Events – Page 2 – Human Rights Reporters Ghana (NGO)

November 5, 2021November 5, 2021

HRRG demands justice for two minors stripped naked and paraded the streets

The Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG), a media advocacy cum human rights non-governmental organization has commended the Ghana Police Service for their swift response in apprehending the main suspects who have been alleged of brutalizing two minors on the streets of Akuapem-Adawso in the North Municipality of the Eastern region.

The victims, both 14 years of age were reported to have been publicly and forcibly stripped naked and paraded on the streets over an alleged GHC100 theft and a mobile phone.

The shameful act was captured on a video which went viral showing the hands of the minors tied while being assaulted and paraded naked from the Tinkong stretch of the Koforidua -Mamfe highway to the Adawso township on the market day on October 29, 2021.

The attack triggered public outcry and condemnation including the police who reacted swiftly leading to the subsequent arrest of the prime suspects who are currently in their custody pending further investigations into the matter.

The swift move by the police in apprehending the prime suspects in the centre of the unfortunate incident has won the hearts of many including the Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG) to respond.

In a statement signed by its Executive Director, Mr. Joseph Wemakor and copied to the press, he outrightly condemns the inhumane act perpetrated on the minors while applauding the efforts of the Ghana Police Service for their quick response in dealing with the matter resulting in immediate arrest of the alleged perpetrators.

It also called on the police to help demonstrate similar commitment it has exuded by expediting actions in probing the matter to ensure justice is served the victims and their families.

HRRG equally says it joins hand with the police service in cautioning the public to refrain from indiscriminately usurping the powers of the proper adjudicative arm of the state in proffering judgment and other punitive processes.

Read the full statement below:

October 11, 2021October 11, 2021

2021 Int’l Day of the Girl Child: Safeguard the rights of girls for a brighter future-Human Rights Reporters Ghana

For Immediate Release October 11, 2021
To All Media Houses

2021 Int’l Day of the Girl Child: Safeguard the rights of girls for a brighter future-Human Rights Reporters Ghana

As the world commemorate this year’s International Day of the Girl Child, a day dedicated to the growth of girls around the world, we at the Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG) fully demonstrates our solidarity towards the welfare of all girls across the world.

The selection of this year’s theme: “Digital generation. Our generation” which focuses on the rights, safety and education of girls around the world is by no means a coincidence but appropriate and timely especially at a time the world is busily embracing technology to advance its cause.

In accordance with the resounding theme, we at the Human Rights Reporters Ghana are calling for equal access to the internet and digital devices for girls and targeted investments to facilitate opportunities for girls safely and meaningfully access, use, lead and design technology.

According to the United Nations, even in the post-COVID-19 era that saw many businesses and education moving online, “2.2 billion people below the age of 25 still do not have internet access at home”. The report further stated that, girls are more likely to be cut off and less likely to “own and use devices” leading to a gender divide within the digital divide.

As we mark this momentous day, we are humbly appealing to the authorities to help prioritize the issues of the girl child and ensure their rights are safeguarded for a brighter future.

The phenomenon of kidnapping, rape, forced/child marriage, teenage pregnancy and other social vices which lower the dignity of our girls must be dealt with dispassionately to forestall its occurrence.

At a recent event, Country Director of Days for Girls Ghana, a non-profit organization, Ms. Sandra Boakye lamented unfavorable policies on menstrual hygiene products which is a concern calling on government to scrap the 20% luxury tax imposed on it to ensure that these products reach women and girls around the country.

HRRG believes that this initiative would help create avenues to eradicate the stigma and limitations of girls and women for improved health, education and livelihood.

Access to education, healthcare services, skill-based learning facilities, equal opportunities, shields against deception, gender-based violence and discrimination.

HRRG equally believes that women and girls are breaking boundaries and tackling issues every day, thus with a helping hand the gender gap grows compact.

Finally, we urge leaders from civil society, government and the private sector to make commitments to build more inclusive digital societies through providing equitable opportunities to girls, investing in feminist technology and putting girls and young women at the centre of designing and learning solutions for the digital world.

