WUNRN
THE RIGHT TO BE HEARD - TO CONTROL
LIVES - TO ACCESS RIGHTS - BEYOND POVERTY - WOMEN
The Right to Be Heard - Oxfam
Download: English learning companion
The Right to be Heard is about people claiming their right to a better life. Poor and marginalised people can gain control over their own lives by exercising their rights to political participation, freedom of expression and information, freedom of assembly and access to justice. Oxfam recognises that poverty is not just about obvious things like inadequate access to food, shelter and education. It is also about vulnerability, isolation, powerlessness, lack of information and restricted access to goods, services and knowledge.
Oxfam work is based on the belief
that:
• All human lives are of equal value, and that everyone has fundamental
rights that must be recognised and upheld at all times.
• People living in poverty should be agents of their own development and,
with the right resources, support and training, can solve their own prob-lems.
• Development work needs to go beyond issues of material resources to
consider and address the capacity, choices and power required for people living
in poverty to enjoy all human rights.
Oxfam’s
rights-based approach to development means that all of our work should
strengthen the ability of men, women and youth living in poverty to de-mand and
protect their rights, and ensure that governments and institutions fulfil their
obligations to respect and promote the rights of poor people.