into these unions.

Also , young married girls are exposed to: mental health effects, the hazards of contracting HIV/AIDS and STIs from their older husbands and above all to unwanted pregnancies, Premature births, and other pregnancy-related complications which at times take away the lives of these young girls. In fact, in low and middle income countries, childbirth is the #1 killer of young women between ages 15 and 19.

POLITICAL WILL IS NOT ENOUGH TO END CHILD MARRIAGES

I very much agree that political will, the voting of laws that prohibit child marriage, the equitable distribution of resources to its citizens to mitigate the effects of poverty and reduce illiteracy are needed to put an end to child marriages in Cameroon. But I am more than convinced that a more accessible, affordable, conducive, and above all inclusive educational system is needed to effectively fight against forced marriages

The educational system in rural areas is a great push factor for early marriages in Cameroon. Gender based violence(GBV), poor infrastructure, gender bias teaching material(text books), cultural practices which discourage parents from fully investing on the education of women, and a non-conducive learning environment are all motivating factors for girls to drop out of school. Hailing from a rural community, I have observed that most girls who drop out of school have marriage as a main option. Thus, education in rural communities should be made not only more accessible and efficient but also more welcoming to girls.

To guard against the consequences of child marriage, girls must be protected against traditional and religious practices that enslaves and traumatizes them. So that, unlike Linda who is today a roadside roasted maize seller, they all achieve their dreams of greatness in this world. All girls have the right to live happy and fulfilled lives, don’t they?

This blog can also be read at:http://www.amplifyyourvoice.org/u/Gastonkwa/2012/4/23/Marrying-at-15-is-her-Greatest-Regret

GIRL OR BOY, WE ARE ALL HUMAN!

March 8 is celebrated the world over as International Women’s day.  I will like to share with you a speech which depicts the reality of being a girl in today’s world, especially in developing countries. In his Nobel lecture in 2001, Koffi Annan insists on the necessity for a global partnership to effectively fight against poverty, gender based violence, hunger,hatred, and all forms of discriminations.  Read this its great and inspiring!

Today, in Afghanistan, a girl will be born. Her mother will hold her and feed her, comfort her and care for her – just as any mother would anywhere in the world. In these most basic acts of human nature, humanity knows no divisions. But to be born a girl in today's Afghanistan is to begin life centuries away from the prosperity that one small part of humanity has achieved. It is to live under conditions that many of us in this hall would consider inhuman.

I speak of a girl in Afghanistan, but I might equally well have mentioned a baby boy or girl in Sierra Leone. No one today is unaware of this divide between the world’s rich and poor. No one today can claim ignorance of the cost that this divide imposes on the poor and dispossessed who are no less deserving of human dignity, fundamental freedoms, security, food and education than any of us. The cost, however, is not borne by them alone. Ultimately, it is borne by all of us – North and South, rich and poor, men and women of all races and religions.

Today's real borders are not between nations, but between powerful and powerless, free and fettered, privileged and humiliated. Today, no walls can separate humanitarian or human rights crises in one part of the world from national security crises in another.

Scientists tell us that the world of nature is so small and interdependent that a butterfly flapping its wings in the Amazon rainforest can generate a violent storm on the other side of the earth. This principle is known as the "Butterfly Effect." Today, we realize, perhaps more than ever, that the world of human activity also has its own "Butterfly Effect" – for better or for worse.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We have entered the third millennium through a gate of fire. If today, after the horror of 11 September, we see better, and we see further – we will realize that humanity is indivisible. New threats make no distinction between races, nations or regions. A new insecurity has entered every mind, regardless of wealth or status. A deeper awareness of the bonds that bind us all – in pain as in prosperity – has gripped young and old.

In the early beginnings of the 21st century – a century already violently disabused of any hopes that progress towards global peace and prosperity is inevitable -- this new reality can no longer be ignored. It must be confronted.

