Human Rights

We visited The Foundation for Human Rights Initiative in Kampala, Uganda, on May 27, 2019. During our meeting the NGO expressed their self-stated initiative to, "advocate for peace, stability, democracy, social justice and sustainable development in Uganda." Such a cause immediately engaged our group as they identified a direct connection between their work in human rights and sustainable development in their country. But, how? Within such an initiative the NGO has three focuses: social accountability, equality and democratic governance. While they have such universal goals, they identified that a major challenge faced is that Ugandans have become dormant due to feeling powerless against large bodies, such as various organizations and the government regime. They have lost hope, yet, HRI aspires to re-instill it. Such a challenge encouraged them to pursue an active citizenship campaign, among others such as legal support and human rights educational endeavors, to aggravate their constituents to enable more effective change. They conduct research on their community to develop such advocacy strategies. HRI's support extends beyond protecting the dignity of basic citizens, reaching judicial reform, reaching the accused and sentenced. Because human rights is heavily entwined in many aspects of livelihood, their work affects ubiquitous sections of society. Overall, such work contributes to sustainable development because if people are respected, dignified, and are granted their rights (Universal Human Rights and those stated constitutionally), they have the opportunity to pursue their full potential in society. Such an opportunity enables the best contributions and structure to develop sustainably.

It was said that cultural tiredness played a large role in the education, defense, and implementation of Human Rights. How does one combat the cultural attitude of being tired?

Predeparture

With an open mind I wait in anticipation, well, I pack with anticipation, for this exciting journey ahead of me. During the three weeks I will dwell in Uganda, I hope to experience the beauty and truth within the culture. I hope to create meaningful friendships. I hope to acquire a greater appreciation for those that occupy this world, both people, animals, and the surrounding geography. Specifically I aspire to dive deeply into the world of visual arts. This will be a thrilling experience, and it has yet to begin.