Message from CDWS chairperson Gerard Lim Sam ‘Everyone is equal before the law and has the right to equal protection and benefits of the law’ |10 December 2021
CDWS chairperson Gerard Lim Sam
“Today, Seychelles joins the international community in commemorating human rights day. This year’s theme is ‘Equality-Reducing inequalities, advancing human rights’. This theme relates to Article 1 of the International Declaration of Human Rights “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights”.
“Everyone is equal before the law and has the right to equal protection and benefits of the law, whatever our nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status, are to be treated equally and with respect.
“The protective canvas of human rights mechanism recognises the natural and social bonds of human destiny everywhere. We should appreciate that this is our kingship in rights. It empowers all of us to claim our entitlement to a life of dignity, our right to count and be counted irrespective of our ancestry, gender, color, status and creed.
“It is unfortunate that we continue to see throughout societies and across the globe that discrimination, marginalisation and neglect persist against religious, ethnic and national minorities, indigenous people, persons with disabilities, migrants, the elderly, children, women and LGBTI group, among others. Historic forms of prejudice combine with stereotyping and social systemic inequality continue to drive conflict, racism and xenophobia in several parts of the world.
“We need a society that protects and promotes human rights for everyone, and we need to be better equipped through human rights, to weather unexpected crises such as health pandemics and the impacts of climate changes.
“Excluding individuals or groups and discriminating against them, drives and promote a cycle of conflict and crisis. Discrimination may thus affect the way people are treated in all spheres of society such as in politics, employment, access to social and medical services, housing, law enforcement and the administration of justice in general.
“Human rights is people-centered. It is concerned with how people live and breathe in a society, how freely they exercise their many choices, how much access they have to economic, social and cultural opportunities and whether they live in conflict or in peace.
“The marriage between human rights and our environment is also becoming stronger with the prevalence of climate change and the effects it has on people.
“Globalisation denotes that small island states should consolidate the land and resources they have as birth rights. Succinctly, it makes sense that what happens to the environment impacts humanity, consequently affecting our right to clean air, clean soil, and clean water, all as important as the other rights included in the Seychellois Charter of Fundamental Rights & Freedoms of our Constitution. However, let us not forget that nature has its mighty ways of shaming man.
“Conversely, Citizens Democracy Watch Seychelles (CDWS) is very concerned with the amount of hate speech emerging from our digital environment; at this juncture we will seek to start a public dialogue to promote human rights response to such activity and to promote protection of vulnerable groups from discrimination and abuse.
“Today! Ask yourself, what moral duties do I have in my home, in my school, my workplace, and my community, to advance human rights and ensure that my fellow person’s rights are being fully respected?
“Let us make 2022 and the coming years an opportunity to reaffirm the importance of advancing human rights. Let us build a culture of equitability where everyone has the deep desire to be treated and to treat others with respect, dignity, tolerance, fairness impartiality, reasonableness worthy of human beings.
“Let us take time to remind ourselves and others around us how valuable we all are! CDWS wishes all citizens of Seychelles a peaceful, blessed and contemplative human rights day.”