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In this section of the website you will find information about what human rights are and why they should be protected and the work of organisations and institutions involved in the human rights sector.
 

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Namibian Elections: Why the Results are Disputed
elections freedom of expression political parties rights
3 February, 2010

The controversy surrounding the outcome of the disputed November 2009 elections in Namibia is not good news for the Southern African Development Community region, the Africa Union and for the African continent in general. 20 years into democracy, Namibia is faced with a mammoth task of putting systems in place to ensure free and fair elections. The country’s voters’ roll is not computerised or centralised and this makes it difficult for the Electoral Commission of Namibia to rectify and/or verify the accuracy of the voters’ roll.

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Uganda’s HIV & AIDS Bill: A Human Rights Faux Pas

The HIV and AIDS Prevention and Control Bill for 2009, formulated by the Ugandan Law Reform Commission, marks an uncertain era in the history of HIV and AIDS in Uganda. The Bill is sad news in a country which was once considered as the model for controlling and preventing the spread of HIV and AIDS in Africa.

Land Restitution: An Unacceptable Glacial Drift

The restitution process in South Africa was extremely slow between 1994 and 1998. During this period, only 27 claims settled out of the 40 000 submitted. The delay in settling claims might have been caused by lack of financial and human resources within government. Meanwhile, it is a ‘horrible injustice’ to make poor people to wait for decades to get back their land while they were dispossessed overnight and in primitively brutal manner’

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HIV and AIDS: The Responsibility is Ours

Commemorated every year on 1 December, many will be wearing red ribbons and all kinds of AIDS awareness and campaign will be taking place – many will also be showing what their organisations are doing in the fight against HIV. The theme for international World AIDS Day 2009 is 'Human Rights and Access to Treatment’. In this article, Nomsa Mabaso asks, while we have access to treatment as a basic right, are we being responsible by actually making use of it? She believes that this theme challenges every person living in South Africa to take up the fight against HIV and AIDS as their own
Effects of the Global Economic Crisis: Examining the Impact on HIV and AIDS Funding

The global economic crisis is a reality NGOs face today. The crisis has dire consequences for HIV and AIDS funding. These effects are felt particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, which has the highest levels of HIV and AIDS infection in the world, with approximately 25 million (more than 60 percent of global infections). It has forced international donors to direct more funds to lower income countries to help them strengthen their health system programmes and to extend their focus to include other health issues. In South Africa, companies are likely to cut their HIV/AIDS prevention programmes and this has already left many NGOs with no choice but to suspend some of their projects
Shoot to Kill: A Camouflaged Revival of the Death Penalty and Reversal of the Bill of Rights?

While one understands the frustrations and responsibilities of government to protect law abiding citizens, emotional and populist utterings may put the lives of the law abiding police and the public at greater risk. Instead of promoting shoot to kill approach towards crime in the country, government must work in partnership with some not so formal crime busting civil society structures, who may prove more experienced in detecting and spotting crimes. Involving such structures will not be a sign of weakness, but a move that will go a long way in making everyone feel relevant and part of the bigger picture
South Africans Stand Up to End Poverty

“Stand Up, Take Action, End Poverty Now!” mobilisation will take place from October 16th -18th, bringing together millions of people across the globe to call on world leaders to eradicate extreme poverty and achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). As part of the SANGONet 2009 Social Media for NGOs Conference taking place in Newtown, participants will Stand Up on 16 October
On Being Poor and the MDGs

In this article, Idah Makukule writes that unless all sectors of society commit to challenging inequality and eradicating poverty, the MDG goals will remain out of reach. She describes how that in Vosloorus the MDGs have no meaning, for them what is important is their lived reality of a daily struggle to meet their daily basic needs, while trying to survive with limited resources
The Equality Courts as a Tool for Gender Transformation

In March 2009, Sonke Gender Justice Network filed a complaint at the Equality court in Johannesburg against the ANC Youth League Leader, Julius Malema. This case study provides an analysis of the Equality Courts as a new legal forum for gender transformation work by examining the history and theoretical foundations for the courts, the procedures for utilising the courts, the problems and challenges faced when using the courts, and documenting Sonke’s own experiences in lodging its case
The Economic Value of Indigenous Languages

All languages have economic value; some more than others. In Africa - as a result of a long and often violent history of subjugation and linguistic imperialism - the English and French languages are associated with prestige, economic progress and modernity. The use of indigenous mother tongue is limited to social interaction, and in many instances associated with backwardness, illiteracy and ethno-traditionalism. How can we change these perceptions and develop the economic value of indigenous languages?

Literacy Alone is Not Enough

We set up vast mass literacy campaigns and back-to-school government adult education departments all geared to giving people a second chance at literacy and the chance to get qualifications equivalent to Grade 9. But is this really what the nine million illiterate South Africans want from adult basic education?

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Human rights Press Releases

Human rights Press Releases

Date publishedsort icon Organisation
01/12/2010 European Federation of Journalists EFJ Welcomes "Landmark" Victory for Media Freedom
11/20/2009 Disability Consultants SMS Information Service for Disabled People
11/04/2009 GEMSA Women in Parliament Likely to Decline Despite Regional commitments
11/03/2009 Inyathelo New Challenges Face Philanthropists
10/19/2009 South African Human Rights Commission SAHRC Elects New Chairperson and Deputy
10/15/2009 The Salvation Army Human trafficking addressed in support of social justice in South Africa
08/17/2009 South African Human Rights Commission SAHRC Meeting with the United Nations Independent Expert on Poverty to Address Poverty Challenges in South Africa
07/14/2009 FoodBank SA FoodBank SA launches 67 Minutes to end hunger in South Africa campaign
07/03/2009 Mandela Day Mandela Day: 18 July
06/25/2009 SAHRC statement on the announcement of the granting of 31.3 percent electricity tariff increase to Eskom by NERSA
06/19/2009 Sonke Gender Justice Network Sonke Gender Justice Network: Levels of Gender-Based Violence
06/15/2009 United Nations Day of the African Child: The Unending Plight of African Children
05/28/2009 SA Human Rights Commission Human Rights Commission holds Public Hearings on Socio-Economic Rights
05/27/2009 European Federation of Journalist EFJ Protests Against "Threatening" Bill on Protection of Sources
04/20/2009 SWEAT Cape High Court interdicts the police and city police to stop harassing sex workers
03/04/2009 Umcebo Trust Buyisiwe Court case - Raped Again!
02/27/2009 IFJ Calls on Moldova to Respect Press Freedom after Police Storm Media Outlet
02/13/2009 Save the Children Mass Child Soldier Release
02/03/2009 Amnesty International UN Review Must Deliver on Human Rights
01/27/2009 Abahlali baseMjondolo Forced removal of Siyanda residents to transit camps

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