EDITORIAL: It is foremost about dignity
Human rights are a buzzword in our country. On Human Rights Day, speeches and soliloquies are a must.
In the Namibian context, 33 years of democracy have not brought to fruition the immense hopes ordinary citizens had for a better life in our resource-rich nation. Far too many Namibians are living in squalor and without jobs, and instead of reaching for the stars, they are subjected to a daily battle for survival.
In our context, human rights encompass much more than just holding onto unalienable, fundamental rights that are exercised without bias.
Human rights may include freedom from slavery and torture, the right to work and receive an education, freedom of speech, and many other things, but in Namibia, it all begins with the right to dignity.
Namibia has a long way to go before it can honestly declare that all of its children have had their dignity restored because of the country’s split history and the way the playing field was unfairly tilted based on race.
The unfulfilled yearning for dignity will become more and more significant in our country, and the 2024 elections must take it into consideration. Simple goals like providing jobs and good housing for Namibians will become the yardstick for determining which parties come into power.
In the Namibian context, 33 years of democracy have not brought to fruition the immense hopes ordinary citizens had for a better life in our resource-rich nation. Far too many Namibians are living in squalor and without jobs, and instead of reaching for the stars, they are subjected to a daily battle for survival.
In our context, human rights encompass much more than just holding onto unalienable, fundamental rights that are exercised without bias.
Human rights may include freedom from slavery and torture, the right to work and receive an education, freedom of speech, and many other things, but in Namibia, it all begins with the right to dignity.
Namibia has a long way to go before it can honestly declare that all of its children have had their dignity restored because of the country’s split history and the way the playing field was unfairly tilted based on race.
The unfulfilled yearning for dignity will become more and more significant in our country, and the 2024 elections must take it into consideration. Simple goals like providing jobs and good housing for Namibians will become the yardstick for determining which parties come into power.
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