From Rhoda Godwin, Yenagoa
The need for human rights defenders in Bayelsa State to work peacefully and effectively in promoting and advancing the rights of individuals and communities has been emphasised at a workshop for extractive host communities and human rights defenders.
The workshop, held in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, was organized by the African Law Foundation in partnership with the Zero Tolerance Initiative, Voluntary Principles Initiative, and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), with funding support from the True Costs Initiative.
The event brought together civil society organisations, community stakeholders, human rights defenders and members of the media. It was aimed at strengthening collaboration and reconnecting participants with the National Human Rights Commission to establish effective channels of communication for the protection and promotion of human rights.
Speaking during the training, the Executive Director of the African Law Foundation, Barrister Chinweike Okereke, said the workshop was designed to sensitise human rights defenders on the guiding principles of human rights, business and human rights, as well as their practical application.
Okereke urged participants to adopt peaceful approaches in advocating for human rights, particularly in the Niger Delta region, where the activities of multinational corporations have, in some cases, negatively affected host communities.
He cautioned that human rights advocacy must not be carried out through violence, stressing that defenders must uphold the same rights they seek to protect.
”Immediately your defending becomes violent, you’re no longer a human rights defender, you are now a violator. That violence is violating human rights somewhere. Human rights is one; there is no big or small human rights,” he said.
He also called on the Bayelsa State Government to provide effective mechanisms and create an enabling environment that would allow human rights defenders to carry out their responsibilities safely and efficiently.
Speaking on the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, Okereke noted that companies and businesses are increasingly expected to respect human rights in the course of their operations, particularly in communities where they conduct business.
Earlier in his opening remarks, the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission, Dr Anthony Ojukwu, assured participants of the Commission’s commitment to working closely with its partners to strengthen human rights protection in the state.
Ojukwu described the training as an important step towards empowering host communities and human rights defenders with the knowledge, tools and networks needed to better understand, claim and protect human rights in the context of business and security operations.
He was represented at the workshop by the Bayelsa State Coordinator of the NHRC, Dr Eugene Baadon, who expressed appreciation to the organizers, partners and participants for their contributions.
Baadon encouraged participants to actively engage in the workshop and share ideas and experiences that could contribute to improving human rights protection in extractive host communities.
He also explained the Commission’s complaint and protection mechanisms, assuring participants that the rights of complainants would be respected and that complaints would be handled fairly.
According to him, individuals who approach the Commission with complaints would be treated with fairness and given access to the necessary information throughout the complaint process.
The workshop ended with a renewed call for stronger collaboration among human rights defenders, host communities, civil society organisations, government institutions, businesses and the media to promote peaceful and effective human rights protection across Bayelsa State and the wider Niger Delta region.