The Social and Human Rights Impact of EBA

Transcription

1 The Social and Human Rights Impact of EBA Presented by: Mr. Tadele Derseh Executive director of Vision Ethiopian Congress for Democracy (VECOD) and Ambassador for World Peace and Good Ethics March 7, 2017

2 Definition of human rights Nature and Definition of Human Rights Human rights are a special sort of inalienable moral entitlement. They attach to all persons equally, by virtue of their humanity, irrespective of race, nationality, or membership of any particular social group. Human rights belong to an individual as a consequence of being human. The term came into wide use after World War II. The concept of human rights is based on the belief that every human being is entitled to enjoy her/his rights without discrimination. Human rights differ from other rights in two respects. Firstly, they are characterized by being: Inherent in all human beings by virtue of their humanity alone (they do not have, e.g., to be purchased or to be granted); Inalienable (within qualified legal boundaries); and Equally applicable to all.

3 Classification of Human Rights CIVIL, POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS Civil rights: set of physical integrity rights, which concern the right to life, liberty and security of the person, and which offer protection from physical violence against the person, torture and inhuman treatment, arbitrary arrest, detention, exile, slavery and servitude, interference with one s privacy and right of ownership, restriction of one s freedom of movement, and the freedom of thought, conscience and religion. Political rights: They include freedom of expression, freedom of association and assembly, the right to take part in the government of one s country, and the right to vote and stand for election at genuine periodic elections held by secret ballot etc.

4 Classification of Human Rights (cont d) Economic and social rights These rights provide the conditions necessary for prosperity and wellbeing. Economic rights refer, for example, to the right to property, the right to work, which one freely chooses or accepts, the right to a fair wage, a reasonable limitation of working hours, and trade union rights. Social rights are those rights necessary for an adequate standard of living, including rights to health, shelter, food, social care, and the right to education. Cultural rights: These include the right to participate freely in the cultural life of the community, to share in scientific advancement, and the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which one is the author.

5 Human rights in Ethiopia The Constitution of the FDRE devotes more than one third of its content to provisions on fundamental human and people's rights. The Constitution imposes a responsibility and duty to the respect and enforcement of fundamental rights and freedoms at all levels of the federal and state legislative, executive and judicial bodies Protected Rights in Ethiopia The Ethiopian Constitution incorporates several human rights. The recognition ranges from traditional civil and political rights to socio-economic and group or solidarity rights. This is further reinforced by the National policy principles and objectives. The rights are generally guaranteed for everyone with some exceptions.

6 Promotion and Protection of Human Rights: Role of Civil Society We should not neglect the important role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and their immense contributions towards the betterment of human rights situations. These institutions help in fostering the human rights culture (through training, education, and dissemination of information although universities and higher educational institutions also share this responsibilities), in invigorating the state commitment to the human rights values (through technical assistance and capacity building schemes), In making interventions to facilitate the enjoyment of some rights by the public (such as through counseling and legal aid services to victims, through conducting policy research and lobbying, etc. It is of paramount importance to clarify the roles and limits of civil society in the protection of human rights. The protection of groups and individuals as well as their rights falls under the State functions. This covers the establishment of standards, laws and institutions that derive their legitimacy from popular sovereignty, and are capable of protecting the rights of individuals and groups. However, we are witnessing a paradoxical process. The expansion of freedom and the democratization process are accompanied by a civic disengagement, political demobilization and a crisis of confidence in institutions and political parties. Given the persistence of authoritarian reflexes, this only reinforces the belief that civil society can replace the state and political parties,

7 Civil society has a role to play as: a force of proposal of new social values that respect human dignity, physical security of person, freedoms and responsibilities, as every right implies its corollary: a duty a force of change by mobilizing people; a force for generating ideas with the support of experts and researchers; a catalyst for new practices on the ground that give its work a social pillar, strength and legitimacy. It goes without saying that this control approach is part of democracy-building, which is: A moral requirement, a practice and an instrument of justice, equality and rule of law; A control of the community on the powers, a way of ensuring opportunity for people to participate in the process of decision-making, implementation and monitoring of projects. A possibility for people to freely choose their leaders, participate in the management of power, control their representatives and put an end to their mandates in the event of failure.

