Human
Rights a Great Concern for Youths
By Ethel Sillah |
Awoko
January 6, 2006
Youths in the city are expressing their concerns
for the attention of human rights organizations
to look into the plight of young people who are
tied up in the norms of their cultural beliefs
and the human rights challenges they face. In
the light of the above, members of the Voice of
Youth Radio Project at No. 41 Main Motor Road
in Congo Cross interviewed young people on the
dangers of harmful cultural practices with regards
to the violation of their fundamental human rights.
According to a Form Three
pupil of the St. Joseph’s Convent at Brookfields,
parents and adults are not interested in the
after-effect of their choices for children and
young people being involved in dangerous human
rights violations, such as the female genital
mutilation which is common in many communities.
Komba Lamin stated that the long outdated cultural
practice continues to leave young people in
a state of trauma and psychological effects.
Commenting on the topic,
Alfred Sesay of the Government Technical Secondary
School at Congo Cross said some cultural practices
are as dreadful as the AIDS pandemic.
Explaining further he maintained, that there
is the need for massive campaign in all communities
for the abolition of this practice which, according
to him, is exposing our young girls to future
harm/complication.
Another interviewee, Sarata
Bangura of the Milton Margai College of Education
at Congo Cross, said young people should be
encouraged to choose their fate; that is whether
to abide by these cultural beliefs or not. “There
should be a law for parents who are forcing
their kids to practice some of these practices
unwillingly,” says Miss Bangura.
Some parents allow
their girls to enter into early marriages at
a very tender age even when we are thinking
that this is a new era. My advice to parents
is, help your child in becoming a useful citizen
rather than overshadowing his/her future in
total illiteracy and bounded by cultural beliefs.
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