No development without rights

In Nepal, a country devastated by civil war, MS supports theater groups that work to resolve conflicts. Photo: AndersThormann.

MORE THAN 1 BILLION PEOPLE live on less than 1 US dollar a day. 2,8 billion people live on less than 2 dollars a day. This means that the basic human rights of approximately half the world’s population are being violated each and every day.

To be deprived of food, health, and education, are violations of human rights just as flagrant as being denied freedom of speech or the right to vote. Governments and the international community should constantly be reminded of this.

Democracy and Rights are connected

In order for genuine development to take place, it is paramount that civil and political rights are upheld for all. Any violation of these rights must be fought against, in order to ensure political stability and genuine democratization.

To MS, the Danish Association for International Co-operation, democracy, human rights, and development, are inextricably intertwined. We find that respect for other human beings, and the right to development, should be at the heart of the debate on human rights.

In many of the countries, with which MS cooperates, corruption, evasion of responsibility, and poor governance are predominant. This is why MS, together with its approximately 180 partners in Central America, Africa, and Asia, emphasizes the need for the inhabitants of these countries to develop a political culture that will enable them to combat these realities. We work directly with the local communities, thereby taking a bottom-up approach to strengthening democracy.

To have clean water is a human right. Photo: Jan Kjær.

Democracy means participating in the decision-making process

To MS, democracy is not just a question of casting your vote once every 4 years. Democracy means participating in decision-making at home, at work, at school, and in the local community.

Approximately 70 percent of the poorest people in the world are women. At MS, we find it absolutely essential to support women’s rights – particularly in developing countries. The crucial role that women play in human and social development must be acknowledged.

However, human rights and democracy should not only be strengthened in the developing world. These are issues that constantly need to be dealt with in Denmark as well. MS seeks to bring about greater understanding between people of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and thereby to become a bulwark against discrimination and racism.

This is why we offer counselling, design homepages for girls from ethnic minorities, run a library for minority groups, publish books and newsletters, and participate actively in various events.

Uganda: Corruption is a threat to development work

In Uganda, MS works together with the Anti Corruption Coalition Uganda, in order to strengthen the effort to promote responsible and fair use of public funds in a country, listed in 2004, as the world’s 44th most corrupt.

This work calls for analyses, strategies, reports and recommendations to politicians and authorities, in order to keep an eye on how funds are being spent.

Yet, at times, the fight against corruption becomes more definite and visible. Like when theater groups act out imagined, yet familiar situations, that – as a source of inspiration – depict how ordinary people could fight corruption.

Or when villagers have their right to budget information and the extent to which they can approach the authorities and hold them responsible explained to them. Are the schools being built as planned, the roads maintained, medicine stocks replenished in the clinics?

A long and tough haul

It is a long, tough, and necessary haul, because corruption is a constant threat to all attempts at poverty eradication. At times, there are successes. A long awaited law on public scrutiny of the administration was introduced in parliament on April 13, 2004.

But Uganda faces other problems. In the north of the country, 1,6 million people have been forced to flee by the rebel movement Lord’s Resistance Army. One institution pushing for a peaceful solution is the protestant church in the diocese of Northern Uganda. MS and the church are working together, a collaboration that in 2004 resulted in a positive independent evaluation. To a large extent, the diocese has succeeded in demanding a peaceful solution to the problem. 

Nepal: MS strengthens the peace work

The king of Nepal seized power at a coup in February 2005. He has since abolished civil rights, the freedom of speech, the freedom of the press, the freedom of assembly, and democracy. Concurrently, the Maoist rebellion is spreading. Since November 2004, thousands are thought dead, and the number of Nepalese fleeing to India has skyrocketed.

The political situation in Nepal has given rise to many initiatives among civilians. These initiatives are often spontaneous, unfocused, and rooted locally. By asking 5 different organizations from various parts of Nepal to organize a peace seminar, MS-Nepal sowed the seeds for a more efficient way of coordinating the peace effort.

