Young People Promote Human Rights

There is a different atmosphere on Saturday, May 5, 2018 in one building in Engineering faculty, University of Gadjah Mada Yogyakarta. Several young people and students from various regions and backgrounds of study gathered in an event called ‘KAMU BELA HAM’. What event is it?  The topic has a meaning that young people are invited to promote Human Rights. It is a workshop initiated by Amnesty Indonesia (AI) and Social Movement Institute (SMI) to introduce human rights understanding among youth and build their awareness and sensitivity toward human rights for their surroundings.

Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta’s participation in this workshop is a part of  long series since last December  with a network of Amnesty Indonesia and Social Movement Institute in Yogyakarta. As an institution mentoring students from various regions in Indonesia who study in Yogyakarta, Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta saw the importance of human rights understanding among young people and real daily implementation. Thus, Stube sent Wilton Paskalis and Robertus Ngongo as participants in the workshop. Both students are from Sumba and activists of Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta.

In the beginning of the workshop, Eko Prasetyo, SH., from SMI presented a general description of Human Rights according to Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), in which human rights are rights attached to person and can not be inviolable by anyone and or in any forms. Human rights is very sensitive. Why? Because it is closely related to the freedom life of every individu or group. It does not mean to act freely, without ethics or morals, but it is freedom to have education, to launch opinion, to improve the quality of life, to enjoy the world and so on without any ties that limits life. The concept of human rights according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights has been ratified by all countries, but in reality it has not proceeded yet.

This UDHR was a response toward World War II that brought humanity disasters. Next it is resulting movements of various countries to join the UN and they produced the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 1948. The basic values of Universal Declaration of Human Rights bear progress on freedom, justice, peace and develop universal recognition and respect for human rights which is summarized into 30 articles covering: (1) civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights; (2) acknowledgement of inherent dignity of all human beings as the basis for freedom, justice and world peace; (3) the universal acknowledgement that human rights apply to all human beings; (4) promote respect for human rights through teaching and education and progressive efforts both nationally and internationally. One example of international cases is Israeli occupation of Palestinian land, so that Palestinians are intimidated, facing access restrictions and difficulties in their daily life.

Human rights and its relevance in Indonesia for youth were revealed by Sri Muhyati, who stated that human rights are relevant to Indonesia and its youth. Human rights as ideals of independence are guaranteed by constitution of UUD 1945, in accordance with the basic rights that must be met and protected by state. Human rights as the ideals of independence proclamation are contained in the articles and the opening of UUD 1945. Indonesians ever lived as a colonized nation in which the nation and its people lost their rights to life. The struggle for Indonesian independence is the struggle for human rights because it restored human dignity. Abdurrahman Wahid, known as Gus Dur, a nation figure and former president of the Republic of Indonesia, revealed 'humanizing human beings', meant that humans should be respected, but the reality is still fight for it. Human rights violations in Indonesia also occurred during 1965 massacre, when people were arrested and sentenced without trial, suffering physical and psychological torture.

Amnesty International itself is a non-profit organization established since 1960 pioneered by Peter Benenson, a lawyer from England. At that time he read two Portuguese students were arrested because they toast for independence. He wrote letters to newspapers and finally got respond widely of the demand  to release their rights. Amnesty International existed in Indonesia since December 2017. Amnesty International focuses on global movement of human rights protection campaigns.

Worshop KAMU BELA HAM is part of introduction about basic human rights among youth and a starting point of a new movement of awareness toward human rights in Yogyakarta, because thousands of young people from various regions in Indonesia come to Yogyakarta to study. So that, learning human rights become important for them while studying in Yogyakarta as knowledge stockpile to return to their home land. (Wilton Paskalis and Robert Ngongo).