Finalreportchrc PRINTED.Pdf
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Poverty as a Human Rights Violation? Report of the Symposium Held at Lake Naivasha Country Club September 28th - 30th, 2011 P. I. Iribemwangi J. B. Ndohvu Njeri Muhoro Mumia G. Osaaji Organized by the Center for Human Rights and Peace, University of Nairobi With support from the Norwegian Center for Human Rights, University of Oslo and the Institute of International Education, New York. Center forHumanRightsandPeace Caption: 2 Group Photo (With Chief Justice, Dr. Willy Mutunga, front, middle) Poverty as a Human Rights Violation? TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of contents ................................................................................................................................ 3 Acronymns/Abbreviations................................................................................................................ 5 Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................ 6 Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................ 7 1.0 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................... 9 1.1 Background ............................................................................................................................ 9 1.2 About the Organisers ......................................................................................................... 10 1.3 Welcoming Remarks ........................................................................................................... 10 2.0 SESSION 1 ..................................................................................................... 15 2.1 “The genesis of poverty and the subsequent identification of responsibilities that give rise to poverty”, by Prof. Jack Odhiambo ......................................... 15 2.2 “An application of Gaventa’s power analytical model to human rights and civic action in Kenya”, by Prof. Bård Andreassen and Tiberius Baraza .................. 16 2.3 Plenary ................................................................................................................................... 16 3.0 SESSION 2..................................................................................................... 18 3.1 “Land rights and poverty reduction in Tanzania: A critique of neo-liberal theory of development”, by Dr. Mohammed Bakari ....................................... 18 3.2 “Poverty Alleviation in Kenya: A Review of why poverty strategies have failed”, by Dr. Tom Ondicho .......................................................................... 19 3.3 “Building trust in post-conflict society: Human rights and peace building lessons from Mt. Elgon in Kenya”, by Patrick Maluki .......................................................... 19 3.4 “The politics of land rights in Molo /Kuresoi in Kenya”, by Ulrika Waaranpera20 3.5 “Public interest litigation on the right to adequate food: Evolving issues and emerging applications”, by Mumia G. Osaaji ................................................... 20 3.6 Plenary ................................................................................................................................... 21 4.0 SESSION 3..................................................................................................... 22 4.1 “Poverty and human rights through literary lenses: The case of Meja Mwangi’s Going Down River Road”, by Dr. Jennifer Muchiri .............................................. 22 4.2 “Addressing the development of classes in Kenyan society: Poverty studies and Kenyan literature”, by Dr. Alex Wanjala ...................................................................... 22 4.3 Plenary ................................................................................................................................... 23 5.0 SESSION 4..................................................................................................... 24 5.1 “Poverty and access to justice: The role of poverty in denying Muslim women access to justice in Kadhi’s Courts in Kenya”, by Kadara Swaleh ....................... 24 5.2 “Gendered post-conflict experiences of poverty and human rights violations in Rwanda”, by Prof. Shirley Randel and Melissa Vogt .................................. 24 5.3 “Engendering poverty through human rights discourse” by Maloba L. Wekesa 25 3 Center for Human Rights and Peace 5.4 “Teaching about gender and poverty in post-genocide Rwanda” by Dr. Anne-Marrie Hilsdon ............................................................................... 25 5.5 Plenary ................................................................................................................................... 26 6.0 SESSION 5..................................................................................................... 27 6.1 “Poverty and disability: The case of human rights violations of deaf people”, by Dr. George Jefwa Mweri ............................................................................ 27 6.2 “Poverty and pastoralist land rights in Northern Kenya: Interrogating historical injustices and institutional failure in Kenya”, by Prof. Maurice Amutabi and Linnet Hamasi… ..................................................................................................... 28 6.3 “Women and property rights of the Sabaot of Mt. Elgon District”, by Sally Wangamati ......................................................................................... 28 6.4 “Whence emerges hands of humanism to uplift vulnerable humanity?”, by Prof. Taban Lo Liyong .............................................................................. 28 6.5 “Poverty as a bottleneck to the realization of children’s rights: Evidence from Kenya vis a vis the Children’s Act, 2011” by Dr. Iribe Mwangi ................ 29 6.6 Plenary ................................................................................................................................... 29 7.0 SESSION 6..................................................................................................... 31 7.1 “Effectiveness of poverty reduction in Laini Saba Location in Kibera - Nairobi”, By Janet Ombwayo ......................................................................................... 31 7.2 “Poverty as a human rights violation: What role could social workers play?”, by Dr. Ndungi Mungai .................................................................................. 32 7.3 “Poverty and vulnerable populations: A case of female domestic workers in Nairobi”, by Simon Ndulu........................................................................... 32 7.4 Plenary ................................................................................................................................... 33 8.0 SESSION 7..................................................................................................... 34 8.1 “Thoughts on poverty and Human Rights from a religious-cultural dimension”, by Prof. Douglas Waruta ................................................................................ 34 8.2 “Suspended rights – extended poverty”, Dr. Dulo Nyaoro .............................. 35 8.3 “Human rights issues in the conservation of cultural property in Kenya”, by Dr. Ephraim Wahome ................................................................................ 35 8.4 Plenary ................................................................................................................................... 36 9.0 SESSION 8..................................................................................................... 37 9.1 “The poverty of information literacy? Towards a new paradigm in the fight against poverty in Kenya”, Jacinta M. Mwende ........................................................ 37 9.2 “Poverty as a factor in determining education achievement in Kenya: A case of Nyanza and Coast Provinces”, by Dr. Anne Assey and Prof. Julius Mwabora 37 9.3 “Neoliberalism and the right to education in Tanzania: Poverty eradication or poverty reproduction”, by Audax Kweyamba ............................................ 38 9.4 Plenary. .................................................................................................................................. 38 10.0 WAY FORWARD ........................................................................................... 39 Closing Remarks ................................................................................................................. 40 Appendices ........................................................................................................................... 41 4 Poverty as a Human Rights Violation? ACRONYMS/ABBREVIATIONS CDF Constituency Development Fund CHRP Center for Human Rights and Peace CHSS College of Humanities and Social Sciences CJ Chief Justice CRC Convention on the Rights of the Child CUEA Catholic University of East Africa FAO Food and Agricultural Organisation FPE Free Primary Education GoK Government of Kenya HIV/AIDS Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Virus HR Human Rights HROs Human Rights Organisations ICESCR International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights IMF International Monetary Fund ICCPR International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights KLA Kenya Land Alliance M.A Master of Arts (degree/course) MDGs Millennium Development Goals MKI Miss Koch