CHRAJ challenges youth to maintain high standards of integrity

Mr Richard Quayson, Deputy Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has challenged the youth to make conscious efforts to maintain high standards of integrity.

This, he said should reflect in every aspect of their lives so that they would be bold to point out wrong doings and help in correcting some of the social vices that has become endemic among the present generation.

Mr Quayson threw the challenge at the close of a five-day Camp, which was organized by the Commission on the theme: “The Youth as Ambassadors of Change”.

The Camp, which is an annual event for students in the Senior High Schools (SHS) across the country, provided information on human rights and integrity issues, educated on the various functions of CHRAJ, the Constitutional provisions for human rights as well as the penalties for their violations and also issues bordering on integrity among other things.

The Deputy Commissioner said: “the world has reached a stage where the current generation is being bombarded with all manner of information and cultures, most of which influences them negatively in their opinion and behavior in their societies.

“Their minds have been shaped by what is around them and most of them fall prey to various human rights violations, but “society has failed to ensure that the right things are done”.

He said there is an urgent need for early education of the youth on their rights and also equip them with the requisite knowledge to uphold high standards of integrity in order to spearhead the change needed.

“Your positive attitudes towards issues and things around you must make other people uncomfortable so that they will change for the better”, he said.

Mr Quayson said the Commission considers such trainings as a silent revolution to uproot the current spate of indiscipline among the Ghanaian society.

He said CHRAJ will continue to partner with institutions with the same vision to cleanse the coming generation and instill in them good morals and respect for each other’s rights.

Ms Dorothy Glover, Acting Director, Ghana Education Service, said youth involvement in decisions making that concerns them is crucial for building acceptance and a sense of ownership of policies and regulations that affect their lives.

The five-day 2014 Human Rights and Integrity camp was organized by CHRAJ in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service, which is the fourth in the series, brought together students from 60 Schools in the Regions.

The overreaching objectives of the Camp are to empower the youth with sound leadership values, which are premised on respect for human rights, integrity and patriotism, and also develop them into agents of social change in their respective schools and communities.

The camp also provided students with further opportunities to develop soft skills such as self – esteem, assertiveness, respect and non-discrimination, and to validate the values of integrity and respect for human dignity.