The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and the Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Office have jointly launched a series of activities to start the commemoration of the 2022 Human Rights Day slated for December 10.
The global community has adopted the 2022 Human Rights Day slogan as “Dignity, Freedom, and Justice for All” and the call to action is #StandUp4HumanRights” in recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.
The commemoration was jointly launched by Mr John Ato Breboh, a CHRAJ Senior Principal Investigator at Tema, and Mr Francis Ameyibor, Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Manager at GNA-Tema Industrial News Hub platform.
Mr. Breboh explained that Human Rights Day observed by the international community every year on December 10 commemorates the day in 1948 the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
He said the formal inception of Human Rights Day dates from 1950, after the Assembly passed resolution 423 (V) inviting all States and interested organisations to adopt 10 December of each year as Human Rights Day.
Speaking on “Influence of corruption on the right to education,” Mr. Breboh said the right to education is essential as it is a human right and indispensable for the exercise of other human rights.
He said quality education strived to guarantee the development of a fully rounded human being. Similarly, it was one of the most powerful tools which could lift socially excluded children and adults out of poverty.
Mr. Breboh said education as a right meant that every citizen should get a chance to get access to education which would enable them to judge, weigh and make decisions for themselves.
“It is a life-changer for many people all over the world, especially those belonging to the underprivileged sector to outshine.
“Education offers children to learn with diversity. Thus, children will develop healthy social interaction by blending with other children belonging to different cultures and backgrounds. Moreover, it can boost their self-esteem and self-confidence,” he said.
Mr Breboh noted that a major element of the core content of the right to education was the right to enjoy primary education in one form or another, not necessarily in the form of traditional classroom teaching.
“Primary education is so fundamental for the development of a person’s abilities that it can be rightfully defined as a minimum claim. Primary education includes the teaching of basic learning needs or basic education,” he stated.
He said the term ‘basic education’ is nowadays often used, within the framework of international conferences on education, such as the World Declaration on Education for All (Jomtien, Thailand 1990 and Dakar 2000).
Mr. Breboh stressed that basic education within the context of the right to primary education as an element of the core content of the right to education would include literacy, arithmetic, skills relating to one’s health, hygiene, and personal care, and social skills such as oral expression problem-solving.
Mr. Ameybor urged the media to join forces with human rights institutions to raise awareness of human rights issues, expose violations, and empower people to act.
He noted that as the world and Ghana marked the 2022 Human Rights Day, the media must open its doors and support people, especially the vulnerable in society and protect their rights.