Thank you

Signed

Joseph Kobla Wemakor
Executive Director
Tel: 0243676813

September 23, 2021September 23, 2021

GAYO, GYEM, Human Rights Reporters Ghana, et al. mark World Cleanup Day 2021; rid Labadi Beach of pollutants

The Green Africa Youth Organization (GAYO) together with (9) other Civil Society Organisations in the country have partnered to rid the Labadi beach of filth on Saturday, September 18, a day set aside globally to commemorate the World Cleanup Day.

This was out of a move intended to mark this year’s World Cleanup Day which equally emanated from an initiative dubbed, “GAYO Ghana Brand Audit 2021”, which brought together hundreds of youths to the shores of the Atlantic Ocean who engaged in a thorough clean-up of the beach to rid it of plastic pollutants and debris.

The exercise which was conducted on the theme: “The Ocean Home for Fishes, Not Plastics” also witnessed the participants engaged in plastic waste sorting and auditing to ascertain the largest brand polluter and make recommendations to remedy the situation as part of the global break free from plastic campaign.

The partnering Civil Society Organizations include La Dade Kotopon Municipal, Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG), Young Reporters for the Environmental Ghana – YRE – Ghana, Ghana Youth Environment Movement – GYEM, United Youth Initiative Africa, Sesa Recycling, Nexd’Or, Let’s do it Ghana, McGharbins Network and Youth Climate Council (YCC).

As part of the activities, the public was also educated on how to avoid, reduce, repurpose and divert waste from the oceans and dams for income generation.

The Co-founder and programs manager of GAYO, Mr. Desmond Alugnoa said the brand audit is aimed at naming and shaming the largest polluters of the planet.

Mr. Alugnoa who doubles as the coordinator for the African Member Support Program under the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) said GAYO is against single-use plastics, adding, “we do not need single-use plastic and we cannot live with single-use plastic”.

“People should stop portraying that waste as a form of single-use plastic is a resource, it’s not a resource from start to finish”, he emphasized.

He called on African state leaders to be bold and adopt alternatives to single-use plastics.

“There are alternatives that can switch single-use plastics…if you are a leader you need to be unafraid, you need to not feel threatened by activities that would promote your country…It does not matter who is behind these brands, it does not matter how big the companies are, as a President or a leader you have to take the bull by the horn- which is, allow the alternatives to exist and promote those alternatives because those alternatives are largely led by the youth and informal waste sectors to create more jobs for your economy.”

He noted that some of the collected plastics would be converted to products that are of market value such as raincoats, bags and pens to bring revenue to homes and communities.

A representative of the La Dade Kotopon Municipal Assembly (LADMA) – the host municipality, Mr. Francis Lawrence Tetteh was elated about the initiative and called on community members as well as beach users to avoid polluting the ocean and practice proper waste management beginning from their homes.

Mr. Tetteh assured the public of the assemblies’ efforts to reduce the amount of waste entering the ocean and noted that persons caught in willful pollution of the ocean would be made to face the full rigorous of the law to serve as a deterrent to others.

The Executive of Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG), Mr. Joseph Kobla Wemakor in a telephone interview lauded GAYO for the swift initiative which he alluded to as a solution to one of the greatest problems the country is faced with.

He charged all and sundry to join the campaign and even become ambassadors, to see it work to achieve its objectives and above all a lasting solution

The participants expressed joy at the success of the event and called for a collective effort to protect the environment while equally appealing to the duty-bearers and policymakers to step in and help address the issue of single-use plastics urgently.

Source:Alexander Bombande

May 1, 2021May 1, 2021

13 teenage pregnancies recorded every one hour, 110k recorded in Ghana in 2020 – GHS statistics

Teenage pregnancy remains a big challenge in Ghana and data from the annual Ghana Health Service (GHS) statistics on this is very alarming.

This data shows that in 2020 nearly 301 girls are impregnated every day in Ghana whiles 13 teenage pregnancies recorded every one hour.

According to the GHS, Ghana recorded a total of 109888 teen pregnancies with the lowest girls to be put in the family way being ten-year-olds.

Per the data, girls between the ages of 10 and 14 years account for 2,865 pregnancies recorded in 2020 whiles another 107,023 girls between the ages of 15-19 were impregnated within the same year.

A greater number of these avoidable pregnancies could be attributed to older men.

