NAYO Chairperson Statement UN OHCHR Forum

OFFICE OF THE HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS (OHCHR)

FORUM ON MINORITY ISSUES FROM THE 29 TO THE 30^th OF NOVEMBER 2011 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND ;( FOUTH SESSION) PRESENTATION ON MINORITY WOMEN AND GIRLS THE RIGHTS TO EDUCATION (Agenda item 3) FOCUS ON NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS (Recommendation 57)

BY MISHECK GONDO

NATIONAL CHAIRPERSON OF NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF YOUTH ORGANISATIONS (NAYO )

Madam Chair

Zimbabwe is composed of various minority and indigenous groups that comprise of Tonga, Nambyia, Chewa, Shangani, and Kalanga among others, and as an organization we work with all these groups.

Madam Chair, we are in full support of thematic recommendation 57 which encourage National human rights institutions to Play a central role in ensuring the provision of human rights education for all majority and minority communities in accordance with the plan of action of the World Program for Human Rights Education, which includes information relating all the rights of minority women and girls

I want to draw attention to a particular obstacle faced by both minorities and majority groups in Zimbabwe; there is lack of adequate knowledge about rights and freedoms, this is as a result of the government hesitation to provide human rights education to the communities.

We acknowledge the strides made by our government in ratifying treaties such as Convention on Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), International Covenant on Economic, Social Cultural Rights (ICERCR), Covenant on Rights of the Child, International Convention on Elimination of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and other instruments at the regional and sub regional level.

The government has, through Constitutional Amendment No 19 of 2009 established the Zimbabwean Human rights Commission in order to enhance the protection and promotion of human rights and the Commission is yet to do their job as it awaits the enactment of the relevant laws which is still under debate.

However, the government has not yet put attention on human rights education to both minority and majority groups, noting that the knowledge on human rights is important to be shared, disseminated and expounded as stated by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we therefore suggest the following recommendations in line with agenda item three (3):

·         Zimbabwe government should take measures to ensure that human rights education is mainstreamed in schools, colleges, security sector and communities including information relating to the rights of minority women and girls.

·         The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission should develop material on human rights, carry out outreach campaigns on human rights, that include women and girls and the materials should be disseminated in vernacular languages

·         Government should take necessary measurers to ensure that the outstanding human rights treaties are ratified, domesticated and fully implemented including  the Declaration on the Rights of Persons belonging to National OR Ethnic ,Religious and Linguistic Minorities 

·         The Government  should include the rights of minorities in the current drafted constitution, (Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities)

·         Government should allow  human rights defenders and activists from both minority and majority 

groups to be engaged in civic education and should give free space to Civil society to develop and disseminate information on civic education  targeted at minority and majority communities 

·         We also urge the United Nations through the responsible organs to facilitate for adequate resources to minority rights projects supporting the recommendations made in all Minority Forums; this can be achieved by setting a Voluntary Fund for the support of minority issues.

I thank you.

Email: chairperson@nayoyouth.org

Zimbabwe Youth Council at it again?

The following post is from Youth Agenda, thanks to Francis for the update: youthagenda@gmail.com

VOTE RIGGING PLOT EXPOSED:

Youth Agenda Trust has received with shock news that the Zimbabwe
Youth Council is intending to hold elections for board members on the
29th of February 2012 after the previous board was dissolved
mysteriously late last year by Youth Minister, Hon Saviour Kasukuwere.
The ZYC has already nominated candidates for the elections and the
candidates have already been notified. Youth Agenda Trust is
privileged to be in possession of a copy of a letter that was send to
one of the nominated candidates which was written on the 16th of
February 2012. Youth Agenda Trust is saddened that attached to the
letter is a copy of invite for Youth Associations to participate in
elections for Council Membership - 2012. “The Council is inviting a
maximum of two (2) delegates from each registered national youth
association to participate in the election process. The elections will
be held on the 29th of February 2012 at a venue to be advised, reads
part of the invite.

Youth Agenda Trust is worried that Youth Associations must send the
names and identity details of the two delegates for accreditation not
later than the 24th of February 2012. However a survey that was
carried out by the Youth Agenda Trust has revealed that by the 22nd of
February the Youth Associations contacted by YAT had not received the
letters of invite for the two delegates and have been kept in the dark
for unknown reasons. We have a feeling that there is a deliberate ploy
to keep bona fide delegates in the dark because in the past the ZYC
used to send information through emails to all youth associations ,
surprisingly the same Council has seen it fit to withhold details
pertaining to this important election.

The fact that the electoral process is shrouded in secrecy and that
the venue has not been disclosed two days before the close of
accreditation of eligible voters speaks volumes about the nature of
the process. It is a matter of great concern that the ZYC is now being
privatized and taken away from the real owners of the council (the
Youth Associations) into the hands of political hawks and sharks who
do not have the interests of young people at heart. Youth Agenda Trust
thus views the purported election as nothing but a kangaroo gathering
which does not have the mandate of young people nor represent their
aspirations. It is in view of these developments that YAT would like
to disassociate itself from the current madness and take this
opportunity to call upon the ZYC Director Livingstone Dzikira to
immediately halt this window dressing exercise and start over again an
inclusive process that includes bona fide youth associations such as
YAT and others. We urge the ZYC to call for an all stakeholders
meeting that will pave way for free and fair elections, failure to do
so we urge Youth Associations to;

1.      Cease recognizing the board until it is properly constituted.
2.      Shun the activities of the council.
3.      Approach relevant stakeholders with a view to stop the illegal
board from running the activities of the council.

Having said all this, we are however afraid that all our efforts to
bring sanity to the Council may fail to see the light of the day given
the fact that the history of ZYC particularly its origins is not too
pleasing. But let us also hasten to mention that we have faith that
the Director of ZYC will not have difficulties sorting out the
anomalies.

Inserted by the Information and Publicity Department
In pursuit of a democratic Zimbabwe
_________________________
YOUTH AGENDA TRUST Zimbabwe
6 Sandford Crescent
Eastlea
Harare, Zimbabwe
+263 4 2936385
+263 912 429 093
+263 912 281 352
youthagenda@gmail.com
www.youthagendazim.org.zw

Who We Are!

NAYO is an umbrella body of youth organisations in Zimbabwe, with a view to see a repositioned, redefined and enhanced role of young people in community and national development processes through advocacy, capacity building, resource mobilisation and information sharing. 

Our Objectives are as follows: 

1.     Build and sustain an open, flexible, transparent and accountable National Association of Youth Organisations fostering solidarity, information exchange and dissemination, as well as a common platform to advocate for the concerns of youth in Zimbabwe.

2.    Build the capacity of member organisations to effectively participate in community and national development processes.

3.      To mobilise donor support in order to enable the work of NAYO and its members for the common good of young people in Zimbabwe.