The seminar took place in Butwai in September 2004. Several hundred women and men from across the country were able to increase their knowledge of the background of the conflict. To many of the participants, the seminar provided a rare opportunity for them to tell their story, and to put questions to the experts from Katmandu.

The participants returned home empowered, and in the future they will hopefully insist on speaking out loud about the costs and consequences of the conflict. Following the peace seminar, 2 organizations have taken the initiative to establish an international solidarity group in order to increase international pressure on Nepal.

Zimbabwe: Legislation limits NGOs

Times are tough for NGOs working on human rights and democratization in Zimbabwe. Legislative changes affecting the media, continued injustices against the opposition, and increasing violations of civil rights make it more and more difficult to sustain a democratic development.

In 2004, legislation was passed which affected NGOs to an extent that it put the civilian population on red alert. The legislation aims to control all NGOs and prohibits activities meant to promote human rights and good governance.

Campaign against NGO legislation

The new legislation caused great concern at MS and its partners. After the announcement in July that this new legislation would come into effect, MS and its partners joined forces to fight this new piece of legislation. MS partners met to discuss how to oppose implementation of this legislation, and how to safeguard the rights of the civilian population.

MS-Zimbabwe also supported initiatives against the legislation – initiatives taken by organizations outside the partnership program. One example is NANGO, the national umbrella organization for nongovernmental organizations, which coordinated an extensive campaign that included public meetings, media campaigns, and dialogues with local politicians. The purpose of the campaign was to inform the public about the crucial role that the civilian population plays when it comes to development.

Central America: Authorities acknowledge election observers

In Central America, Antonio Saca spent at least 15 million dollars on advertising during his first 100 days as president of El Salvador, the smallest country in Central America.

This became clear in an audit done by MS partner CoCivica. Leading up to the election, the organization launched a campaign called ‘Citizen, ask’. The idea was to enable the citizens of El Salvador to cast an ‘enlightened vote’ by giving them access to extensive information; for the first time ever, the authorities recognized national election observers.

Together with MS partners IPADE in Nicaragua and Acción Ciudadana in Guatemala, CoCivica has played a significant role in ensuring international monitoring of both the presidential election in El Salvador and the municipal election in Nicaragua.

17 broadly founded organizations have also rallied round IPADE’s proposal for a new electoral law. This proposal has, after having been debated in a series of national fora, been put forward as the civil society’s proposal for an electoral law reform.

IPADE, CoCivica, and Acción Ciudadana have in the past years been in regular contact, and have drawn on each other’s experiences. They are now planning a more formal collaboration.

MS on its way to North Africa and Middle East

In 2003, the Danish government launched ‘The Arab Initiative’, in order to promote dialogue with the countries of North Africa and the Middle East, as well as human rights, women’s rights, and local democracy.

In 2004, as a part of this plan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark asked MS to start up initial fact-finding in order to analyze the possibility of strengthening Arab civil society organizations.

The concrete support to the organizations will be through collaboration between Danish and Arab NGOs, and the starting point of the projects will be the needs and wishes of the partners in the Arab countries.

There is an array of possibilities: Educating people about their rights, advocacy, women’s rights on the labor market, crisis centers for battered women in combination with education on rights, etc., etc.

MS’ contribution to The Arab Initiative

MS plans to work on one or more of the mentioned topics at youth centers, where Danes will be on exchange programs of varying duration. MS has gained valuable experience through its commitment in the Balkans and its minority work in Denmark, and hence feels up to the task of working within the Muslim cultural sphere.

‘The Arab Initiative’ is based on dialogue. In the West, we know far too little about the Arab countries, about their differences among themselves, and about their rich culture and history, which both hinder and strengthen the possibility to make societal changes. We can learn much by collaborating with NGOs in these countries.

Kenya: The disabled also have rights

Kevin’s mother has given birth to 2 sets of twins, and twins are a blessing among the Luhyans in the western part of Kenya. This is why the village celebrated the arrival of the first set of twins.

