BIG commemorates Human Rights Day
On Saturday (10 December), the Basic Income Grant (BIG) Coalition of Namibia commemorates the 75th Human Right’s Day Anniversary at Megameno Orphanage under the theme “Dignity, Freedom, and Justice for All”.According to the coalition, it is important to commemorate Human Rights Day since it serves as a reminder to pursue a society that values and protects human rights through poverty eradication which takes away the basic necessities that are needed to sustain a dignified human life.
“The commemoration also serves to raise awareness of the continuous suffering experienced by many Namibians due to widespread poverty which robs them of a decent human life,” says BIG spokesperson Rinaani Musutua. “Poverty is a violation of people’s humanity as much as physical assault violates a victim’s humanity which makes it an urgent human rights concern. Poverty is the mother of all human rights violations as it robs people of meeting their basic human needs.”
The coalition says that everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for their health and well-being, including food, clothing, decent housing, education, medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond their control.
“Human rights would be fully realized, if all Namibians have secure access to the objects of these rights,” Musutua says.
“Namibia neglects its citizens’ fundamental human rights on a large scale due to high levels of poverty and inequality. Many Namibians are deprived of a basic standard of living due to the continuous severe deprivation of basic human needs such as food, safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, limited lack of access to health services and education, adequate housing, lack of income and other basic services to ensure a decent human existence that everyone is entitled to as a human being. This is a clear indication of massive under fulfilment of human rights which is a violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural rights.”
Furthermore, BIG says that as a resource-rich country, Namibia can afford to provide everyone with some minimal level of resources necessary for a decent human existence. “This provides evidence that Namibia’s democracy is incomplete because it violates its citizen’s fundamental human rights on a large scale as it has the resources to put an end to the people’s suffering and misery caused by widespread poverty.”
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Saturday’s event start at 10:00.