The Human Rights Advocacy Centre (HRAC) with funding support from HealthCare Positive Action and in partnership with the Royal Netherlands Embassy has organised a community durbar at Yendi in the Northern Region to mark the International Human Rights Day 2019.

The event sensitised members of the Yendi Township on their rights.

The HRAC in partnership with the West Africa AIDS Foundation (WAAF) and in collaboration with the Ghana AIDS Commission will undertake HIV testing and screening activities as a side event to highlight access to health care as a human right.

In his address Alhaji Hammed Abubakari Yussuf, the Yendi Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) said it was common to see lots of human rights violation in the Yendi Municipality and elsewhere in the country, either deliberately or out of ignorance.

He commended them for the programme to educate the indigenes and said it would help to enlighten the people on some of their rights and responsibilities.

According to the MCE, it was the expectation of the people of Yendi Municipality that regardless of race, tribe, political opinion, gender or circumstance should benefit from the unique in other to enhance their human rights awareness.

He said many people travelling long distances to Yendi for the durbar serves as an indication or importance of the Human Right issues, which also reminds them on how they value the theme: “Stand up for Equal Rights: say No to Discrimination”

On declaration, Madam Cynthia Nimo-Ampredu, Executive Director, HRAC expressed appreciation for the participation and said world leaders agreed that every person no matter race or origin was entitled to enjoying all the guarantees stated in that document.

He said some of the guarantees were the rights to education, healthcare, work and freedom of association and indicated that certain International Days like International Day of the child, World Mental Health Day, World Disability Day and recently World AIDS Day were in honour of human rights meant to raise awareness and educate the public.

Madam Cynthia Nimo-Ampredu reminded them to remember that the absence of Human Rights was the absence of true and sustainable development and called on them to strive to make Yendi the human right town of Ghana to attract diverse forms of development.

Mr Abass Yakubu, Municipal Director of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) reminded them that 1992 Constitution stated that “all persons shall not be discriminated” against on grounds of gender, race, colour, or economic state.

In his closing remarks Chief Bindana Ayuba Ziblim who represented Ya-Na Mahama Abukari II called on the people in Yendi and Ghana as a whole to rise and uplift the Human Rights of the people in their areas.

He reminded the school children that they were the seed and therefore should sow it well for a better future.