But the festivities quickly died down when Kevin and his twin brother were born. evin happens to be paralyzed from the neck down, a disability probably resulting from a birth under harsh conditions. Most births in Africa take place under harsh conditions and without the necessary medical attention.

Kevin’s mother quickly realized that something was wrong since Kevin didn’t cry for the first 2 weeks following birth. Consequently, she hid him when she had visitors. She was, as is common in Kenya, convinced that Kevin’s handicap was God’s punishment for her wrongdoing.

Hid the child for 4 years

Kevin was kept hidden in the hut, until a social worker from the Anglican Church’s Development Program (CCS) in Kakamega heard of his existence. CCS works to, among other things, create awareness of the rights of and possibility for development for the disabled.

Half blind, timid, and stiff-limbed, Kevin was brought out from the darkness of the hut. For 4 years his mother had kept him hidden, because of his handicap.

Today, Kevin lives his life in the open. He still lives with his mother and 5 siblings. He is given some schooling, and is attended to by a physiotherapist who trains his back and legs. Kevin will always be in need of much care, but he has made tremendous progress in the 2 years that have passed since he emerged half blind, timid, and stiff-limbed from the hut.

Sits in a special chair

Today, Kevin can sit up on his own in a special, locally made chair, and he seems more cheerful. Kevin’s story, however, is more than just a story about a little boy who has been given a new life.

It is also the story about an organization that has seriously challenged the notion that being disabled is the punishment for sinners. It is the story about an organization that has introduced special education classes and health services for the disabled.

MS and its partners see themselves as the voice of the poor. A substantial part of our work consists in challenging and changing systems and traditions that retain people in poverty. This is the only way to promote development!

Kevin in his special chair with his mother and brother. His mother kept him hidden for 4 years beacause of his handicap. Photo: Dorthe Mortensen.

Information on minorities in Denmark

At MS we feel that engaging in a dialogue with young people is necessary, if we are to avoid marginalizing ethnic minority groups in Denmark even further. This is why MS is working to establish close contact to young people.

This is, for example, done through counselling-projects, such as ‘SPACE’, which seeks to help weak youngsters from ethnic minorities who need advice and guidance. An added bonus is that the counseling also attracts better-adapted youngsters. They participate in SPACE on a voluntary basis, and thereby become a natural part of an organization that is based on values that both minorities and the majority in Denmark can agree on.

At the same time, the youngsters from the ethnic minorities are introduced to other NGOs, thereby expanding their social network. This contributes to their integration into Danish society. To MS, SPACE also serves the function of gradually introducing young people to other activities, such as lecture teams, the work group in charge of the Girl Festivals, and the MS Middle East Group in connection with the Arab Initiative.

Volunteers from 8 countries

The SPACE project is implemented in collaboration with the association VISION, which must be given credit for participating in recruiting the many volunteers with a different ethnic background.

In December 2004, 15 volunteers from countries as different as Poland, Turkey, Bangladesh, Syria, India, Morocco, Thailand, and Pakistan were affiliated with the program.

In 2004, MS also worked together with other ethnic and anti-racist organizations, e.g. in connection with the diversity event ‘A hot party in cold times’, an anti-racist soccer match named ‘Give Racism the Red Card’, and the dialogue event ‘A different way to peace’, which dealt with the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Newsletter on integration

MS publishes several periodicals, for instance ‘etcetera’, which is a newsletter about integration and multiculturalism in Denmark. It comes out 8 times a year and has a broad target group: learning-institutions, municipalities, libraries, and NGOs.

In 2004 the print run was approximate 1,000, and the newsletter continually receives requests to pass on experiences and create synergy between existing activities.

The subjects touched upon in 2004 were, for instance, Greenlanders and Denmark, forced marriages, immigrants and religion, immigrants and qualifications for the labor market, male circumcision, and equity on the labor market. 6 out of 8 issues published in 2004 were mentioned in the press and relevant journals.

'Give Racism the Red Card'. MS was one of the promoters of an anti-racist soccer match between Danish Premier League teams Frem and Brøndby. Photo: Jan Kjær.