8 In this context, in order to fulfill its role of promoting and protecting human rights, civil society must rethink: How to overcome mistrust and suspicions in such a way as to enable defenders of human rights, through partnerships, to contribute to training and raising the awareness of security officers in respecting the autonomy and independence of associations? How to affirm the independence of members of parliament and make them allies and a counterweight to the executive branch? How to control the way parliamentarians fulfill their responsibilities and commitments vis-à-vis citizens? How to promote clear provisions on the separation of powers, namely constitutional, legal and institutional mechanisms that are likely to ensure a better balance between the executive and the legislature?

9 Definition for Gender Based Violence Gender based violence (GBV) is the prevailing social problem affecting larger proportion of women in every part of the world. GBV encompasses any act or treat by men or male dominated institutions that inflict physical,sexual or psychological harm on a woman or a girl because of their gender ;it also includes violence inflicted on men and boys. GBV is manifestation of human right violation, a public health challenge,and a barrier to civic,social,political and economic participation that undermines the safety,dignity,overall healthy status and human rights of the millions of individuals who experience it,and also the public health,economic stability and security of nations. Hence, the prevention and protection of gender based violence calls for multisectoral coordination among policy makers,legislative bodies,organizations and institutions as well as the society.

10 Here are the top 5 things the world must do to reduce violence against women & girls 1. Provide women with access to legal representation and opportunities to pursue justice against perpetrators of violence through the formal legal system 2. Promote gender equality in schools and widen access to education for girls. It has been proven time and time again that girls enrolled in school are less likely to be married early and become pregnant. If that weren t reason enough, girls that obtain higher levels of education are more likely to find employment and become empowered as a result of their financial contributions to the family and community 3. End forced early marriage and premature pregnancy, the leading cause of death of girls between 15 to 19 years of age. With more than 142 million girls expected to marry before they turn 18 over the next decade, programs like Apni Beti Apna Dhan (ABAD), which offer conditional cash transfers to incentivize families to delay their daughter s marriages, will likely help reduce arranged marriages and allow girls to develop both physically and mentally before marriage and child-birth

11 (cont d) 4. Bring greater attention to violence that is perpetrated by a partner or spouse. Stella Mukasa, Director of Gender Violence and Rights at ICRW, told the story of a woman who was forced by her husband to breast feed his dog s litter. When she sought help from the community, her claim was ignored because abuse from a spouse was not considered to be a violation of a woman s rights 5. Revise marriage laws that are institutionally biased against women, particularly those that deny women custody over their children, inheritance, and land rights in cases of death, separation or divorce. The revised national constitution in Kenya is one example that has brought about unprecedented rights for women, including the right to oversee property-related transactions, manage family land and resources and retain a portion of land to live on and cultivate if widowed or divorced

12 The Role of Civil Society in the Fight Against Corruption 1. Watchdog Traditionally, Civil Society Organization has performed its main role as corruption watchdog. It exposes corruption cases and criticizes corrupt officials and institutions, including Judiciary. It identifies corruption prone areas within the legal and administrative system. This identification is not less important than that of public authorities or private sector organizations, because of its different sources and different perspectives. 2. Raising Public Awareness Civil society makes efforts to raise public awareness regarding the existence, causes and gravity of and the threat posed by corruption, as UNCAC article 13 says. It publicizes some indices, reports, and study results for better awareness on the issue.

13 (cont d) 3. Proposing Alternatives Civil society does not only criticize the problems of corruption, but also gives alternatives for controlling it better. It proposes new policies and legislations for better governance based on integrity and accountability. 4. Accelerator of initiatives Civil society can accelerate the preparation, participation, and implementation of international, regional and local anti-corruption initiatives. 5. Civil Participation Civil participation in decision-making processes can contribute to enhance transparency and fairness.

14 Challenges facing Ethiopian civil societies Despite the Ethiopian civil societies have been doing a lot regarding the aforementioned major activities they are facing various challenges. To mention some: Since the new civil society proclamation the amount of money civil societies can raise from foreign funds is limited. Nowadays civil societies are facing strong challenges in getting adequate financial sources even to operate their day to day activities because the money raised from local source is very much limited. Lack of donation culture to help charity organizations voluntarily from the society at large.