The Ashanti region topped the league table with a total of 17,802 teenage pregnancies followed by Easter (10865), Central (10301), Northern (9249) and Greater Accra regions 9018).

The Ahafo and Savannah Regions recorded the lowest of 2652 and 35516 respectively which are still high numbers in a single year of Covid-19.

Parental control and responsibility, sex education among others remain low across the country. The curiosity of teenagers and boys to try things out, the sexually active nature of today’s youth, and they lack of counselling among others further contribute to the high numbers.

The government’s effort towards dealing with the annual high teenage pregnancy seems not to be working.

The Human Rights Reporters Ghana, in 2018-2019 commenced an important campaign to enlighten and educate teenagers on teenage pregnancy, drug abuse and kidnapping.

The lack of support from government institutions, and other stakeholders hindered the full implementation of the project.

Today, the NGO continues to receive global recognition for its contribution to dealing with this social menace that confronts the safety and healthy existence of teenagers and the youth.

Government and other stakeholders must collaborate with the Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG) and other stakeholders to help educate the youth and teenagers for that matter if we are to win this battle.

Source:Ghanaeducation.org

January 28, 2021January 28, 2021

Human Rights Reporters Ghana sensitizes Mataheko D/A Basic ‘A’ pupils on Covid-19, human rights

The headmaster of the Mataheko D /A Basic ‘A’ School, Mr. James Adamah has lauded the educative roles being played by various civil society groups and non-governmental organizations within schools in a bid to help end the new wave of the deadly coronavirus pandemic as part of the ‘back to school initiatives’ being rolled out across the country.

According to him, such initiatives are timely and above all steps in the right direction to bring about the needed change.

“I’m really excited by your visit today and the detailed information you have given to the children which focused mainly on covid-19, the relevance of strict observance of the health protocols as well as the education on human rights”.

“I believe this would help the children to remain safe and also know their rights on how to behave in public and even in their various homes so that when anyone infringes they’ll know what to do”, he stressed.

Mr. Adamah said this while speaking on the sidelines of a sensitization exercise conducted by the Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG) Non-Governmental Organization with support of two Civil Society Organizations; the Renel Ghana and the Abibiman Foundation.

The exercise which took place at the Ningo Prampram District near Mataheko on Monday January 25, 2021 was on the theme: Recover and Revitalize Education for the Covid-19 Generation

The pupils were enlightened on the global outcry of the second wave of the covid-19 pandemic, it’s devastating effects on humans across the world and why the need for all to strictly observe the covid-19 health protocols to remain safe at all times.

They were equally inspired with the education on human rights, its importance to the peoples of the world as well as introduced to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its 30 articles which all humans ought to comply with.

Executive Director of Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG), Mr. Joseph Kobla Wemakor who engaged the students observed the story of ‘human rights’ is familiar but the importance of human rights is not fully understood hence the need for sensitization on human rights to enlighten the masses.

This, he said by knowing their rights, they can stand up for their rights and that of others too.

In the end, the HRRG presented 21 copies of booklets containing information on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (companion booklets) with many individual rights illustrated for greater clarity and understanding to some selected pupils to aid them.

He indicated that the booklets were offered his outfit by the United for Human Rights (UHR), a US-based donor organization dedicated to implementing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at every level of the society.

While commending the donor organization for the support which significantly aided the exercise, he equally appealed for more to assist the HRRG campaign team reach out to the entire Ghanaian population especially the school-going children with adequate supply of educational materials on human rights in order to help create a deeper education on human rights to bring about cultural change.

The Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG) is an initiative of young Ghanaian journalists, editors, lawyers and human right activists who have come together to address human rights violations in Ghana to bring the country closer to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

In 2019, they launched a nationwide sensitization campaign on Kidnapping Teenage Pregnancy and Tramadol Abuse as a response to the increasing incidents of kidnappings in Ghana.

Since the roll out of the program in July 2019, the campaign team has managed to reach over 60,000 beneficiaries particularly school children, parents and youth groups in the communities and religious settings within three regions of Ghana.

The group’s dedication towards its activism roles with regards to protecting and ending rights abuses in Ghana and beyond has received wide commendation from many individuals, organizations and institutions both within and outside Ghana.

