Diary of Africa's Human Rights Implementation

Eleanor Roosevelt once said that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) "set up a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations" and continues to said that "might well become an international Magna Carta of all mankind". What means here is that the Declaration is one set of basic principles or rules or could be best define as an international norms on human rights. As clear as the objectives were, it is to make sure that all nations in this universal follow the norms and set up a high degree of human rights implementation in thier respective nations. As we all know, norms regard to things that normally accepted in the society and therefore it is only right that all people practice these norms.

Eventually this is not the case in Africa. As we have discussed ealier in our blog, the human rights condition in Africa is not at a good level eventhough the idea of Declaration is not new to them. Unstabilized domestic politics have been the main cause but with the changes from apartheid system to democratic in most of African nations had brings hope to their people. Many local and international NGOs are working with African local governments to promote human rights and helping Africa to be a better place to live. Africa's problem should be make as the world's problem too as it will affect the rest of us sooner or later.

In Kenya and Uganda where civil wars were ongoing basic, the problem first appeared as early as 1970s after Idi Amin, a hardcore dictator had formed a successful military coup. Since then, the living condition becomes worse and added with civil wars until early 1986, it is almost impossible to upright the Declaration. Only after the first multi-party election in 1992, the situation had changed a bit. NGOs were moving despite threats from the regimes and through 1995 and 1996 there had been several killings on the members of NGO.

While in South Africa, the changes only comes in 1994 after the political changed from apartheid to democratic. Pressure from the international society and domestic resistence had make the ruler shifting their rules, norms and political ideology. Problems arised between 1976 - 1977, changing process were developed in 1980s and the transation only begun in 1990 - 1994. It was quite late but then again it is still a big relief to everyone.

Resource: The Power of Human Rights: International Norms and Domestic Change. Edited by Thomas Rosse, Stephen C. Ropp, Kathryn Sikkink. 1999. UK. Cambridge University Press.