Monday, April 27, 2009

UNIVERSITY OF DAR ES SALAAM HUMAN RIGHTS ASSOCIATION (UDHRA).
EMAIL udsmhumanrights@yahoo.com
www.udhra.udsm.ac.tz
.MOB ..0717 -082228 /0754710063./0783172394

25TH April 2009


PUBLIC LECTURE ON THE REFLECTION OF 1994 GENOCIDE IN RWANDA.

UDHRA PRESIDENT, ONESMO, OLENGURUMWA CLOSING REMARKS.

Excellencies,
Doctors, lectures, stududents,
Ladies and gentlemen
It is my privilege to bring this remarkable international public lecture reflecting on 1994 genocide in Rwanda to a close.
But before I proceed I would like to bring into your awareness beautiful words said in 70 years by one Activists Pastor Martin Niemoller of German.
‘’About 70 years ago Pastor Martin Niemoller of German who lived between 1892 -1984 said ’first they came for Jews, I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. They came for the communist, I did not speak out because I was not a communist,. They came for trade unionist; I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. When they came for me, no one was left to speak out.”Niemoller said that regretting why he did not take any measures when Hitler began torturing and killing people. He thought that he was safe but later he ended up in detention camps. “
I am encouraged by your willingness to share and openly discuss actions, experiences and challenges. Working together across boundaries in this way to address the most pressing issues threatening human kind.

Together, through the Geneva Declaration and convention against genocide, we have deepened our collective commitment to embedding universal values on human kind. Yet as we all know, actions speak louder than words. So as we walk away from this every year reflections and plans to meet again next year, let us each do our share to give practical meaning to the Declaration and convention against genocide.

I call on civil society, university staff, students, media, international organizations and political leaders to remain vigilant and engaged, and continue to hold this kind of international solidarity against impunity.
Finally, let me thank the United Nations Information Centre for their invaluable contributions to this Public Lecture, as their role in fighting impunity will remain memorable. I should as well be fair to appreciate exemplary role Plaid by Embassy of the Republic of Rwanda for their open commitment to create a new Rwanda.We have to send our gratitude’s to our beloved proffer Peter Maina ,Prof,B,Rutinwa for their wonderful and educative lectures. We are glad to say thanks for Tanzania Commission For Human Rights and Good Governance for their acceptance to officiate the event.Lastily but not least ,let me acknowledge the UDSM Human rights association for their great and vigilant role in raising human rights awareness both at international and national level .
Comrades, together, we can achieve a strong spirit of Solidarity against impunity that can create the free world and better place to live. We each have a responsibility in moving our agenda forward. Let us leave here today with renewed commitment.
I now declare the 2009 Public lecture reflecting 1994 genocide in Rwanda formally closed.
“WE PROMOTE AND PROTECT HUMAN RIGHTS”
Latest albino killings in Burundi reveal flourishing underground trade in body parts