The 20th century was perhaps the deadliest in human history, devastated by innumerable conflicts, untold suffering, and unimaginable crimes. Time after time, a group or a nation inflicted extreme violence on another, often driven by irrational hatred and suspicion, or unbounded arrogance and thirst for power and resources. In response to these cataclysms, the leaders of the world came together at mid-century to unite the nations as never before.

A forum was created – the United Nations – where all nations could join forces to affirm the dignity and worth of every person, and to secure peace and development for all peoples. Here States could unite to strengthen the rule of law, recognize and address the needs of the poor, restrain man’s brutality and greed, conserve the resources and beauty of nature, sustain the equal rights of men and women, and provide for the safety of future generations.

We thus inherit from the 20th century the political, as well as the scientific and technological power, which – if only we have the will to use them – give us the chance to vanquish poverty, ignorance and disease.

In the 21st Century I believe the mission of the United Nations will be defined by a new, more profound, awareness of the sanctity and dignity of every human life, regardless of race or religion. This will require us to look beyond the framework of States, and beneath the surface of nations or communities. We must focus, as never before, on improving the conditions of the individual men and women who give the state or nation its richness and character. We must begin with the young Afghan girl, recognizing that saving that one life is to save humanity itself.

Over the past five years, I have often recalled that the United Nations' Charter begins with the words: "We the peoples." What is not always recognized is that "we the peoples" are made up of individuals whose claims to the most fundamental rights have too often been sacrificed in the supposed interests of the state or the nation.

A genocide begins with the killing of one man – not for what he has done, but because of who he is. A campaign of 'ethnic cleansing' begins with one neighbour turning on another. Poverty begins when even one child is denied his or her fundamental right to education. What begins with the failure to uphold the dignity of one life, all too often ends with a calamity for entire nations.

In this new century, we must start from the understanding that peace belongs not only to states or peoples, but to each and every member of those communities. The sovereignty of States must no longer be used as a shield for gross violations of human rights. Peace must be made real and tangible in the daily existence of every individual in need. Peace must be sought, above all, because it is the condition for every member of the human family to live a life of dignity and security.

The rights of the individual are of no less importance to immigrants and minorities in Europe and the Americas than to women in Afghanistan or children in Africa. They are as fundamental to the poor as to the rich; they are as necessary to the security of the developed world as to that of the developing world.

From this vision of the role of the United Nations in the next century flow three key priorities for the future: eradicating poverty, preventing conflict, and promoting democracy. Only in a world that is rid of poverty can all men and women make the most of their abilities. Only where individual rights are respected can differences be channelled politically and resolved peacefully. Only in a democratic environment, based on respect for diversity and dialogue, can individual self-expression and self-government be secured, and freedom of association be upheld.

Throughout my term as Secretary-General, I have sought to place human beings at the centre of everything we do – from conflict prevention to development to human rights. Securing real and lasting improvement in the lives of individual men and women is the measure of all we do at the United Nations.

It is in this spirit that I humbly accept the Centennial Nobel Peace Prize. Forty years ago today, the Prize for 1961 was awarded for the first time to a Secretary-General of the United Nations – posthumously, because Dag Hammarskjöld had already given his life for peace in Central Africa. And on the same day, the Prize for 1960 was awarded for the first time to an African – Albert Luthuli, one of the earliest leaders of the struggle against apartheid in South Africa. For me, as a young African beginning his career in the United Nations a few months later, those two men set a standard that I have sought to follow throughout my working life.

This award belongs not just to me. I do not stand here alone. On behalf of all my colleagues in every part of the United Nations, in every corner of the globe, who have devoted their lives – and in many instances risked or given their lives in the cause of peace – I thank the Members of the Nobel Committee for this high honour. My own path to service at the United Nations was made possible by the sacrifice and commitment of my family and many friends from all continents – some of whom have passed away – who taught me and guided me. To them, I offer my most profound gratitude.

In a world filled with weapons of war and all too often words of war, the Nobel Committee has become a vital agent for peace. Sadly, a prize for peace is a rarity in this world. Most nations have monuments or memorials to war, bronze salutations to heroic battles, archways of triumph. But peace has no parade, no pantheon of victory.

