Embracing The Truth: Empowerment and Healing

"Blessed are they who maintain justice, who constantly do what is right."- Psalm 106:3. Regrettably, in most societies, those with a voice are uninterested in speaking out on behalf of those who are voiceless and vulnerable. Societies are built on many layers of corruption and preferential treatment. As a result those with power and resources are oftentimes indebted to those (in the shadows) who are the authors of dishonesty and human rights violations. The right to truth is very much an uphill task and at times this right appears only applicable to the rich and politically connected. According to the United Nations (UN), the right to the truth is often invoked in the context of gross violations of human rights and grave breaches of humanitarian law. The relatives of victims of summary executions, enforced disappearance, missing persons, abducted children and torture, have a right to know what happened to them. The right to the truth implies knowing the full and complete truth as to the events that transpired, their specific circumstances, and who participated in them, including knowing the circumstances in which the violations took place, as well as the reasons for them. Each year, on 24 March, the International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims is observed. This annual observance pays tribute to the memory of Monsignor Óscar Arnulfo Romero, who was murdered on 24 March 1980. Monsignor Romero was actively engaged in denouncing violations of the human rights of the most vulnerable individuals in El Salvador. On 21 December 2010, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 24 March as the International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims. The date was chosen because on 24 March 1980, Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero of El Salvador was assassinated, after denouncing violations of human rights. In a study conducted in 2006 the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights concluded that the right to the truth about gross human rights violations and serious violations of human rights law is an inalienable and autonomous right, linked to the duty and obligation of the State to protect and guarantee human rights, to conduct effective investigations and to guarantee effective remedy and reparations. Background. In a 2009 report on the Right to the Truth, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights identified best practices for the effective implementation of this right, in particular practices relating to archives and records concerning gross violations of human rights, and programmes on the protection of witnesses and other persons involved in trials connected with such violations. The Commission on the Truth for El Salvador was established in accordance with the Mexico Agreements of 27 April 1991 to investigate serious acts of violence that had occurred since 1980 and whose impact on society was deemed to require an urgent public knowledge of the truth. In its report of 15 March 1993, the Commission documented the facts of the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero by pro-government forces, the so-called "death squads". He was shot dead by an assassin as he celebrated mass on 24 March 1980. Who was Archbishop Oscar Romero?. Born on August 15th 1917, Oscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdamez was sent to study for the priesthood in Rome and was ordained in April 1942. The Archbishop Romero Trust states that Oscar Romero embraced a simple lifestyle; he was a popular preacher who responded with real compassion to the plight of the poor. He gave dedicated pastoral service to the diocese of San Miguel for 25 years. Ordained Auxiliary Bishop in 1970, he gained a reputation as a stubborn and reactionary prelate. The Trust mentioned that Romero was unsympathetic to the new social justice thrust of the Latin American Church; he was suspicious of the clergy and the Base Christian Communities of the archdiocese working alongside the exploited rural poor, promoting social organizations and land reform. During a brief stay in the countryside as Bishop of Santiago de Maria he learnt firsthand about the semi-feudal misery and hardships of the campesinos and witnessed the murderous repression being suffered at the hands of the security forces. In February 1977 he was the surprising choice to be the new Archbishop of San Salvador. Over the next three years the social and political conflict in El Salvador intensified with electoral fraud blocking change, and peaceful protest being met with massacres and death squad killings. From his Cathedral pulpit Archbishop Romero became the voice of the voiceless poor. There, in a society of cover-up and lies, he spoke the truth of what was happening in the countryside; he denounced the killings, the torture and the disappearances of community leaders; he demanded justice and recompense for the atrocities committed by the army and police and he set up legal aid projects and pastoral programmes to support the victims of the violence. With the emergence of armed guerrilla groups on the far left, civil war loomed. The Trust states that Archbishop Romero, rejected the violence perpetrated by the left as well as the right, strained every nerve to promote peaceful solutions to his nation’s crisis. He was vilified in the press, attacked and denounced to Rome by Catholics of the wealthy classes, harassed by the security forces and publically opposed by several Episcopal colleagues. At 6.26pm on March 24th 1980, with a single marksman’s bullet, he fell at the foot of a huge crucifix. Archbishop Romero was canonized by Pope Francis at a ceremony in St Peter's Square in Rome on Sunday October 14th. For the ceremony, the Pope wore the bloodstained cincture that Romero had been wearing when he was killed. Human Rights. Human rights are rights we have simply because we exist as human beings; they are not granted by any state. These universal rights are inherent to us all, regardless of nationality, sex, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, language, or any other status. They range from the most fundamental - the right to life - to those that make life worth living, such as the rights to food, education, work, health, and liberty. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948, was the first legal document to set out the fundamental human rights to be universally protected. The principle of universality of human rights is the cornerstone of international human rights law. This means that we are all equally entitled to our human rights. This principle, as first emphasized in the UDHR, is repeated in many international human rights conventions, declarations, and resolutions. Human rights are inalienable. They should not be taken away, except in specific situations and according to due process. For example, the right to liberty may be restricted if a person is found guilty of a crime by a court of law. All human rights are indivisible and interdependent. This means that one set of rights cannot be enjoyed fully without the other. For example, making progress in civil and political rights makes it easier to exercise economic, social and cultural rights. Similarly, violating economic, social and cultural rights can negatively affect many other rights. A Call to Action. We live in a world beset by various levels of social injustice. There are many uncomfortable truths in our society. Perhaps, the establishment of Truth Commissions could be useful tools to unearth human rights violations. Unfortunately, many citizens have been forced to accept noise pollution as a way of life. Constitutional breaches occur almost daily for the voiceless. Those from a privileged position oftentimes are reluctant to speak on behalf of the downtrodden in society. Yet, we pride ourselves as being Christians. The world as we know it is one where might is right. Those who wield power see themselves as superior beings. There have been countless wars that have their genesis in the egos of mankind. The pain and suffering of such senseless wars, such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continue to take a heavy toll on those who are defenseless and most vulnerable. Those who are fortunate enough to have a platform to speak must speak for those who are voiceless. At times it only requires a conversation for both sides to arrive at a solution. On this International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims let us recommit ourselves to be fearless as we continue to engage in advocacy to highlight and expose social injustices in our societies. Let us be mindful of our civic duties to educate those in our societies who are unaware of their human rights. The day should be one of reckoning especially for those among us who continue to inflict harm and injustice upon others. The truth we desperately search for should not be linked to one’s social standing in society but instead be clothed in garments concerning justice for all. On this important day let us see truth as a medium for empowerment and healing for those individuals who have been wronged. In the words of Saint Oscar Romero, a church that doesn't provoke any crises, a gospel that doesn't unsettle, a word of God that doesn't get under anyone’s skin, a word of God that doesn't touch the real sin of the society in which it is being proclaimed  what gospel is that? Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues. waykam@yahoo.com © # InternationalDayfortheRighttotheTruthConcerningGrossHumanRightsViolationsandfortheDignityof Victims #humanrights