What Human Rights Mean for Displaced Youth — Global Issues

In a lively interactive dialogue, OHCHR‘s Ajith Sunghay had invited the young students to discuss what human rights mean to them. In turn, they shared their pain and hopes, sending messages to the world demanding an end to the war so they could return home safely.

“We want to show solidarity with them, support them, work with them and see how we can strengthen our relationship,” he said. UN News. “We’ve known them for years. We’ve created this bond and connection.”

During the lively discussion that followed, Mr. Sunghay answered a series of questions, interspersed with facts about the rights of the displaced students under international humanitarian law, the importance of defending these rights, and the role of the UN and its agencies in the Gaza Strip and their duties towards the Palestinians in light of the dire conditions they face on a daily basis.

‘Everyone has the right’

At the beginning, Mr. Sunghay asked the students how well they understood human rights, and the answers echoed through the tent.

“Everyone has the right to it,” said one student.

“My right to go to school or university,” said another, referring to the right to education.

Yet another stated that it is “the right to live in a safe place,” meaning the right to life.

Mr. Sunghay gave an overview of the basic principles of human rights and explained that people from different countries came together and drafted and agreed on human rights. Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, which forms the basis for all other human rights treaties.

“Why are you in Gaza?”

One of the questions the youth group asked was a candid question.

“Why are you here in Gaza?” a student asked the UN official.

Mr Sunghay then explained the two main purposes of his visit to the enclave.

“First of all, I came to see how we can increase the protection of people,” he said. “That is not easy. As the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), we lead the protection cluster with other UN agencies such as the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF). We are all trying to see how we can protect citizens. And that includes all of you.”

The second reason, according to him, is human rights.

“This is not easy,” he continued. “But I am also here to see and assess the human rights situation and, more importantly, to meet people and understand the challenges and difficulties they face and the human rights violations that are taking place in Gaza and to engage with civil society, which is the backbone of our response.”

‘Do we have the same rights?’

Another girl asked whether children in Gaza have the same rights as children in other parts of the world.

“Of course you have rights in these agreements on paper and then comes the implementation,” the UN official replied. “You are right, there are many contradictions in the world.

“But we want to achieve equality in how rights are respected all over the world, and that is never easy. That’s why we have to keep pushing. We want you to be in classes that are right for you, just like other children in other parts of the world have decent classes.”

There is still a long way to go before this kind of equal respect for human rights is achieved, he continued.

“But we cannot give up and that is why we continue to fight with civil society, governments and UN institutions. It is a joint effort. Yes, we are all equal and should be treated as such. Yes, there are implementation challenges and we need governments to work with us. That is also very important.”

As the conversation continued, another girl asked about the right to return to her home.

He said they have the right to live in a safe place, the right to housing, the right to shelter, the right to life.

“We still have a long way to go to achieve all rights, and we cannot give up on that,” he continued. “We monitor and see where rights are not yet respected and then we inform the international community. We try to influence the decision makers so that you have the same rights as everyone else.”

‘We want our full rights’

When asked what the students’ messages to the world are, they immediately responded: UN Newsin Arabic and English.

“Before the war, I lived in Nuseirat camp,” said Lama Abu al-Saeed, a displaced person from central Gaza. “Now I am in Istiqlal camp in Deir Al-Balah. I have a bad feeling about this camp. This is not my life. This is not Gaza’s life… Now I hope this war will end so I can go back to my home.”

Where is the freedom for us, the children who live in fear of the occupation?

– Tala Al-Khatib

Tala Al-Khatib, a 13-year-old girl displaced from Jabalia camp in the northern Gaza Strip, said she wanted to deliver her message “to all the bad people who wanted to occupy our city, Gaza”.

“They have killed thousands of children and orphaned thousands of others,” she said. “They have killed men and widowed women. Where is our right to live in peace and security? Where is the freedom for us, the children who live in fear of the occupation? We want our full rights.”

Sama Al-Borno, a displaced girl from the Al Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City, expressed her hope that the shooting would stop so she could return home.

Dima Abu Saeed, from Al Bureij camp in central Gaza, summed up a common cry.

“I was displaced several times until I arrived at our current camp, Al Istiqlal Camp,” she said. “I suffered a lot as a result of my displacement until I arrived at this camp, which is housing us and some of the displaced people. I really hope that this war will end.”