15 Conclusions and recommendations Government s willingness to engage more with CSOs either through the board or through direct contact of CEOs of CSOs, continuous dialogue with all stake holders is appeasing. There should be a greater degree of activities by the Government of Ethiopia for collaboration and partnership between the Government, Business communities and civil societies. Societal challenges are talked better when each sector works in more integrated manner across the shared spaces, instead of acting independently in their defined roles. The need for flexibility of some legal and policy frameworks including civic society proclamations. The government should create a conducive environment in establishing and strengthening vibrant civil society, independent media and strong opposition party.

16 Conclusions and recommendations (cont d) Policy evaluation must be carried out by the government of Ethiopia. Not all policy is being implemented according to the intended purpose when the law was formulated. The parliament should conduct its own research independent of the Agency about CSP No. 621/ 2009 and other contentious policy. All policy actors (Government, interest groups, individual citizens, the general public) should be involved in the policy-making process of any public policy. Government should intentionally use government media to create a positive image of CSOs so that the donation culture to charity work is promoted and local resource mobilization is achieved.

17 A brief description of VECOD ESTABLISHMENT Vision Ethiopian Congress for Democracy (VECOD) was founded at the Addis Ababa University on February 7, 2003 by five individuals with sound educational back ground and experience relevant to civic education. Generally, VECOD is a non-partisan civic NGO legally registered under certificate No.1006 by Ministry of Justice, and re registered under new proclamation No.621/2009 under certificate No.1293 as Ethiopian charity by the Federal Charity and Society Agency. The main strategy of VECOD: 60% creating and developing democrat citizens; 30% creating and developing democrat leadership; and 10% creating and developing democratic governance. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES A. Foster democratic values and practice so as to enrich civic empowerment; B. Sensitize the public at large of the aims, objectives and practices of human rights, constitutional law, and self-government; C. Monitor democratic processes including human rights abuses; and D. Perform human resource development and humanitarian activities.

18 VECOD programs PROGRAMS 1. Conduct workshops, sessions, trainings and humanitarian activities on : Principles and practices of democracy Policy formulation and implementation Conflict resolution and peace building Election administration and election monitoring Democratic leadership and management, labor education,home and family management, public administration, policy development and management. The roles and functions of political parties Human rights and constitutional law Gender issues Women's and children rights Enterpreneurship

19 VECOD programs (cont d) 2. Perform humanitarian activities as necessary 3. Monitor democratic processes such as freedom of speech and assembly 4. Research human right problems and disseminate information. 5. Provide consultancy service on leadership, local governance and on legal social,political issues to political parties,interest groups,individuals and the community at large. 6. Research on government services and find ways to get them improved. 7. Research on child development practices and find ways to improve quality. 8. Research on gender issues and find ways of improvement. 9. Find ways of combating the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

20 Highlights of Activities and Achievements Area of democratization of VECOD Vision Ethiopian Congress for Democracy (VECOD) accomplished different activities primarily with the financial contributions and voluntary service provided by its founding members and organization. With six months financial assistance from Action Aid Ethiopia a Leadership and Management Skills Development Training has been carried out at Gambella regional state for 54 participants. So far, 18,720 trainees have VECOD has been trained on Leadership and Management Skills Development Training Program through 52 training rounds. Male participants were and 8126 were females

21 Highlights of Activities and Achievements (cont d) With a financial assistance obtained from International Donor Basket Fund through (UNDP) and Civic and Voters Education Association (CVEA), civic and voter s education program has been carried out for 5,109,250 participants at Amhara regional state and Addis Ababa City Administration. 1 year and 6 months training on practical approach to stop violence against women with a fund given from Norwegian People s Aid (NPA) was undertaken in 8 rounds for 229 participants. In addition, training was given for 8 months on Democracy and Human Rights at Amhara regional state in 2 rounds for 200 participants with a fund given from SIDA thought Initiative Africa (IA) and also the same training was given for 300 participants from Amhara regional state and Addis Ababa City Administration in collaboration with Embassy of Finland.

