Some people think that Human Rights are, as one talk show host on Umoja said recently, “just some western ideology” that they want everybody to be a be in, or something to that effect. It is unfortunate that they have to take that position on something as serious a Human Rights. To simply say it’s a western idea, who cares whether it originated in east, west, north or south, the simple fact is, people need to understand and practice human rights principles if we are to live relatively peacefully in the world, which is becoming smaller and smaller by the minute.

Much more needs to done about educating people, from the kindergarten stage up, about Human Rights. Although the new Human Rights Bill that is drafted locally, and currently under review may be considered something new for the British Virgin Islands, Human Rights are not a new concept. The idea of rights for the people rose up in India, Greece and Rome, among other great civilizations of the ancient world. Granted that in Dark Ages, in most cultures, the King (or equivalent ruler) had absolute right to rule as seen fit, and the subjects were not considered as equals. But as far back as 1215 the Magna Carta was instituted to make the King subject to the law, like other citizens. In 1628 the Petition of Rights which sought to protect people’s human rights. So, it was with a long-standing desire to see equality among people, that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, put forward by the United Nations in 1948 has now trickled down to these tiny islands, because we are a part of the universe, afterall, even if we are a minor speck on the global map.

To suggest that Human Rights are not for us, or that we have no need for the concepts of human rights is a trivial attempt to stop the wheels of progress, which happens also in this case to be the wheels of justice. It won’t work. At long last, our government has decided to bring human rights education to the masses, even though it is doubtful how much interest will be shown by the general public. The truth to bear in mind is that learning about human rights is not an over-night thing that can be done in one swoop fell of media blitz. It is something that has to become a part of the national consciousness, where people are mindful of human rights in their daily living and how they interact with and treat each other.

Despite the fact that so much is being done in the wider world to bring human rights acceptance into reality, 81 nations worldwide still practice torture and unfair trials, and about 77 countries restrict freedom of speech, according to the 2008 Amnesty International Report. So, what we may be taking for granted is something to guard with all our conscious efforts and not idly discourage discourse that would benefit our people in the long run.

Human Rights education should be an ongoing activity, and it is my hope that the recent discussions by the Attorney General’s Chambers will be just the beginning for people in the BVI. Like many other initiatives in the territory, the Draft Human Rights Act 2010 will be a work in progress for many years to come.

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