Human Right has remained a critical issue in Afghanistan for decades and the situation of human rights in Afghanistan has dramatically worsened with the passage of time. The fighting in the country has ended but serious human rights violations continue unabated. Additionally, People in Afghanistan are also facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis which is being driven by decisions and positions taken by the international community, especially the US, which have blocked Afghanistan from aid funding and access to the global financial system.
Way of Hope to Life Organization (WHLO), understanding the importance and need of defending human rights. WHLO aims to seek accountability for all human rights violations and abuses in Afghanistan. The purpose of the human rights department is to advocate for human rights put pressure on the current government to respect human rights, and on the international community to make good on their commitments to not abandon the Afghan people.
WHLO’s main initiative for human rights will consist of advocacy, research, awareness raising, and mobilization, as well as on documentation. WHLO will also engage with the international bodies such as the UN Human Rights Council, international donor and other international bodies to bring a positive change of human rights in Afghanistan. Likewise, other key responsibility of the organization is to have an intensive monitoring of the human rights situation, accountability for perpetrators of human rights violations and abuses, and to seek an end to impunity.
HUMAN RIGHTS PRINCIPLES ADOBTED BY WHLO
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948, was the first legal document to set out the fundamental human rights to be universally protected. The UDHR, which turned 70 in 2018, continues to be the foundation of all international human rights law. Its 30 articles provide the principles and building blocks of current and future human rights conventions, treaties and other legal instruments. The UDHR consist the basics of human rights in WHLO and all the activities of the organization is aligned with UDHR.
HUMAN RIGHTS UNIVERSALITY
The principle of universality of human rights is the cornerstone of international human rights law in the organization. This means that we are all equally entitled to our human rights. This principle, as first emphasized in the UDHR. Likewise, WHLO accepts the principle of inalienability. Human Rights should not be taken away, except in specific situations and according to due process. For example, the right to liberty may be restricted if a person is found guilty of a crime by a court of law.
HUMAN RIGHTS INDIVISIBILTY AND INDEPENDENCY
All human rights are indivisible and interdependent. This means that one set of rights cannot be enjoyed fully without the other. For example, making progress in civil and political rights makes it easier to exercise economic, social and cultural rights. Similarly, violating economic, social and cultural rights can negatively affect many other rights.
HUMAN RIGHTS EQUALITY AND NON-DISCRIMINATORY
Article 1 of the UDHR states: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” Freedom from discrimination, set out in Article 2, is what ensures this equality.
Non-discrimination cuts across all international human rights law. This principle is present in all major human rights treaties. It also provides the central theme of 2 core instruments: the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS
WHLO has endorsed 4 CORE HUMAN RIGHTS TREATIES, stated below, this means that WHLO has obligations and duties under international law to respect, protect and fulfill human rights.
- The obligation to RESPECT means that WHLO must refrain from interfering with or curtailing the enjoyment of human rights.
- The obligation to PROTECT requires WHLO to protect individuals and groups against human rights abuses.
- The obligation to FULFILL means that WHLO must take positive action to facilitate the enjoyment of basic human rights.
- Meanwhile, as individuals, while we are entitled to our human rights – but, we should also respect and STANTD UPfor the human rights of others.
Children’s Rights
Children’s rights are the human rights of children with particular attention to the rights of special protection and care afforded to minors.
the rights of special protection and care afforded to minors.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) of 1989 defines a child as any human person who has not reached the age of eighteen years. Children’s rights includes their right to association with both parents, human identity as well as the basic needs for physical protection, food, universal state-paid education, health care, and criminal laws appropriate for the age and development of the child, equal protection of the child’s civil rights, and freedom from discrimination on the basis of the child’s race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, religion, disability, color, ethnicity, or other characteristics. Interpretations of children’s rights range from allowing children the capacity for autonomous action to the enforcement of children being physically, mentally and emotionally free from abuse, though what constitutes “abuse” is a matter of debate. Other definitions include the rights to care and nurturing
Although Afghanistan has a good legal and policy framework for formal judicial system, most of the marginalized people still largely depend on informal traditional justice system due to different structural and behavioral problems. In this circumstances, WHLO is working with community people, traditional leaders and government to ensure rule of law in both formal and informal system. WHLO’s conducted several awareness and training programs for the formal and informal justice sector and tribal leaders on conflict resolution mechanisms, alternative methods of conflict resolution, case recording and case referral procedures. Also facilitated 150 Jirgas (traditional informal dispute resolution method) leading to peaceful resolution of conflicts. Through these campaigns and trainings over 50,000people benefitted. Over 300 Govt. officials, community and tribal leaders were trained and about 500 cases of dispute were resolved or referred for further actions. USAID/DAI and CCI were the major donors for these programs.
