‘Feteh Lehulum’, (Justice For All) New Radio Program for the Millennium
By Fitsum G.
October 11, 2007
There is no doubt that human rights have now become a fundamental component of our daily lives. So much so that it is practically impossible to avoid talking about them regularly. A number of human rights organisations have sprung up contributing to a certain human rights movement and debate including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and others. These have developed a reputation for strong advocacy activities, watching and denouncing alleged breaches. Similarly the activities of Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO) and the recently founded government aided Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, can be cited in our context. Respect of human rights has also become criteria for many rich countries’ generosity towards the poorer nations. They are being used as strings to tie development aid or other support. At least a façade of basic democratic values and rights should be somehow exhibited in order to qualify for any substantial and sustainable assistance from rich countries. Leaving the criteria for evaluating these records as controversial as one would like them to be, (politically or strategically motivated contingencies) we have seen that a certain standard is maturing and gaining widespread acceptance any ways. The US for instance has often been criticized for turning a blind eye to certain blatant human rights violations of its ‘allies’, contingencies having assumed the upper hand. Particularly, any alliance to their supposedly sacred mission of fighting ‘terrorism’ has been a guarantee to acquire blank checks irrespective of so called human rights records. We have seen in the past so many unholy alliances. Be that as it may, human rights remain a topical and preferred subject for discussion by every body be it government or not. And when we feel that not enough is done to have them respected or safeguarded, we resort to perhaps expressing our frustration to ourselves, and may be, curse the day we were created. We wonder in silence ‘whom and how should we resort to for redress, for compensation?’ While certain people are more sensitive or enlightened about their rights, and correspondingly tend to be more assertive, less tolerant to perceived injustices, others tend to be more accommodative, perhaps more optimist and submissive. But often, they may be less versed about the extent of their rights. The discrepancy in a society on the level of awareness on human rights depends on how much dissemination of proper knowledge about them has been effected. This brings us to the key question: What is done to enhance human rights consciousness in our society? Based on the premise that a society well versed about its rights and duties is one that is easier to talk to or manage, school curricula have programs of such instruction; but what about those who do not have the chance of going to school or do not have easy access to alternative reference, books, periodicals, computers or even newspapers etc? Hence questions on the identity, nature, limits, enforceability etc of human rights become interesting to address. In a way, this is the principal objective of the new radio program now on air every Wednesday morning at 7:35. The power of any electronic media in reaching millions at one go, is undoubtedly immense, and in a country such as Ethiopia, where the press has negligible circulation, radio becomes key communications vehicle. It appeals to millions, particularly in rural areas and is relatively cheap. Hence its impact could be substantial. It is with this in mind that the National Radio and a local NGO called APAP (Action Professionals’ Association for the People) have recently embarked upon Feteh Lehulum, (Justice for All). According to the interview the Executive Directress of APAP, Wro Kidist Alemu, gave to the station, the program is meant to address some of these issues in simple and understandable language for the lay man, with a content prepared by APAP’s experienced staff in collaboration with a media promotion company. Envisaging development as the sum total of full awareness in human rights and following the great vision of the organization that aspires for ‘the realization of the full spectrum of human rights’, the program can play a significant role. Even the journey of a thousand miles should begin by one step, as the Chinese have it. The program subscribes to the premise that a society that learns to appreciate its rights has a better chance of claiming them, defending them, while striving to respect those of others. This is a prerequisite for any development endeavor. The Directress’ interview also highlighted the major activities of the organisation. Such radio program was intended for the specific purpose of working towards the formation of a society that appreciated and strove for the full realization of human rights, according to her. She hoped the program would add its own share to the local efforts in the human rights movement, and hence help further their cause one step. If we accept that no development can be attained unless human rights are given due consideration, the message such programs convey becomes significant. People are encouraged to be well versed in these matters and ‘Feteh Lehulum’ could contribute to create such precondition. Kidist described the way APAP was founded by people committed to the promotion of human rights and while only delivery of free legal services to the poor could not meet their aspirations, they embarked upon a more ambitious mission of trying to engage on a national scale with expanded programs of human rights trainings. Defining their strategy accordingly, APAP continued to train all sorts of government officials and authorities in an attempt to influence policy decisions and legislation. Hence this radio program could in some way be considered as a continuation on a larger scale of such program of empowerment and capacity building linked with the general population as its target. The radio program lasts twenty minutes and deals with the issue in a very entertaining and educative manner. It presents essays, extracts, interviews, and serial dramas about human rights. The life of certain historic personalities noted for their struggle for human rights such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi are narrated. Interviews of similar living personalities are also on schedule. By the time the programs are through the producers hope that the audience will have learnt a lot about the various international human rights instruments Ethiopia has ratified along with their space in our legal system. The program is scheduled for six months, but it is easy to presume that there could be extension of the same if the results warrant it and budgetary constraints do not intervene. Currently, beside the replica of such programs underway in certain regional FM stations such as the South and Dire Dawa Administration, similar programs may be launched on the national television as well. The radio program is also scheduled to entertain questions and curiosities from the audience on any of the transmitted issues by the relevant APAP staff. Welcoming the recent proliferation of such programs on air as encouraging sign of more commitment to the promotion of human rights in society, this can be taken as one more step to enhance the efforts geared towards the full realization of human rights in the new millennium. Doubtless, a society that appreciates human rights culture has more chances of defeating poverty in relatively shorter period, any expression of poverty being indissolubly interlinked with scarce attention to human rights.