What it does have is the Nobel Prize – a statement of hope and courage with unique resonance and authority. Only by understanding and addressing the needs of individuals for peace, for dignity, and for security can we at the United Nations hope to live up to the honour conferred today, and fulfil the vision of our founders. This is the broad mission of peace that United Nations staff members carry out every day in every part of the world.

A few of them, women and men, are with us in this hall today. Among them, for instance, are a Military Observer from Senegal who is helping to provide basic security in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; a Civilian Police Adviser from the United States who is helping to improve the rule of law in Kosovo; a UNICEF Child Protection Officer from Ecuador who is helping to secure the rights of Colombia's most vulnerable citizens; and a World Food Programme Officer from China who is helping to feed the people of North Korea.

Distinguished guests,

The idea that there is one people in possession of the truth, one answer to the world’s ills, or one solution to humanity’s needs, has done untold harm throughout history – especially in the last century. Today, however, even amidst continuing ethnic conflict around the world, there is a growing understanding that human diversity is both the reality that makes dialogue necessary, and the very basis for that dialogue.

We understand, as never before, that each of us is fully worthy of the respect and dignity essential to our common humanity. We recognize that we are the products of many cultures, traditions and memories; that mutual respect allows us to study and learn from other cultures; and that we gain strength by combining the foreign with the familiar.

In every great faith and tradition one can find the values of tolerance and mutual understanding. The Qur’an, for example, tells us that "We created you from a single pair of male and female and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other." Confucius urged his followers: "when the good way prevails in the state, speak boldly and act boldly. When the state has lost the way, act boldly and speak softly." In the Jewish tradition, the injunction to "love thy neighbour as thyself," is considered to be the very essence of the Torah.

This thought is reflected in the Christian Gospel, which also teaches us to love our enemies and pray for those who wish to persecute us. Hindus are taught that "truth is one, the sages give it various names." And in the Buddhist tradition, individuals are urged to act with compassion in every facet of life.

Each of us has the right to take pride in our particular faith or heritage. But the notion that what is ours is necessarily in conflict with what is theirs is both false and dangerous. It has resulted in endless enmity and conflict, leading men to commit the greatest of crimes in the name of a higher power.

It need not be so. People of different religions and cultures live side by side in almost every part of the world, and most of us have overlapping identities which unite us with very different groups. We can love what we are, without hating what – and who – we are not. We can thrive in our own tradition, even as we learn from others, and come to respect their teachings.

This will not be possible, however, without freedom of religion, of expression, of assembly, and basic equality under the law. Indeed, the lesson of the past century has been that where the dignity of the individual has been trampled or threatened – where citizens have not enjoyed the basic right to choose their government, or the right to change it regularly – conflict has too often followed, with innocent civilians paying the price, in lives cut short and communities destroyed.

The obstacles to democracy have little to do with culture or religion, and much more to do with the desire of those in power to maintain their position at any cost. This is neither a new phenomenon nor one confined to any particular part of the world. People of all cultures value their freedom of choice, and feel the need to have a say in decisions affecting their lives.

The United Nations, whose membership comprises almost all the States in the world, is founded on the principle of the equal worth of every human being. It is the nearest thing we have to a representative institution that can address the interests of all states, and all peoples. Through this universal, indispensable instrument of human progress, States can serve the interests of their citizens by recognizing common interests and pursuing them in unity. No doubt, that is why the Nobel Committee says that it "wishes, in its centenary year, to proclaim that the only negotiable route to global peace and cooperation goes by way of the United Nations".

I believe the Committee also recognized that this era of global challenges leaves no choice but cooperation at the global level. When States undermine the rule of law and violate the rights of their individual citizens, they become a menace not only to their own people, but also to their neighbours, and indeed the world. What we need today is better governance – legitimate, democratic governance that allows each individual to flourish, and each State to thrive.

Your Majesties,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

You will recall that I began my address with a reference to the girl born in Afghanistan today. Even though her mother will do all in her power to protect and sustain her, there is a one-in-four risk that she will not live to see her fifth birthday. Whether she does is just one test of our common humanity – of our belief in our individual responsibility for our fellow men and women. But it is the only test that matters.