Watch a short video on the exercise below:

January 4, 2021January 4, 2021

Video: Saving lives, contributing to achieving the SDGs; the success story of Human Rights Reporters Ghana

In a bid to help end the kidnappings as well as the burgeoning human rights and social issues in Ghana and beyond, the Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG) in 2019 embarked on a ‘Nationwide Sensitization Campaign on Kidnapping, Teenage, Pregnancy and Tramadol/Drug Abuse’ (KTT).

The campaign, popularly known as the ‘KTT Project’, focused on addressing issues of kidnapping, teenage pregnancy and drug abuse but equally set about creating a deeper education on human rights to bring about a cultural change.

The ‘messiah initiative’ which saw a dedicated team of young volunteers in communities, schools and religious settings within three regions of the country managed to reach over 60,000 Ghanaians over two years sensitizing them on the most pressing and critical and social issues Ghana is facing.

The HRRG is a non-governmental organization (NGO) which brings together journalists, news editors, human rights activists, advocates, defenders and lawyers to advance the rights of women, girls, children, young people living with disabilities and other minority groups.

The vibrant human rights organization is dedicated to protecting and ending rights abuses in Ghana and beyond.

Watch video on the KTT Project below:

Source: HRRG

December 11, 2020December 11, 2020

2020 Human Rights Day: Safeguard Human Rights after a peaceful election-HRRG

Today is 2020 Human Rights Day, an important moment in the fight for and the respect for the human rights of people across the world. This year’s theme is “Recover Better – Stand Up for Human Rights.”

In a press release signed by the Executive Director, Joseph Kobla Wemakor and copied to the media, the Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG), a non-governmental organization, non-profit human rights organization independent of all political parties, governments or religious groups in Ghana indicated that the world has not been the same since the covid-19 struck.

Its presence across the world has caused struggles in moments of lockdowns, which came with its own shades of human rights abuses and infractions.

Human Rights and Election 2020

Ghana has come out of the election but not without some instances of electoral and post-electoral violence happening that led to the death of some persons.

Ghanaians can only be assured the freedom to enjoy their rights if stakeholders ensure the country is held together in peace. As the world marks this special day, the Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG) can only express joy for the people of Ghana having come out a stronger and united nation after the 2020 general elections.

This success is an assurance that Ghanaians have been guaranteed a peace-loving nation and an opportunity to reach their full potentials after exercising their democratic rights to vote in an important election such as this.

The (HRRG) used the occasion to congratulate the Ghanaian people and President Nana Akufo-Addo on his re-election into office as well as the other contenders for choosing peace at this critical time.

COVID-19 AND HUMAN RIGHTS CHALLENGES

Covid-19 impacted every aspect of the basic rights of citizens in developed and less developed countries around the world calling for a compromise on the right to free movement to save lives.

Sadly people’s right to life, health, food, and clothing were impacted by the lockdowns, lack of food, water, and financial resources for people to survive in many deprived areas.

Governments, Non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders rose to the challenge posed by covid-19 to help save lives through health delivery, education, and provide food and water among others.

Even as these successes have been recorded, we cannot lose sight of the rising inequalities, poverty, discrimination, and other wide gaps in human rights protection and promotion, the impact of the COVID-19 response in many nations and for particular groups of people, has been dawdling.

HUMAN RIGHTS AND RELIGOUS FREEDOM AND DISCRIMINATION

The UN Secretary-General has emphasized the instability and fear that the pandemic has brought and the worrying human rights concerns of discrimination and stigmatization of persons who had been cured of COVID-19 around the world.

The leadership of HRRG supported sister institutions around the world to ensure religious bodies and leaders such as the Shincheonji Church and its leadership in South Korea are treated with respect and dignity. This attests to the fact that abuses, stigmatization, discrimination, scapegoating by government and officials in leadership positions need to be condemned.

The Human Rights Reporters Ghana in its quest to champion human rights issues through local and international collaboration joined like-minded civil society organizations to bring to the attention the human treatments visited on the church in South Korea.

The release of Chairman Lee Man-Hee, the leader of the Shincheonji Church from detention brings to the fore, the power of a united front in the struggle for the respect of the rights of all persons by individuals, organizations, and governments across the world.

