After almost two years of not being able to be a voice for her City, Ms. Lucy Lynn Fondling, a Youth for Human Rights advocate in Cape Town, delivered her first presentation since the lockdown to the students and school officials of Portland High School in Mitchells Plain, Cape Town. Wanting to educate and inspire them to become advocates for tolerance and peace, she hit the road again to restart the promotion of human rights.
The presentation began with an introduction of what Youth for Human Rights is to all attendees. According to Ms. Fondling, “Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI) is a nonprofit organization founded in 2001 by Dr. Mary Shuttleworth, an educator born and raised in apartheid South Africa, where she witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of discrimination and the lack of basic human rights”.
“We aim to reach people from diverse backgrounds by teaching human rights through all means in order for this message of peace and tolerance to be spread around the world,” said Ms. Fondling.
Concerned by the human rights violations in the form of GBV and gang violence filled the streets even more in the City of Cape town during covid, she chose to go to Portland High. The 73 students along with the Deputy Principal and some teachers were very impressed by the knowledge provided on human rights.
“You would be shocked at how many people don’t know even 5 of their human rights, how do we expect people to not violate and abuse these rights when they don’t even know them. That is why it is important that we educate as many as possible so that we can create change,” added Ms. Fondling.
Immediately after the presentation, Mrs. Saheed, Deputy Principal commented, “The Youth for Human Rights must be part of the school curriculum, there is a section in the curriculum which covers the Sharpeville Massacre and the Youth for Human Rights materials would be perfect to use in order to address this significant time in history which showed immense human rights abuse”
Everyone was completely blown away from the presentation and were requesting that the Youth for Human Rights get implemented in the school at once.
Ms. Fondling also affirmed that she will be coming back to the school as often as they want to do more.
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