||THE INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY COMMITTEE FOR
||ETHIOPIAN PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE (ISCEPC)
North American office: P. O. Box 53022, Medford MA 02153. U. S. A
UNRAVELING HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN ETHIOPIA: WAYS AND MEANS OF
ALLEVIATING
THE PROBLEM
Human rights week observance and electronic mail conference
Key-Note Address.....
Working for Human Rights
by
Berhane Ras-Work, W/O
Inter-African Committee,
Geneva, Switzerland
On December 10, 1948, the United Nations expressed a firm
commitment to the
recognition and respect of human rights by adopting the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights and by resolving to uphold the
principles
contained as a set of standards and code of conduct in democratic
governance.
The noble principles of human rights reflected in the Universal
Declaration
of Human Rights and the subsequent covenants and conventions
confirm the
inalienable and inviolable rights of the individual, regardless
of
differences in color, creed, sex, ethnic origin or otherwise.
These guiding
principles offer hope and inspiration for the observance of
justice,
equality and tolerance, all of which are necessary conditions for
maintaining long lasting peace.
The International Conference on Human Rights, held in 1993 in
Vienna,
Austria, reaffirmed the universality and indivisibility of human
rights,
thus giving vitality and vigor to the declared objectives of
respect for
fundamental freedom. Visible global mobilization and advocacy are
witnessed
to advance the respect for human rights. However, despite the
expressed
concern about human rights, this century is marked by the most
brutal and
widespread spread abuse, genocide, torture and exclusion
perpetrated by
states which have signed and ratified many of the international
instruments.
Kidnapping, killing, arbitrary detention of members of opposition
parties
are commonly practiced by governments who claim to be democratic.
Ethnic and religious differences and identities are manipulated
and misused
by political leaders who have usurped power by bullets to
maintain their
position through a system of "divide and rule". State
terror instituted
against innocent citizens have forced millions to flee from their
countries
of origin and seek asylum elsewhere. Ethnic conflicts instigated
by the
power elite and nurtured by economic interests have installed
lamentable
human conditions in many parts of the world including Africa.
Suspicion,
fear and intolerance coupled with ignorance and poverty are the
principle
causes of these unhappy situations.
To redress this sad state of affairs, the citizens, especially
women, have
to realize their potential for leadership and empower themselves
through
education and information in order to present better alternatives
in
ideology and governance. Women's traditional role as peace
makers, their
effective household management skills, their instinctive respect
for human
life regardless of ethnic or religious affiliation , all these
human
qualities need to be seriously explored and enhanced in order to
enable
women to participate fully in democratic governance and in
maintaining peace.
The experience of women throughout their life cycle, the
oppression and
violence they suffer prepare them better to stand and fight for
justice and
democracy both of which are preconditions for peace. I would like
to call
upon Ethiopian women to take up their responsibilities of
building nations
and countries where relative peace and prosperity will reign for
future
generations.
Berhane Ras-work.
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