“Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home — so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. […] Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world.” – Eleanor Roosevelt.

Today, PsySSA celebrates International Human Rights Day. This day was designated due to the adoption and proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) on the 10th of December, 1948 by the United Nations General Assembly. It was the first global declaration of human rights which was among the first major achievements of the United Nations.

The Human Rights Day celebration this year will have a special purpose being devoted to the launch of a comprehensive campaign for the 50th anniversary of the two International Covenants on Human Rights. The two covenants are the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Both were adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on the 16th of December, 1966.

The celebration’s theme to promote the 50^th anniversary campaign will be “Our Rights. Our Freedoms. Always.” The campaign will last one year and it will revolve around the theme of freedoms and rights specifically: freedom of speech; freedom of worship; freedom from fear and freedom from want. These freedoms reinforce the International Bill of Human Rights which are as relevant today as when they were initially adopted 50 years ago.

What You Can Do on International Human Rights Day?

Organize a fundraising event to support human rights causes.

Invite human rights personalities to speak in a symposium.

Distribute posters and other informative materials to spread awareness of important human rights issues.

Volunteer for local and international organizations that fight for human rights.

Create an event in your community to help inform the public about vital human rights issues.

Use social media to spread awareness of International Human Rights Day.

Source: Consumer Health Digest

Today PsySSA celebrates the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. This day aims to promote:

• An understanding of disability issues
• The rights of persons with disabilities
• Gains to be derived from the integration of persons with disabilities in every aspect of the political, social, economic and cultural life of their communities.

The theme for 2017 International Day of People with Disability is “Transformation towards sustainable and resilient society for all”. The overarching principle of this theme is to ‘leave no one behind’ and empowers people with disabilities to be active contributors of society.

The estimated one billion people living with disabilities worldwide face many barriers to inclusion in many key aspects of society. As a result, people with disabilities do not enjoy access to society on an equal basis with others, which includes areas of transportation, employment, and education as well as social and political participation. The right to participate in public life is essential to create stable democracies, active citizenship and reduce inequalities in society.

Persons with disabilities must be able to fulfil their role in society and participate on an equal basis with others. It is important to focus on the ability and not on the disability of an individual. By promoting empowerment, real opportunities for people are created. This enhances their own capacities and supports them in setting their own priorities. Empowerment involves investing in people – in jobs, health, nutrition, education, and social protection. When people are empowered they are better prepared to take advantage of opportunities, they become agents of change and can more readily embrace their civic responsibilities.

Source: South African Government

On 29 November 2017, The Johannesburg Holocaust and Genocide Centre together with Gay and Lesbian Archive (GALA) hosted the book launch by author and Executive Member of the Sexuality and Gender division (PsySSA), Melanie Judge. The book titled, Blackwashing Homophobia: Violence and the Politics of Sexuality, Gender and Race is published by Routledge and forms part of the Critical Psychology Book Series. Melanie Judge was in conversation with Peace Kiguwa (Chair of the Sexuality and Gender Division). The conversation focused on critically interrogating the intersections of homophobia-related violence with race, gender and class. Critiquing the prevailing discourses through which violence against black lesbians in particular is understood, the discussion highlighted the importance of unraveling the power knowledge regimes through which black queer identities and experiences are made legible. In their conversation, Judge and Kiguwa discussed possibilities and urgency involved in reimagining the discursive lenses through which we theorize homophobia-related violence as well as the complex and at times contradictory relationship that queer activism has with the law. The discussion ended with an interrogation of possibilities of resistance and interrogating the meanings of queer freedom – critiquing global homonormative constructs and representations of queer life and freedom – and the radical practices of speaking back to dominant representations as part of resistance.

The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence and Abuse campaign kicked off on 25 November until 10 December under the overarching theme “Count Me In: Together Moving a Non-Violent South Africa Forward.”

The campaign aims to raise awareness of the negative impact that violence and abuse have on women and children. “Over this period government will convene a series of dialogues on violence against women and children to focus on the problem, causes and to find appropriate solutions. Through the dialogue sessions government will interact with communities who experience violence and abuse.