As the world celebrates another Human Rights Day, on the theme Recover Better – Stand Up for Human Rights, the Human Rights Reporters Ghana has called on all stakeholders to reflect on the challenges and gains in the last ten months and to recommit efforts, resources, and policies toward ensuring the fundamental rights of all citizens are respected.

The institution further called for the building of more resilient, just, and sustainable societies around the world in times of global crisis. This demands all stakeholders to recommit themselves to ensuring the human rights of citizens across the world are guaranteed.

In Ghana, these calls for the efforts toward protecting and giving hope to the less privileged, educating the citizenry on their rights and avenues available to them in the case where the abused must not be ignored.

It also calls for more efforts to support women and girls who are defiled and due to the lack of financial resources, tests needed to ascertain their status and to apprehend suspects who are lost.

The HRRG believes that the celebration of the 2020 Human Rights Day must inspire Ghana to among other things continue to uphold, protect, and allow for the universal rights outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Source:HRRG

September 28, 2020September 28, 2020

World Peace Day 2020: Let all our efforts, actions geared towards promoting peace-Joseph Wemakor

The Executive Director of Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG), Mr. Joseph Wemakor has charged all Ghanaians to be peace loving, law abiding and above all ensure that all their actions, efforts and utterances are geared towards promoting a culture of peace, non-violence and its sustainability before, during and after the upcoming general elections slated for December 7.

He equally appealed to all and sundry to be ambassadors of peace; committed to preaching peace and endeavor to always condemn acts of violence which are likely to mar the peace the country enjoys.

Mr Wemakor who doubles as the Taskforce Member (National Focal Person) of the African Network of Young Leaders for Peace and Sustainable Development (ANYL4SD) in Ghana also called on Ghanaians to commend all initiatives which seeks to promote peace and unity as the nation meanders towards electing the next leader to steer its affairs in the upcoming general elections.

He made this known while addressing a forum to commemorate this year’s International Day of Peace (World Peace Day 2020) on the theme: Shaping Peace Together for Ghana Election 2020: “Role of Civil Society and Media, Women and Youth” in Accra on Monday, September 21, 2020.

The International Day of Peace is a day observed around the world on September 21 each year. It is a day set aside by the UN General Assembly to end hostilities, atrocities, wars and any form of violence which threatens human existence on the planet earth.

The event, an initiative of the Defence Network for Democracy (DEFNED), a Civil Society Organization (CSO) supported by its partners convene various participants made up of senior policy analysts, peace and security researches/analysts, guests from academia and media, reps. of civil society organizations and civic institutions, students, reps. of youth groups and faith-based organizations, political parties and state agencies among others.

It was an avenue for participants to brainstorm on the best way forward in protecting, consolidating and sustaining the overall values, principles and credentials of Ghana’s democracy towards the realization of sustainable and inclusive peace and security environment particularly against all unforeseen existential peace and security threats and risks which has the potential to destabilize and disturb the peace and security of the country before, during and after the upcoming polls in December.

Elections are an essential part of the democratic process and organization, and a means to manage political competition and conflict in a peaceful way.

However, history has taught us in Ghana since 1992 that elections conducted has experienced some level of violence depending on the intensity which varies from election to election.

As the 2020 elections draws near, there’s a seemingly fear that if care is not taken thing could escalate looking at the unexpected events on the ground already which cast shadows on the upcoming polls.

But delivering his welcome address at the event, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Defence Network for Democracy, Mr. Kingsley Amoah called for unity among all Ghanaians irrespective of their religious beliefs or political affiliations as a way to ensure peace that prevails at all times in the country.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I’m calling on you today be it, a Moslem, a Buddhist, a Jewish, a Traditionalist or whoever, we are all created as one individuals to share common values together so we can sustain our country, our mission, and the planet and secure even the generation unborn”.

While citing some unforeseen acts rearing ugly heads in many parts of country such as reprisal attacks, politics of insults and violence, to mention few particularly at a time this year’s general elections inches near, he appealed to all Ghanaians to rise up as ambassadors of peace, volunteers and flatly condemn such acts to prevent violence.

Mr Amoah also called on the media to be circumspect in its reportage in order not to mislead the citizenry but to adequately inform them to become discerning in discharge of their civic duties.

