We
are all affected by AIDS pandemicLocal News Up-Date, March 7, 2010
Kids commemorate ICDB
By the Kids Corner News Crew
Children in Chikuni Sunday, joined the rest of the world in commemorating
the International Children’s Day of Broadcasting (ICDB).
The Children who took on the air waves on Chikuni Community Radio from 08:00
hrs to 18:00 hrs brought to the fore issues that affect them and what
communities should do to promote their rights.
The children talked to by Kids Corner News said this year’s theme, “all
children all rights”, should awaken society to the plight of children.
They said children are vulnerable by their nature; hence the need for
communities to protect them by ensuring that their rights are respected,
promoted and upheld.
The kids have condemned gross violation of children’s rights and have
called for deliberate measures aimed at protecting them from inhuman treatment.
Children from Gwembe also joined in the fun by reciting a poem, singing a
song and also presented a special programme on school councils.
Rights activist says poverty eradication is key in ending gross violation of children's rights
By the Kids Corner News Crew
A local rights activist has called for concerted effort in the fight against
the violations of children’s rights.
Law and development Association (LADA) paralegal ,Oliver Mwiinga ,said
communities should protect children by respecting their rights.
Mr Mwiinga was speaking when he appeared on the Kids' International
Children's Day of Broadcasting (ICDB) special programme dubbed “challenges
in upholding children’s rights”.
He said that children continue to be subjected to inhumane treatment in many communities.
Mr Mwiinga attributed the gross violation of children’s rights to poverty.
Mr Mwiinga said millions of people, especially the vulnerable groups of
children and women suffer from deprivation, indignity and wastage because of endemic poverty.
He said many impoverished households are very ignorant of the rights of children.
Mr Mwiinga also said because of poverty, many children are forced to work in
dangerous occupations and also drop out of school.
FODEP says gender insensitivity is evident in Zambian politics
By Nchimunya Vanessa Mweemba
The Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP), says women in Zambia have not
been fully accorded enough and rightful space to effectively and efficiently
participate and contribute to the consolidation of Zambian democracy.
FODEP has noted that despite the fact that majority of voters are women,
major hurdles remain to be overcome if their full participation in the
electoral process is to be realised.
Executive Director, Charity Musamba, says her organisation is concerned with
the continued insignificant participation of women in politics especially in
contesting elective positions.
Dr Musamba says structural discrimination and gender insensitivities
continue to haunt many women aspiring for political office.
She says that the adoption of candidates to contest major elections by
political parties has continued to disadvantage women in the country.
Dr Musamba says women adoptions or appointments are always done under duress
and with much scrutiny.
“We want to see political parties even presenting to Zambians voters a gift
of the decade- adoption of a woman as presidential candidate in 2011. This
will help enhance confidence in the elections and ensure equal participation
in political sphere. There is great need for political parties to clearly
incorporate rules and regulations that are user friendly to women,” Dr
Musamba further says.
FODEP has since advised political parties to revise their adoption
strategies of candidates so as to accommodate a substantial number of women
contestants at local government, parliamentary and presidential levels.
This is contained in a press statement to Radio Chikuni News Sunday, ahead
of the International Women’s day.
The International Women’s Day is celebrated annually on March 8 and the
theme for this year is: “Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities, Progress for All”.
UNICEF says clean water and improved sanitation can halve child deaths
By Nchimunya Vanessa Mweemba
UNICEF says that children are highly susceptible to diseases caused by a
lack of effective sanitation and poor hygiene.
In a press statement to Radio Chikuni News, the agency further says more
than 5,000 children under the age of five die every day as a result of
diarrhoeal diseases, caused in part by unsafe water, lack of access to basic
sanitation facilities, and poor hygiene.
UNICEF Zambia Officer in Charge Charles Lolika says there is need for
massive sensitisation on sanitation and hygiene to reduce the incidence of
preventable hygiene related diseases that kill millions ever year.
“By washing hands with soap, families and communities can help reduce child
morbidity rates from diarrhoeal diseases by almost 50 percent,” said Lolika.
Lolika says in its quest to cut down on the number of child deaths as a
result of hygiene related disease,UNICEF Zambia and the government is
using radio public service announcements, radio programmes, and an
innovative cartoon character named “SOPO,” to sensitize people on cholera.
The launch of the cartoon “SOPO” is aimed at sensitizing citizens,
especially children, on the need to use good sanitation and hygiene
practices to prevent cholera during the rainy season.
“Cholera affects the same compounds every year in Lusaka. We are focusing on
protecting children from cholera in government’s new advocacy campaign
called ‘Your Life is in Your Hands,” Lolika says
“It will not be possible to defeat cholera and other water born diseases
without children and young people. We are deeply committed to working with
children and young people – not merely for them,”Lolika says.
Many children in developing countries die from preventable hygiene related
diseases,due to lack of safe clean drinking water and sanitation facilities.
MISA, AFICA condemn rejection of right to information clause
By Nchimunya Vanessa Mweemba
Two regional media bodies have condemned the National Constitutional
Conference (NCC) for rejecting the right to access information clause.
The Africa Freedom of Information Centre (AFIC) and the Media Institute of
Southern Africa (MISA), have said the decision by the NCC, to reject a
clause which could have guaranteed citizens the right of access to
information held by Government, is regrettable.
In a joint press statement to Radio Chikuni News, AFIC and MISA have said
rejection of the clause by the NCC has denied the Zambian people their
fundamental right to access information held by public authorities.
The two Media bodies said the move is retrogressive and a threat to freedom,
democracy and accountability in Zambia.
They have argued that citizens need information so that they can hold their leaders accountable.
They further say that security concerns advanced by the NCC as the excuse
for rejecting the clause is unjustifiable as it contradicts the many
international rights instruments the country has signed.
They have appealed to President Rupiah Banda to show leadership in ensuring
that access to information is guaranteed in the new constitution.
The NCC recently rejected Article 56 (1) (a) of the Willa Mung’omba draft
Constitution that could have guaranteed every citizen’s right to access
information held by public authorities.
