*Intersociety in focus
World Human Rights Day is observed on 10 December every year.
On this day in 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), a landmark document, that declares the inalienable rights that every human being is entitled to regardless of race, color, religion, sex, language, political or another opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or another status.
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The UDHR is the most translated document in the world and is available in more than 500 languages.
Dignity, Freedom, and Justice for All is the theme of the 2022 Human Rights Day.
As the world marks human rights day today, we take a look at the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, Intersociety, one of the top and credible human rights groups in Nigeria with a special focus on its work, achievements, challenges, and how citizens can benefit from its activities.
For all that, I spoke with the Principal Director of Intersociety, Mr.Emeka Umeagbalasi.
Introduction
Emeka Umeagbalasi, 53, is a grassroots democracy and human rights campaigner in Nigeria and beyond since 1995. He is also a criminologist and security, peace, and conflict resolution expert, having studied Criminology and Security Studies at the first-degree level and Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution at the master’s degree level. Umeagbalasi is one of the Nigerian leading researchers and investigators on human rights, security, and defense and safety issues.
He went into human rights and democracy activism after joining the Civil Liberties Organization (CLO) where he held various elective positions including Anambra State Campaign and Publicity Secretary, Vice Chairman and Chairman (1998-2007) and Vice Chairman, South-East CLO’s Zonal Management Committee (2005-2007). Umeagbalasi was Pre-Group Coordinator of Amnesty International (UK), Onitsha Pre-Group, and Int’l Associate member of Human Rights Watch (USA) for the 1997/1997 membership season and eleven years later in 2008, he founded Intersociety (International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law).
He has won several merit awards since 2008 and attended several courses and training on democracy, human rights, rule of law and security and criminal justice, etc. Among the international courses/training attended was the International Visitors’ Leadership Program (IVLP) of the United States Department on NGO Management in the USA (Class of June 2013).
A brief history of Intersociety and motivation behind It
"Intersociety was normatively motivated by global works and success stories of Amnesty International (UK), founded by Peter Benenson and his colleague in March 1961 and Human Rights Watch (USA), founded in 1978 as “Helsinki Watch” by Robert L. Bernstein, and two others. In Nigeria, Intersociety was modeled after CLO, founded in 1987 by Olisa Agbakoba Esquire and others. The founding processes of Intersociety began in April 2008 and the Organization became registered or incorporated at the CAC in July 2008.
"Today, the Organization’s thematic areas include campaigning, promoting and advancing civil liberties and rule of law, democracy, and public governance accountability as well as championing the citizens’ security and safety. The Organization’s advocacy is built on research, investigation, public awareness, documentation, and issuance of reports and other rights-related publications. Intersociety also engages in ADR (alternative dispute resolution) and class action litigations and public interest petitions and related others through the instrumentalities of regional and international human rights and humanitarian instruments and their compatible local laws.
"Intersociety seeks to end all forms of persecution and discrimination on the grounds of sex, class, ethnicity, and religion perpetrated by state actors or non-state actors using ‘exclusionist and annihilative “structural violence, physical violence,e, and cultural violence”. Intersociety also promotes ‘positive peace’ or peace in absence of structural, cultural, and physical violence."
Achievements
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"Achievements of Intersociety since 2008, a period of 12 years, are innumerable. Apart from credibly and popularly issuing reports and publications with ‘local content’; a formidable alternative to several millions of our followers and readers across the world, Intersociety is also one of the few credible and popular advocacy organizations that have survived and still exists with an uncompromising voice in Nigeria since 2015.
"This is because most of the formerly respected independent advocacy groups have transited off the track and transformed into mouthpieces of the Government of the day. This is in addition to the founding and funding by the Nigerian Government of no fewer than 360 Government affiliated NGOs since 2015; thereby making Intersociety stand tall.
"Through our works, thousands have become PhDs or fellows and hundreds of thousands made graduates and postgraduates through their projects and thesis using Intersociety’s works. Our works have copiously been quoted or cited or used in powerful international circles including diplomatic circles and corridors of power or policy-making tables or research and analytical institutions.
"Our works have become subject matters in several rural and urban social clusters including as nightmares to political buccaneers and barbarians. Hundreds of victims of state crimes are freed yearly on account of our work and hundreds of thousands are prevented from being arrested or killed or abducted and disappeared by state actors and non-state actor brutes.
