Accra, Dec, 18. GNA - A cross section of Ghanaians the Ghana News Agency (GNA) interviewed in Accra recently on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights have expressed mixed reactions about the existence of such a declaration.
While some said they were aware of the rights but have little knowledge on them, others indicated that they did not know of the declaration. They also said they have no idea of any day set aside by the= UN to observe International Human Rights.
As part of the International Human Rights Day, which falls on Decem= ber 10, each year, the GNA carried the story to find out peoples' level of awareness of the Day and what efforts Ghana was making to improve the hum= an rights in the country.
Master Bernard Antwi, a student said the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was new information to him even though he had a fair idea ab= out Human Rights issues in the country.
Mrs Sophia Addo, a business woman said she has heard of the UN declaration but believed there were not enough materials on Human rights issues in Ghana for people to educate themselves. She said, as a result, people find it difficult to identify their human rights when they were abused.
A group of traders doing different businesses at Tema Lorry Station= in Accra also complained that even though they were aware of human rights issues but not the declaration, most of them were not able to read becaus= e the materials on them are in printed English language.
They said if the information on human rights could be translated in= to the local dialects, it would help some of them to be conversant and also educate their young ones. Mr George Mensah of the Ghana Statistical Service said he learnt mo= re about the Declaration on the Internet and therefore wished human rights activists could do more to educate the citizenry. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights has 30 articles in the charter which was adopted in 1948. Some of the articles are: All humans are born free and equal, the right life, the right to education, the right to play, food and shelter f= or all, social security, worker's rights, the right to public assembly, the right, freedom of thought, Marriage and family, the right to a nationalit= y, the right to privacy, the right to trial and no unfair detainment. These rights according to the UN are supposed to be publicised in f= ull text, displayed, disseminated, read, and expounded principally in schools=
and other educational institutions, without distinction based on the political status of the countries. This year's International Human Rights Day was celebrated on the theme: "Embrace Diversity; End Discrimination". 18 Dec. 09
