Assess the Ability of Ngos in the Sustainability of Marginalized Children’s Rights to Health
CHAPTER ONE
1.1 INTRODUCTION
This study is about the ability of Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in sustaining marginalized children’s right to health. NGOs are organizations that are independent of any government. Typically NGOs are made up of activists devoted to working on particular issues according to a set of principled ideas or values. Within the liberal paradigm of international law, NGOs help bridge the gap between law and policy; thereby becoming useful citizens of the global community (Breen, 2003). In Uganda and other African states today, there are a lot of NGOs out there trying to analyze situations of child right to health being abused, propose human rights instruments, and avail possible strategies. Though these can be adapted, greater concerns for the study are on the extent to which NGOs can put to proper use the human rights instruments, correctly diagnosing situations of children’s rights to health being marginalized and thereafter sustainably provide the right strategies to sustain the marginalized children’s right to health.
1.2 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Among the issues NGOs are concerned include children’s relationships with the law and this has raised concerns about the proper protection of marginalized child rights, given children’s vulnerability and dependence on adults. Sheehan (2003) argues that Children’s rights are not precisely equivalent to those enjoyed by adults. Therefore, because of their inexperience and dependence, they are treated differently by the legal process.
By their nature, human rights are universal because they are derived from the inherent dignity of each individual person and are the birthright of all human beings, children included (Chapman, 1993., Vienna Declaration, 1993). Human rights assume a special concern for rectifying historical and other imbalances and meeting the needs and rights of poor, disadvantaged and marginalized children, individuals and populations (Chapman, 1993). A variety
1.1 INTRODUCTION
This study is about the ability of Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in sustaining marginalized children’s right to health. NGOs are organizations that are independent of any government. Typically NGOs are made up of activists devoted to working on particular issues according to a set of principled ideas or values. Within the liberal paradigm of international law, NGOs help bridge the gap between law and policy; thereby becoming useful citizens of the global community (Breen, 2003). In Uganda and other African states today, there are a lot of NGOs out there trying to analyze situations of child right to health being abused, propose human rights instruments, and avail possible strategies. Though these can be adapted, greater concerns for the study are on the extent to which NGOs can put to proper use the human rights instruments, correctly diagnosing situations of children’s rights to health being marginalized and thereafter sustainably provide the right strategies to sustain the marginalized children’s right to health.
1.2 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Among the issues NGOs are concerned include children’s relationships with the law and this has raised concerns about the proper protection of marginalized child rights, given children’s vulnerability and dependence on adults. Sheehan (2003) argues that Children’s rights are not precisely equivalent to those enjoyed by adults. Therefore, because of their inexperience and dependence, they are treated differently by the legal process.
By their nature, human rights are universal because they are derived from the inherent dignity of each individual person and are the birthright of all human beings, children included (Chapman, 1993., Vienna Declaration, 1993). Human rights assume a special concern for rectifying historical and other imbalances and meeting the needs and rights of poor, disadvantaged and marginalized children, individuals and populations (Chapman, 1993). A variety