The main problem with getting news coverage for the important issues in our society is that none of the featured individuals are Anna Nicole Smith, O.J. Simpson or Britney Spears.All of these people have longer ‘shelf-life’ than our literal neighbours who are being oppressed without knowledge of justification. They’re less than a flash in the frying pan.
As you know from the previous posts, there have been people who have been detained for more than 5 years. Where is their coverage?
We need to engage Non-Governmental Organizations, academic institutions and human rights defenders (social services), the onling community and of course the media. Education from these groups include events like ‘Dignity and Justice for Detainees Week’ where an opportunity is available for creating awareness of human right standards being violated and rallying for our government’s implementation of human rights treaties.
What is Dignity and Justice for Detainees week? Dignity and Justice for Detainees Week aims to highlight detention and encourage improvements in the conditions of detainees through workshops and publicity campaigns. It normally takes place during the first week of October.
The United Nations Human Rights High Commissioner said, "We are not against prisons and detention centres per se – but they should be reserved for those who really deserve to be there according to the extensive, detailed and fundamentally sound international standards governing criminal justice”
What avenues do you want to use to create awareness in the general public? The mainstream and alternative media must be used, along with the direct approach.
Tips on how to go about this are coming up….
Source: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DignityandJusticeDetaineesWeek.aspx
4 comments:
I never even heard of this 'week'.
Goes to show even the week needs more awareness.
Good insight. You bring up some important points.
It's interesting to read the comments by 'First commentor' -- I've not been involved with the cause specifically, but I have been involved with organizations that work on this issue and thought that this annual 'celebration' week was basic general knowledge.
I think this brings into larger questions of activism, how much should the activist community do to reach out to the general public, and how much CAN they do keeping in mind the severe logistical limitations all NGOs face.
I agree. Nothing better than going mainstream media and using word of mouth- couldn't agree more with you.
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