Remember this girl and then our larger aims – to fight poverty, prevent conflict, or cure disease – will not seem distant, or impossible. Indeed, those aims will seem very near, and very achievable – as they should. Because beneath the surface of states and nations, ideas and language, lies the fate of individual human beings in need. Answering their needs will be the mission of the United Nations in the century to come.

Thank you very much.

States must not ignore human rights in efforts to end poverty

Today is international Human Rights day. Given that in my last blog I talked of an inclusion of human rights in the MDGs to be inevitable if MDGs are to be achieved,no body better than Amnesty which is  actively advocating for this can really explain what it really mean. I have posted this article from Amnesty International not only to acknowledge their efforts for human dignity to be respected but also to continue my advocacy for this to be done as soon as possible by the powers that be.

Governments risk failing some of the world's most impoverished and vulnerable groups unless human rights are put at the centre of efforts to eradicate poverty, Amnesty International warned on Wednesday.

In a new report looking at how to strengthen the Millennium Development Goals [MDGs], the organization highlights how key targets fall short of existing international human rights standards.                   

The report, From Promises to Delivery, outlines crucial steps governments can take to deliver meaningful progress on the MDGs over the next five years.

"The MDGs promised some of the worlds most impoverished and excluded a fairer future but it is now painfully obvious that unless urgent action is taken governments will fail the most vulnerable communities," said Claudio Cordone, interim Secretary General of Amnesty International.

"The message for world leaders when they come together in September to review progress on the MDGs is clear:  they must act now to put human rights at the centre of efforts to improve the lives of those living in poverty."

The report calls on governments to ensure all MDG initiatives are consistent with human rights; address discrimination experienced by women; set national targets for delivery; fulfill the right of participation and strengthen mechanisms for accountability.

It was launched on Wednesday in New York, where representatives from governments, civil society and the UN are gathering at an Amnesty International and Realizing Rights conference to discuss the importance of human rights in achieving the MDGs. 

Three main issues – gender equality, maternal health and slums – are highlighted in the report to illustrate the gulf between the current MDGs framework and international human rights standards.

On gender equality the report shows how the MDGs fail to ensure that governments address women's human rights across all targets despite it being an essential element in tackling poverty. Where gender equality is listed in the MDGs it is limited to a single target to eliminate disparities in education.

It is estimated that 70 per cent of those living in poverty are women. The report documents how women and girls continue to suffer from gender discrimination, violence and further human rights violations in all societies.

Improving maternal health is an area that has seen far too little progress according to the report. The MDGs fail to take into account a variety of underlying factors that contribute to maternal deaths and injuries.

Human rights issues such as early or forced marriage, violence against women and girls prevents women from making decisions about their own lives.

The MDGs also do not pay sufficient attention to sexual and reproductive rights. From Peru to Sierra Leone, the report illustrates the barriers women in poverty face when trying to access maternal healthcare.

The MDG target to improve the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers is described as "grossly inadequate and weak" given that an estimated 1.4 billion people will live in slums by 2020. The target also falls short of existing obligations on states under international human rights law.

Amnesty International has documented forced evictions of communities living in slums in all regions of the world. The effects of these forced evictions is catastrophic for people who were already living in poverty. The MDGs ignore the crucial obligations of states to prevent and protect people from these violations.

From Burkina Faso to the favelas in Brazil, the report shows how an accountability deficit exists which makes it hard for people living in poverty to access justice. Mechanisms to ensure accountability do not exist or are inaccessible to people living in poverty.

"Human rights are central to making the MDGs effective," said Claudio Cordone. "Governments must be held to account to ensure their efforts to achieve the MDGs are consistent with human rights."

This work is part of Amnesty International's Demand Dignity campaign which aims to end the human rights violations that drive and deepen global poverty. The campaign will mobilise people all over the world to demand that governments, corporations and others who have power listen to the voices of those living in poverty and recognise and protect their rights. For more information visit thewww.amnesty.org