Yes, there is an International Declaration of Human Rights. However, in spite of it, what is agreed to and even upheld in national laws is rarely what many people experience, particularly those heralding from marginalized communities.
The SEED-SCALE approach students learn at Future Generations University equips individuals with the ability to act now with what they have to advance. They do not rise up against those who may have been oppressing them; they learn how to advance within those systems and, in advancing, change those systems.
What We Are Doing:
Class of 2015 alumnus Msafiri Msedi of Tanzania works with the Commission for Human Rights and Good Governance in Tanzania, where he is presently responsible for Promoting and Protecting Human Rights. His passion is human rights for populations experiencing disability and diversity. His method is empowerment and information technology. He has worked as a volunteer with organizations for disabled people, and is a founder of the NGO known as “Tusaidiane Disabilities Resources and Charity Organization of Tanzania” (TDRCT), which is registered to work in Tanzania. The Swahili word “tusaidiane” means “let’s help each other.”
Class of 2013 alumnus Constantine Samali of Tanzania investigated ways to support street children in the Kasulu District of Tanzania, where death of parents, domestic violence, and household poverty were top factors contributing to the number of children forced into unsupervised and unprotected homelessness. To address this devastating issue, Samali advocates two solutions: community sensitization, through which communities are motivated to protect and support these vulnerable members of their community, and the creation of Self-Help Groups that can serve as advocates and support systems for the street children of Tanzania.
Class of 2011 alumna Kim McLennan of U.S.A focused her research on how to improve the effectiveness of relief to Haiti following the 2010 earthquake. In her work in Haiti post-earthquake era as a rehabilitation worker, she recognized how international aid efforts fell short of building local capacity. She found them to be particularly neglectful of the needs of the disabled population, which had vastly increased after the earthquake. McLennan proposes addressing these problems by focusing development initiatives on developing local leaders and beneficiaries so that Haiti’s future is not reliant on external funding and expertise.
Class of 2015 alumnus Msafiri Msedi of Tanzania works with the Commission for Human Rights and Good Governance in Tanzania, where he is presently responsible for Promoting and Protecting Human Rights. His passion is human rights for populations experiencing disability and diversity. His method is empowerment and information technology. He has worked as a volunteer with organizations for disabled people, and is a founder of the NGO known as “Tusaidiane Disabilities Resources and Charity Organization of Tanzania” (TDRCT), which is registered to work in Tanzania. The Swahili word “tusaidiane” means “let’s help each other.”
Class of 2013 alumnus Constantine Samali of Tanzania investigated ways to support street children in the Kasulu District of Tanzania, where death of parents, domestic violence, and household poverty were top factors contributing to the number of children forced into unsupervised and unprotected homelessness. To address this devastating issue, Samali advocates two solutions: community sensitization, through which communities are motivated to protect and support these vulnerable members of their community, and the creation of Self-Help Groups that can serve as advocates and support systems for the street children of Tanzania.
Class of 2011 alumna Kim McLennan of U.S.A focused her research on how to improve the effectiveness of relief to Haiti following the 2010 earthquake. In her work in Haiti post-earthquake era as a rehabilitation worker, she recognized how international aid efforts fell short of building local capacity. She found them to be particularly neglectful of the needs of the disabled population, which had vastly increased after the earthquake. McLennan proposes addressing these problems by focusing development initiatives on developing local leaders and beneficiaries so that Haiti’s future is not reliant on external funding and expertise.