Blogging and Human Rights

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According to the Swahili dictionary, Human Right refers to:

Any basic right or freedom to which all human beings are entitled and in who’s a government may not interfere

There are various ways in which blogging can help foster protection of human rights in Kenya. Below is a highlight of some of the ways.

The first step Is for the blogger to get acquainted with the concept of human rights. This is not just about the definitions but one has to know what rights the Kenyan citizen is entitled to. The basic rights include but are not limited to: right to life, right to education, freedom of expression and freedom of worship. These can be read from the Kenyan Constitution which is available both as a hard cover document as well as mobile phone apps. It’s easier to write about something one knows as one has the confidence to stand for ones opinion and stated facts.

Secondly, through blogging, bloggers create awareness to the society. Many people do not know what their rights are. With a tough economy, the Kenyan citizen is too focused on making ends meet to spend time reading the constitution. Since blogging is a creative venture, bloggers can present the information by the use of cartoons or other attractive ways. The advantage of this again is that in blogging, the main aim is to get the reader understand as easily as possible. The writer breaks down the rights in a simple language avoiding the professional jargon that scares the average reader.

In the same vein, bloggers can carry out interviews with both human right specialists and post on their platforms to increase the awareness. Since this is a social media era, such information can instantly be shared on all platforms such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and so forth.

In addition, since a blogger commands follower-ship to some extent, it means s/he is a leader. In that case, and this being the 21^st century, bloggers need to lead by example. It is not just enough reading and posting about the human rights. They need to make sure that they are not infringing on anyone’s rights and freedoms. One can only speak against a vice if one is pretty confident that one is not a perpetrator of the same.

In conjunction with the above statement, bloggers need to be part of the organizations that enhance protection of human rights. Examples of these include Oxfam, Transparency International, Red Cross to mention but a few. In the event that they feel these organizations do not serve the right purpose, there is freedom to form their own associations to voice out their protection of human rights. Some of the human rights defaulters are the big fish of the society and it is only easier and/wiser if attacked through agencies.

Lastly, blogging is a good skill to use in reporting violation of human rights. A blogger is in a way a whistle-blower. Being able to do research on an ongoing vice, involving the authority using the right protocol(including talking to the authority) is a great step towards human rights protection. Readers always want to know what, why and how a scandal came to being. Bloggers have a chance to feed the society with the right information. It is important to note that with technology, time is of great essence. If a blogger decides to look into a case say sexual assault, then s/he has to utilize the technology such as use of cameras, screenshots, text messages effectively to acquire the relevant information fast enough. Being late is unforgivable.

To sum up, blogging is a wonderful tool that can help in promotion and protection of human rights. This can be achieved when bloggers are well informed of the human rights, have a willingness to create awareness and educate the citizens about their rights, report human rights violation and get involved in activities that promote the human rights. It begins with me.

Douglas is the founder of 

Dowe Music & Arts

 based in Nakuru