"Many culpable state actors in uniform can longer enjoy their stolen wealth and luxury lifestyles in major western capitals on account of our works in Nigeria or any part thereof documenting and exposing their conduct atrocities while serving. The list of our achievements is too long to mention.
Who Benefits
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"The greatest beneficiaries of our democracy and human rights advocacy activities are downtrodden; also known as the “un-attentive public”; hence our resolve to consistently and uncompromisingly work for humanity and posterity. In Nigeria, other beneficiaries of our works are cutting across religions and tribes, classes, and sexes.
"We have several times risen in strong defense of senior security officers under persecution or facing the imminence of persecution on account of their places of birth or tribal identities and worship. We have defended marginalized members of the rank and file of different policing agencies.
"Minority Muslims are not left out; likewise, millions of Christians and their worship centers and homes face Government protected nonstate actor persecutors and Government repression. Radicalization of security forces along ethnic and religious lines now dominates Nigeria’s securitization establishments and this has severally been dictated, voiced out, and relentlessly condemned.
"Other beneficiaries of our consistent advocacy works are those in the academic fields of learning and governmental, nongovernmental, and intergovernmental institutions as well as social enterprises or institutions."
Challenges
Lack of funding and interest in volunteerism as well as personal insecurity and other unsafe conditions have remained our frontal challenges. First of the three above is to the extent that we have never been internationally funded or received the same from any international funding agency since our formation in 2008.
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"Most advocacy organizations have fizzled out because of not getting what they used to get or receive from international funders. In Nigeria, most of the frontline rights and democracy advocacy organizations have gone dead because of drops in their funding baskets while some exist periodically depending on funding availability.
"Intersociety still thrives and survives without international funding because of the core understanding by its founder and handlers that ‘service humanity’; a core focus of human rights and democracy activism, is at all times priceless and beyond what money can buy.
"That is to say that it does not mandatorily require hundreds of thousands of dollars before human rights and democracy advocacy can be carried out. However, it must be pointed out that funding remains our frontal challenge. Lack of volunteerism and personal commitment towards citizens’ service to humanity's moral obligations has also posed a challenge in revolutionizing human rights and democracy advocacy volunteerism.
This has also been fueled by “money culture” and moral and integrity disputations.
"Another key challenge impeding the Intersociety “training the trainers of the trainees” and “take back and nursemaid your rights and democratic governance watch” is the rising state of personal insecurity and other unsafe conditions.
Future Goals
"Our target goals are to continue and consolidate our achievements and record more. Because we are not and will never be a “how much casualty figure” advocacy organization, we wish to see an improved democratic society in Nigeria. Nigeria has since mid-2015 transited back to the worse path of tyranny and near-totalitarianism; sobriquet “Somali state of affairs”.
"This is more so when it is a settled sound opinion that “when human parts dealers are in charge of the affairs of persons and their environments, defenseless humans and their human rights and those advocating for them are potentially the next for butchering, cannibalization, and buccaneering”.
"It must be boldly noted that democratic leaders and their governments, popularly and credibly elected and installed, are the umbrella under which human rights and dignities of human persons are promoted and protected and-human rights defenders assisted and protected to defend and promote them at all times."
75th anniversary of the UDHR
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According to the United Nations, on December 10, 2023, the organization will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, UDHR.
In anticipation of the milestone, the UN will begin a year-long effort to highlight the UDHR by emphasizing its legacy, relevance, and activism beginning on this year's Human Rights Day on December 10th, 2022.
All human rights are protected under the UDHR which first established the unalienable rights of all people, including the right to an education and the right to equal pay.
In recent years, there has been a consistent attack on the UDHR's promise of respect and equality for all people.
However, the principles and rights enshrined in the UDHR serve as a road map for our collective actions so that no one is left behind as the world faces both new and persistent challenges, including pandemics, conflicts, exploding inequalities, a morally bankrupt global financial system, racism, and climate change.
We are all more at risk whenever and wherever the values of humanity are abandoned. Human rights are the foundation for resolving today's most pressing issues.
Human rights violations affect people of all ages and across national boundaries. Collectively, these can be overcome and must be.
The rights of others as much as our own must be defended.
Everyone must speak up in support of human rights, according to the UDHR. Every person has a responsibility.
A human rights-focused economy that benefits everyone is what we need.
To re-establish trust and embrace a shared and comprehensive vision of human rights towards a just and sustainable development, we need to renew the social compact between governments and their citizens as well as within society, the United Nations says.
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