For his part, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Languages, University of Ghana, Dr. Antwi Boasiako admonished politicians to desist from the politics of insults, diabolical invectives and the use of intemperate languages on campaign podiums, which has the potential to inflame passion and eventually lead to chaos.

The peace forum sought views from various speakers, participants and panel of discussants alike whose statements rally around promotion of sustainable peace, unity and transparency among others before, during and after the December 7 polls.

Defence Network for Democracy (DEFNED), is a fully-fledged non-profit, humanitarian and independent civil society organization dedicated to the promotion, consolidation and sustainability of democracy and human rights, good governance and development, peace and security in Ghana and Abroad.

Since its inception, DEFNED has continuously advanced the cause of the United Nations Charter, the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs), the United Nations Instruments on Democracy, Peace and Security, the United Nations Human Rights Instruments, International Humanitarian Law , the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women ,Peace and Security, United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250 on Youth ,Peace and Security, the United Nations Security Council Resolution on Disarmament , and other regional and sub-regions instruments and convention towards deepening Ghana’s democracy , peace and security in the country.

Source:Newsghana24.com

September 13, 2020September 13, 2020

Shincheonji Covid-19 saga is more of state conscious, barefaced violation of rights-Former UN Chief

The Former President of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), Ambassador Martin Uhomoibhi has waded into the controversies surrounding the burgeoning issues of human rights abuses being perpetrated against the Shincheonji church and its leader, Lee Man-hee by the South Korean Government in this advent of Covid-19, described it as ‘unfortunate and unique barefaced violation of rights of freedom of worship’.

Speaking at a 2-day virtual summit to deliberate and proffer solutions to the escalating issues of human rights abuses around the world with emphasis on the South Korean situation, the former UN boss lamentably said:

“The Shincheonji Covid-19 saga is more of state and conscious barefaced violation of rights of freedom of worship of unique occurrence which ought to be widely condemned in no uncertain terms”.

“He further revealed: “this is just a clear sense of selective victimization in which the Shincheonji church appears to have only come under the heavy sledge hammer of the state”.

The high-level summit convene an avalanche of high-profile speakers including audience made up of human rights activists, advocates and journalists across the world particularly Africa, Europe, America and Asia.

The deadly coronavirus pandemic has brought untold hardships to the world at an alarming rate.

Despite the debilitating crises, there has been reports of various attacks ranging from stigmatization, discrimination, persecution and violence among others meted out to some persons and minority groups by their majority counterparts including some states across the world.

The unfortunate move is said to be obstructing efforts in the fight against the pandemic. The South Korea situation has been called to question by many when over 5,500 cases of human rights violations including coercive conversion, (of whom many are women), have been reported since the outbreak hit the country in February 2020.

In addition, an 89-year-old man who is the leader of Shincheonji church (minority religious group) has come under intense persecution and unlawful detention for allegedly withholding information from government officials to help combat coronavirus. His peace organization of a global repute (HWPL) is also on the verge of having its legal entityrevoked for ostensibly being a missionary organization in disguise.

In spite of wide condemnation of the issues, following calls from human rights advocates, activists, journalists, international and regional organizations, Civil Society Groups and Non-Governmental Organizations alike globally to the South Korean Government to back down and rescind on the matter to allow peace prevail, yet nothing concrete is done.

But touching on the South Korean situation, Ambassador Martin Uhomoibhi observed “the tendency to address theological criticism or disagreement with the founding ethos of the Shincheonji movement with discrimination or violation for human rights says it”.

While condemning the act flatly, he underscored the need for theological criticism not be confused with discrimination or violation of human rights.

For his part, the Executive Director of Accra Human Rights Forum International (AHRFI), Austin Kwabena Brako noted with grace concern the atrocities being committed against the Shincheonji church leader and members are unlawful which amounts to the violation of their rights as humans as well as freedom of worship.

He appealed to all and sundry to unite with one voice to relentlessly condemn the acts and bring pressure to bear on the South Korean authorities to take immediate action to free Mr Lee Man-hee from detention including setting his church and peace organization from persecution.

In his remark, the Executive Director of Human Rights Ghana (HRRG), Joseph Kobla Wemakor averred that it’s not time to apportion blame but rather time to unite and combine actions with passion to call the South Korean Government, authorities including their cronies of Shincheonji oppressors to order.

