Payton Clerc:
On Monday the group went to the Foundation for Human Rights Initiative to hear Dr. Livingstone Ssewanyana. He spoke about the different ways in which the organization is working to fight for human rights globally. The information given to us was honest, which was appreciated by the students. As he spoke about corruption, funding, and other issues Uganda is facing during this time, he spoke with a sense of hope that the country will eventually make the improvements necessary to fix the issues he spoke of. Kathleen McCracken stated after the event that it was, "Enlightening, engaging, and incredible". Overall, the event helped the students to understand the problems Uganda is facing currently and how this organization is trying to help gain rights for everyone. It was inspiring to see that there are organizations that are here in Uganda helping everyone to gain the rights they deserve. What did you find most surprising about the problems Uganda is facing? What rights do you see as basic human rights? How did the information you learned relate to sustainable development?
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In addition to Dr. Livingstone's presentation being enlightening, engaging, and incredible, I found the subject area very fascinating in relation to sustainable development. I truly believe that human rights are the backbone of sustainable development. There is no way to develop sustainably without respecting human rights. In relation to Dr. Livingstone's other work in the subject area of democracy, a democratic society, too, cannot be achieved or maintained without respect for human rights.
ReplyDeleteSome rights that I see as basic human rights are freedom of speech, the right to protest, the right to own property, and I also think education should be a right and anyone who wants it should be able to obtain it. Similar to what Kathleen stated above, a society cannot progress and develop if its people have no freedom to express their concerns and converse freely about the things inhibiting the said progress.
ReplyDeleteI found the sheer number of issues that Uganda is facing incredible. It really made me aware of how minimal the U.S' challenges are in comparison. It was slightly discouraging because there are so many issues that Uganda has to address before it can be sustainable and even fully democratic. I, personally, consider a broad range of rights as basic human rights. Some examples include the right to life, right to a fair trial, freedom from slavery, freedom from torture, freedom of speech/thought, freedom f religion, freedom of movement, freedom from discrimination, right to property, etc. Basic human rights are essential to the social aspect of sustainable development because a society cannot be equal and just if there is no respect for human rights. Furthermore, if people do not have freedom of speech then they are not able to hold their government accountable, which is essential for sustainable development.
ReplyDeleteI was mainly surprised about how Dr. Livingstone Ssewanyana was able to speak so positively about trying to fix some of the human rights issues in Uganda. I can totally understand how he and others would choose to feel hope instead of pessimism, but the magnitude of the issues here in Uganda, overwhelm me- someone who is just visiting. So I can't imagine living amongst these human rights issues and societal problems. What Dr. Livingstone Ssewanyana was talking about is related to sustainable development in a sense that in order to improve as a nation, individuals must feel valued within that nation. Something I need to continuously remind myself of though, is that all countries have human rights issues and we all can work together to improve.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised that land owners are facing issues of land grabbing, forced evictions, and unfair compensation by the Government. It was explained that land disputes are a common occurrence in Uganda. This has implications on fundamental rights and freedoms of Ugandan land owners. This issue stood out to me but obviously there is a lot more major issues that Uganda need to address like corruption and land, accountability for past abuses, freedom of associations, sex orientation and gender identity etc. I was slightly bothered by Dr. Livingstone's general attitude towards the development and growth of the economy. His responses and general speech regarding human rights was very optimistic for how many issues Uganda is facing. What surprised me, if I remember correctly, was his statement in regards to The Human Rights Initiative helping members of society. He basically said that the initiative doesn't impose their views on people but will help the people that come to them. I don't understand why the initiative wouldn't try harder to inform people of their rights, because it seems like many citizens aren't aware of certain rights they have. I definitely could've misunderstood his message.
ReplyDeleteBasic rights are freedom of speech, right to own land and many others that can help to support sustainable development. If people cannot express themselves freely, then the ability to speak up for and stand up for one's self and others to ensure the are treated fairly and have proper representation, then the rights of the people cannot be developed nor sustained. Women do not have the same ease and ability to own land as a man does regardless of what parliament stated. If women, who constitute 52% of the population do not have the same rights and opportunities as men, then the country cannot fully develop.
ReplyDeleteWhat I found most surprising was when he mentioned that Uganda was a "lawless country." It really did not seem that way to me during the trip but that could also be because we are not citizens of that country. It also surprised me by how honest he was when giving us information because a few hours later we met members of parliament that told us a very different story. I believe that in order for people to be able to voice their opinions without feeling scared or worrisome, freedom of speech must be a priority in Uganda.
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