22 Highlights of Activities and Achievements (cont d) VECOD with EC-CSF I also implemented a 14 months project on human rights, democracy and good governance at Gambella Regional State for 68,820 community members, of which 44,976 were males and 21,844 were females. With a fund obtained from NED, Awareness creation programs on human rights and democracy were conducted in AA for five consecutive years and benefited 30,750 community members of which 1, 0010 are females and 2,1740 are males. For the past thirty years, a total of 12,417,654 participants were covered through various workshops and trainings in various regional states of Ethiopia. Through a 5 million birr donor trust fund from the World Bank our social accountability project has benefited 15,200 females and 39,800 males a total of 55,000 participants in Gambella regional government also VECOD partners EU-CSF II and CSSP projects we reached to 4,000,000 citizens 1,500,000 were female and 2,500,000 were male.

23 Works done in collaboration with European Union (EU) Civil Society Fund I, ll & CSSP 1. Enabling people to understood the concepts and practices of human rights,democracy and good governance in relation to their daily life at Gambella regional state,three zonal administration and seven woredas from the year ( ). TOTAL DIRECT BENEFICARIES OF THE PROJECT WHERE 68,220 PEOPLES IN THE PROJECT YEAR 2. Consolidating democracy through constructive discourse and civic engagement at four regional states and 12 Woredas Namely, Amhara regional state Debremarkos, Fenote Selam Town and Bahir Dar city administration. 3. At Gambella regional state,gambella city administration, lare woreda administration and Godere woreda administration. 4. At Addis Ababa city administration Yeka sub-city, Arada sub-city and Kirkos sub-city. TOTAL DIRECT BENEFICARIES OF THE PROJECT WHERE 4 MILLION PEOPLES IN THE PROJECT YEAR

24 Workshops, Sessions and Trainings NO Program and activities Since 2003G.C No. of sessions No.of participants 1 Civic and voters education 2003 GC 34,000 Activities 2 Exercising freedom of expression 2003GC Democracy and human right training 4 Training on violence against women and children 5 Practical Approach to Stop Violence Against Women 6 Leadership & Management Skills Development Training Program 7 Election Observation May 15, GC 2006GC 2006GC 2016GC 2005GC 8 Civic and Ethical Education 2003GC 9 Social Accountability Project 2013GC Sex F M Areas of activities 5,063,800 1,771,981 3,291,819 All over the Country Hawassa, Addis Ababa & Nazreth Bahirdar, Debre +markos, Asosa, AA and Gambella Hawassa, Addis Ababa & Nazreth Addis Ababa 52 th round Polling station th in Addis Ababa and 1 in Gambella Hawassa, Addis Ababa, Dessie and Nazreth 475 7,009,600 2,800,000 4,209,600 All over the Country ,000 15, ,800 Gambella Total

25 Organized Clubs No 1 Types of Clubs formed Human Right & Democracy Ambassadors clubs 2 Gender Ambassadors Clubs 3 Anti- HiV/AIDS Ambassadors Clubs 4 5 Good Governance & Peace Ambassadors Clubs Ethics & Anti-Corruption Ambassadors Clubs 6 Human Rights Ambassadors Clubs Guards of the Constitution Ambassadors Club Volunteerism for Dev t Ambassadors Club Ombudsman man Ambassadors Club 10 Ambassadors of Good Ethics Club SINCE 2003 G.C NO. of Clubs Number of Participant F Sex 35 12, M Location of program Implementation Addis Ababa, Hawassa, Bahirdar, Debreberhan, Markos, Dessie, Nazreth, & Gambella Addis Ababa, Hawassa, Nazreth Addis Ababa, Hawassa, Nazreth 15 4, ,474 Addis Ababa Addis Ababa Addis Ababa Addis Ababa Addis Ababa Addis Ababa 8 3,334 1, Addis Ababa Total

26 VECOD s director in donating blood for 26 th times

27 Director of Charity and society awarding certificate for the winner participant

28 Director of Ethiopian studies awarding certificate

29 Intellectuals and member of parliaments attending the graduation ceremony

30 Officials of Mozambique AND MOFED in experience sharing with VECOD

31 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ADDRESSING LEADERSHIP GRADUATES

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