Enhancing Advocacy
by Aadila Molale

In celebration of Human Rights Day, the Foundation for Human Rights (FHR) announces the launch of the Human Rights Directory, which aims to encourage increased networking and communication amongst civil society. 

The directory has been developed by SANGONeT and is powered by PRODDER.

Human Rights Directory
The Human Rights Directory is an electronic publication of rights based organisations and institutions operating in South Africa and can be accessed at www.fhr.org.za/directory.

The directory has been developed to assist and encourage networking amongst the public and within the development sector, increasing the voice and the numbers behind lobbying and advocacy efforts. Current examples of successful civic action include the extended child support grant, anti-retroviral treatment for HIV and AIDS, as well as free basic education.

Organisations supported by the FHR largely concentrate on:

• Human rights awareness
• Capacity building and networking
• Access to justice and
• Enhancing the working relationship between public institutions and civil society

Networking Toolkit
South Africa’s civil society organisations are essential stakeholders in achieving the rights as set out in our Constitution and an accompanying Networking Toolkit has been designed to complement the Human Rights Directory by providing some useful information on carrying out lobbying and advocacy work, along with some tips on developing campaigns and networks.

Significance of the Directory and Toolkit
The struggle against Apartheid, as we all know, was a struggle for basic human rights. The victory was shared amongst many as it was through the concerted effort of many disparate voices with the common objective that our human rights were acknowledged. The processes of realising our rights were developed in the Bill of Rights and the new South African Constitution.

We have come a long way in the formation of a democracy, and we have much to celebrate this 21 March 2007. Notably Millennium Development Goals have been formed in accordance with Human Rights principles. However, while many measures have been put in place to determine whether or not South Africa will meet minimum targets by 2014, the response thus far is that more needs to be done.

Until racism ceases to exist, until all South Africans are able to satisfy the most basic needs of food, shelter, water and sanitation; until women can be confident that the prevention of unfair discrimination and the promotion of equality protects them against gender-base violence – we cannot sit back and watch a few civil society organisations march on behalf of the many who have yet to realise their rights. 

Recognising that poverty, injustice, lack of human rights and inequality counter development initiatives on any level, the FHR is committed to empowering citizens through a rights-based approach.

In identifying our human rights and constitutional rights as a platform for development, the Human Rights Directory is also a call to action – Vuka! Get together! Let’s take another look at our advocacy and campaign strategies and see how we can get together with new and old partners, as well as friends and strangers, to insist that the development agenda of South Africa is going in a direction where we can all meet.

– Aadila Molale, Directories Project Manager, SANGONeT.

Picture courtesy of United Nations Photos.

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