Prudence and Hope for Human Rights Day

Human Rights Concert marks end of 16 Days Programme at Book Cafe

Wed 10 Dec 2014, 8pm

Book Café, 139 S.Machel Ave, Harare

 

Throughout the world, Wednesday 10 December 2014 marks Human Rights Day, and in Harare, three exciting women artists of Zimbabwe come together to commemorate and celebrate its existence – one of Zim’s top jazz singers PRUDENCE KATOMENI and mbira princess HOPE MASIKE will occupy Book Café stage with back-to-back sets, opening with the emerging ‘RAVEN’ from 8pm.  A scintillating performance is expected! 

The event is the finale in the exciting programme for ‘16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence’, by Harare’s busy arts development organisation Pamberi Trust and its gender programme ‘FLAME’ (Female Literary, Arts and Music Enterprise) which has featured many women artists in music and poetry performances, discussions and films since November. 

 

The Human Rights Concert at Book Café on Wednesday 10 December is presented with kind support from the Embassy of Canada in Harare, and other project partners.

 

Women Artists for Human Rights

 

The three popular women artists were very keen to participate in the final event in the annual ’16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence’ programme at Book Café, joining women around the world in the long-running international campaign that starts on 25 November, International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and ends on 10 December, Human Rights Day - symbolically designated to emphasize that gender-based violence is a human rights violation.  (Read more at http://16dayscwgl.rutgers.edu).

 

PRUDENCE KATOMENI-MBOFANA is a household name in Zimbabwe, with a singing and acting career which blossomed in her teenage years.  Now an acclaimed performing and recording artist, wife and mother of four, she immediately agreed to perform in the Concert, saying “It is very important for us to participate in such commemorations, to make our voices heard on behalf of those who don’t have a voice, or don’t have a chance to voice their concerns”.

 

HOPE MASIKE - In the last few years Hope Masike has been travelling widely in the world, proudly representing Zimbabwe, and broadening her horizons, awareness and understanding.  At the time of writing she was in the middle of an eastern tour including China, Honk Kong and Malaysia (hard on the heels of a hectic US tour), but looking forward to getting back home to the Human Rights Concert. 

 

From her hotel room in Malaysia in the week before the show she said, “Rights are things we are allowed to do, to be or to have, by mere virtue of being human.  Much as they are all equally important, I'd like to talk about the right to participate in the cultural life of a community, the right to art, science and learning.  I am loving this one not only because it covers my field but also because our culture as a people or even as individuals is important and sets us apart from others.   Let us utilize this right by feeding our minds with as much art and culture as we can. I know of places were music is not allowed.  We are allowed to listen and to play any music we like, to choose the religion we prefer and so forth. Let us not deny our children their culture because of backward, colonial mind sets. There is a lot of wealth in the cultural heritage left for us. Let us all not watch while the true Zimbabwean/African, Ubuntu values die down. We have the right to it, all of it. If we fail to realize this, others will utilize it because they also have the right to it.”

 

Hope Masike: Photo by FUNGAIFOTO

RAVEN - The youngest artist, Raven (Ruvimbo Mapanda), who is emerging strongly on the local music scene, performing at Book Café and other venues, said “I feel honored to grace such a special occasion, where we have the chance to express ourselves about rights and freedoms [because] to take away a woman's freedom of choice - even her freedom to make a wrong choice - is to manipulate her as though she were a puppet and not a person.”  Raven quotes the late great poet Maya Angelou, saying “a bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song”.  Raven recently featured on a compilation CD for the special women's edition of the new magazine POVO with other Zimbabwean women (still to be released).

Raven

From Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, the 16 Days Campaign is a powerful platform to raise the call for an end to gender-based violence and to advocate for the full realization of human rights around the world.

 

In Harare, the Book Café will be buzzing once again, with dynamic performances by the three women on Wednesday 10 December in honour of Human Rights Day.

 

Universal Declaration of Human Rights - A Magna Carta for all humanity

Some 66 years have elapsed since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations on 10 December 1948. The Declaration was one of the first major achievements of the United Nations, and still remains a powerful instrument which continues to exert an enormous effect on people's lives all over the world. This was the first time in history that a document considered to have universal value was adopted by an international organization. It was also the first time that human rights and fundamental freedoms were set forth in such detail, and has been described as "a world milestone in the long struggle for human rights".

The adoption of the Universal Declaration stems in large part from the strong desire for peace in the aftermath of the Second World War. Although the 58 Member States which formed the United Nations at that time varied in their ideologies, political systems and religious and cultural backgrounds and had different patterns of socio-economic development, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights represented a common statement of goals and aspirations - a vision of the world as the international community would want it to become.

The future of human rights lies in our hands. We must all act when human rights are violated. States as well as the individual must take responsibility for the realization and effective protection of human rights.   http://www.un.org/rights/50/carta.htm

In Zimbabwe, as stated in the information publication ‘Declaration of Rights’ by the Legal Resources Foundation, “The Declaration of Rights is a Chapter in the Constitution of Zimbabwe setting out the rights and freedoms which the people of Zimbabwe are entitled to.  The constitution is the supreme law of the country which sets out how the country is governed.  Human Rights are entitlements we have simply because of being human beings.  The rights listed in the Declaration of Rights are constitutional rights and are therefore legally protected.”