by Danjuma Attah, Gombe
No fewer than 135 youths from three Local Government Area’s of Gombe State have been sensitised on how to be vanguards and report incidences of human rights abuses in their communities.
The project is being funded by Africa Transitional Justice Legacy Fund (ATJLF) and is implemented by KISHIMI Shelter and Care Foundation.
The sensitisation workshop which was held in Billiri, Yamaltu-Deba and Gombe LGA’s at different times, had 45 volunteers from each LGA who were tasked to ensure they report or take certain important actions whenever there are incidents of human rights violations.
Executive Director, KISHIMI Shelter and Care Foundation, Mrs Grace Samuel, explained to our Correspondent during the workshop in Gombe LGA that the workshop was aimed at sensitising the communities on the need for volunteerism to promote transitional justice in the communities.
According to her, “it is an offshoot of a programme we’re already engaged in, in providing palliative care to traumatized Internally Displaced Persons in Gombe State and this is part of the activities we arranged to ensure sustainability of what we are doing”.
She explained further that “as part of the sustainability for this project, we want people to understand that there are certain rights that are fundamental to everyone, like right to life, education, safety among many others.
“If all these rights are enjoyed, we’ll not have issues, but you find out that most of our people don’t even know their rights talk less of defending it. We’re not trying to create chaos but it is important to know what is your own so that you protect it”, she emphasized.
She pointed out the responsibilities of the volunteers this way: “There own is to sensitise the communities on the issue of justice and where they come face to face with issues of injustice, it is going to be reported and we have channels of reporting.
“We are working hand in hand with the Police, Civil Defence, Legal Aid and others. So once this case comes, it is the same forum we will be taking there for justice to be upheld”, she stressed.
In their separate presentations, Mr John Benedict Onje, ATJLF Project Manager, and Sylvester Yibis of Kishimi Shelter and Care Foundation, took the volunteers through the rudiments of transitional justice and it’s application as well as fundamental human rights advocacy.
On his part, Mr John Benedict educated the participants on understanding Transitional Justice and it’s application, their fundamental human rights as provided by the Nigerian Constitution while admonishing them to see themselves as advocates of human rights.
He also provided them with skills on how to identify violations of human rights as well as approaches to bringing succour to victims from the time the rights of victims were infringed upon up to the stage of reintegration of the victims.
Mr Sylvester Yibis, a renowned human rights activist, spoke on the topics, ‘community organizing and volunteerism to promote translational justice’, ‘monitoring, documenting, reporting and responding to human rights violations’, ‘and ‘effective sustainable networking and volunteerism experience sharing’.
Participants at the Gombe workshop thanked the organisers for the knowledge gained and the opportunity to be among volunteers. A TJ Network was established with an executive council inaugurated at the end of the workshop.
End.