“Let’s rise up with one strong voice and speak up against the culture of oppression and tyranny being perpetrated by the South Korean Government against the good people of Shincheonji church and its leader Mr Lee and his Peace Organization, the Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) because ‘injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere’.

The 2-day summit came to a successful end, witnessed diverse views expressed by an array of dignified audience who grace the occasion on how to effectively tackle the rising issues of human rights abuses and ensure peace and religious freedom is restored in South Korea.

September 2, 2020September 2, 2020

Now accepting entries: The 2020 King Hamad Youth Empowerment Award to Achieve the SDGs

For the third year in a row, His majesty King Hamad bin Isa AI Khalifa, King of Bahrain is proud to partner with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Kingdom of Bahrain Ministry of Youth and Sports Affairs to recognize young people’s endeavour to be effective and productive citizens contributing to the welfare of their communities and environment, as well as institutions that improve enabling environment and infrastructure for youth to make an impact, in all United Nations Member States.

The King Hamad Youth Empowerment Award to achieve the SDGs for 2020 is now accepting entries for 2020. This global prestigious award will honor ambitious individuals and organizations whose positive contributions towards the achievement of the vision of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and initiatives enabling youth participation, action and impact in pursuit of the SDGs.

The award was first launched during the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum, in January 2017 and the awarding ceremony took place in the Kingdom of Bahrain, in January 2018.

As of the 2020 Award Cycle, the King Hamad Award for Youth Empowerment to achieve the SDGs will have two main categories; one for youth action, granting 5 Awards, and a second for youth enablers granting 3 Awards.

Objectives

Highlight the centrality of empowering young people in the pursuit of a better future for all
Inspire impactful action for sustainable development by young people worldwide
Encourage initiatives enabling genuine youth engagement & action for sustainable development.

Prize Information

The King Hamad Youth Empowerment Award in the youth action category is worth $20,000 and the NGOs/Foundations in the Youth Enablers category is worth $25,000, to be submitted as a one-time grant in full after the awarding ceremony.

All winners of the King Hamad Youth Award will be invited to attend the awards presentation will take place in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Flights and accommodation will be paid by MYS for each of the 8 winners.

All winners agree to willingly participate in media briefings and statements that MYS or the UNDP may require as follow-up to receipt of the award.

Award Categories & Criteria

Recognizing Youth Contribution to Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals:

This category is open to applicants from all UN member states. Applicants could be individual youth above the age of 15 years and below the age of 30 years; a youth-led entity (defined as any entity, in which at least 50% of current management/leadership is below age of 30); or a youth-focused entity (defined as any entity, in which at least 90% of resources serve youth above 15 and below 30 years of age).
- It includes five awards, each including a financial prize of USD20,000.

Each of the possible 5 awards will recognize a unique and successful development initiative by youth in one of the 5 key aspects of sustainable development covered in Agenda 2030, namely:

People: Ending poverty and hunger in all forms;
- Prosperity: Ensuring prosperous and fulfilling lives in harmony with nature;
- Planet: Protecting our planet’s natural resources and climate for future generations;
- Peace: Fostering peaceful, just and inclusive societies; and
- Partnership: Forging solid partnerships to implement Agenda 2030.

Recognizing Enablers Of Youth Participation Action And Impact For SDGs Achievement:

This category is open to entities that that are legally recognized and registered in a UN member state, in one of the following four sectors:
- the governmental and public sector;
- the private sector;
- NGOs/foundations,
- the media.

It includes three recognition awards. Winning submission from NGOs/Foundations only may be eligible for an accompanying financial prize of USD25, 000.

Each of the possible 3 awards will recognize an initiative enabling genuine youth engagement & action for sustainable development in one of the following areas of enabling:
- Institutional: Dismantling institutional barriers and/or creating opportunities for youth participation and action (for example, initiating a strategy, policy, regulations, laws, initiative, etc.);
- Financial: Providing young people access to start-up financing and/or tools for enterprise viability and development, including incubating initiatives, or similar assistance; and
- Technical: Providing young people with knowledge assets, technical know-how, skill-building support, including incubating initiatives, or similar assistance.

How to Apply

Interested applicants should click on this link: King Hamad Youth Empowerment Award 2020

By Joseph Kobla Wemakor