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Posted Thursday, March 12 2009 at 12:56
“They tied up the parents of the albino boy and then chopped off his arms and legs before running away,” a police spokesperson said. “His screaming woke up the entire neighbourhood.”
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US decries mob violence and attacks on albinos in East Africa
From the green hills of Burundi where their poisoned blood pools in the grass, the feet, fingers, arms and toes are taken across the border to Tanzania.
There, a rich underground trade flourishes, where albino body parts are in high demand.
A leg can go for $1,000, with the bones being turned into lucky charms, the blood poured into stews, to do everything from ward off evil spirits to bring luck to fisherman on Lake Victoria.
“The war against these killings becomes all the more difficult because the law does not provide for the existence of witchcraft while individuals do,” says Onesmo Olengurumwa, president of the human-rights association at the University of Dar es Salaam.
As a result, he says, albinos are forced into hiding, rarely attend school, can rarely stay employed, and fear for their lives.
Others don’t even get the chance to live in fear.
One victim of the killings last January was a seven-month old baby girl.
Education on societal morality and public involvement has been cited as important ingredients needed to win the war against the killing of albinos. Using force alone would not solve the problem, University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) dean of students Dr Martha Qorro said when opening a debate on how to stamp out albino killings. Speaking at the event that was preceded by a demonstration around UDSM main campus, Dr Qorro said the use of force only won?t help to change the perceptions and ideologies of the people. "This is not a matter of showing ympathy or using too much force, it was a matter of changing the mindset of the people? we want to groom people into believing that all human beings are equal," said Dr Qoro. She said there was a need to conduct extensive public awareness campaign to educate people on various issues on albinism as there were a lot of misconceptions about it. Dr Qorro insisted that those engaged in the evil activities of killing fellow human beings in the belief that they might get wealthy fast should be educated. The chairperson of the Tanzania Editor?s Forum, Mrs Sakina Datoo, commended the work being done by the media but added that there was room for extensive investigative journalism to unearth more issues related to myths surrounding albino killings. "Albino killings give a dangerous sign? a sign that our country is heading the wrong direction. Everything starts slowly, when they are done with albinos, next time they will target another group of people," observed Mrs Datoo. She appealed to the public to assist the media in its work to reveal the evils taking place in society on things like albino killings so that the police can get the evidence needed to deal with culprits," she said. One of the participants, Mr George Bakari said it was dismaying that the government failed to protect a section of its people whose population is less than 400,000. The UDSM Human Rights Association chairman, Mr Olengurumwa Onesmo, said the killings create fear as no one knows which group will be targeted next. The debate was organised by the University of Dar es Salaam Human Rights Association in collaboration with German Centre for post graduate studies in Law. Its suggestions will be forwarded to the government, police and other stakeholders for implementation.
SOURCE SUNDAY OBSERVER
Albino killings: Acknowledge witchcraft 2009-02-15 12:06:33 By Ley Melwa
In order to win the fight against killings of people with albinism, the Government should first of all accept the fact that witchcraft exists, contrary to the laws of the land which categorically dispel such existence. The President of the University of Dar es Salaam Human Rights Association (UDHRA), Onesmo Olengurumwa, said yesterday that the Government should make that u-turn, claiming that the entire population was convinced of its presence despite the absence of scientific verification. Olengurumwa was taking part in the Mlimani Hard Talk on How to Battle Atrocious Killings of Albino in Tanzania jointly organised by the UDHRA and Tanzania-German Centre for Postgraduate Studies in Law. ``The war against these killings becomes all the more difficult because the law does not provide for the existence of witchcraft while individuals do,`` said the UDHRA chief, adding that once the problem is addressed to that an extent it would be easier to deal with the culprits. Killings of albinos are fuelled by the lust to get rich quickly. Greedy, heartless gold miners and fishermen in the Lake Zone and people in other businesses elsewhere in the country are trading in the body parts of albinos, including limbs, hair, skin and genitals which are controversially reported to enable them catch more fish or strike huge precious minerals. The belief that albinos have magical power is widespread in the superstition and witchcraft industry which tempts some politicians and business people to apply it, in order to increase their prospects for success. However, Lawyer George Bakari suggested that the Judiciary, the media, CSOs, religious leaders, politicians and communities should bolster response to weed out the deeply entrenched superstitious beliefs that incite the murders through the systematic violation of human rights. Bakari warned that nobody knows who is next after the albinos, quoting the late pastor Martin Niemoller of Germany who said, `first they came for Jews, I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. They came for the communist, I did not speak out because I was not a communist. They came for the trade unionist, I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. When they came for me, no one was left to speak out`.
SOURCE: Sunday Observer
Wanafunzi washupalia mauaji ya maalbino 2009-02-15 12:47:50 Na Mwandishi Wetu
Wanafunzi wanachama wa chama cha kutetea haki za binadamu wa Chuo Kikuu cha Dar es Salaam, wamesema watatumia nafasi yao katika jamii kufanya mabadiliko ya kumaliza ukatili nchini kwa kuishinikiza serikali kuongeza kasi ya kudhibiti mauaji ya maalbino. Rais wa chama hicho, Onesmo Ngurumwa, aliyasema hayo jijini Dar es Salaam jana wakati wa mdahalo maalum uliojadili mauaji ya maalbino ulioandaliwa na chama hicho kwa kushirikiana na chuo kikuu kishiriki cha kimataifa cha mafunzo ya sheria cha Ujerumani. Alisema pamoja na kwamba mauaji ya maalbino yameendelea kutokea kila mara, serikali imeshindwa kushughulikia tatizo hilo kwa kasi inayostahili. Alisema ili kufanikisha mabadiliko wanayokusudia, wapo katika mkakati wa kuandaa mapendekezo ya namna ya kukabiliana na mauaji hayo ambayo watayapeleka serikalini ili yafanyiwe kazi. ``Tutabuni mikakati itakayosaidia kutokomeza ukatili wa binadamu hasa mauaji ya albino na tutayawasilisha kwa wadau ikiwemo serikali ili yafanyiwe kazi,`` alisema Ngurumwa. Mkurugenzi wa uhariri wa magazeti ya IPP, Sakina Datoo, alisema vyombo vya habari vina nafasi kubwa ya kupambana na ukatili huo. Amewataka waandishi kuendelea kuandika habari za uchunguzi kuhusu mauji ya maalbino na kuwafichua wauaji ili kutokomeza vitendo hivyo. ``Kama mnakumbuka, vyombo vya habari ndivyo vilivyofichua mauaji haya, kwa hivyo ninaamini bado waandishi wa habari wanao mchango mkubwa sana katika hili,`` alisema.
SOURCE: Nipashe
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