Darrel-Day Guerrero Enriched English, ANE54I

A HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER Dr. Timothy Njoya

Work presented to Ms. Touchburn

Mont-Royal high school Tuesday, September 28th, 2010

Darrel-Day Guerrero Ms. Touchburn A HUMAN RIGHT DEFENDER

Tuesday, September 28th, 2010 Group 52

As human beings, we all have human rights. Whether its to freely express ourselves, to have a proper education, to believe and practice a religion, to eat and drink, to have shelter, to pursue happiness or simply to have the right to exist, we deserve all of these human rights. No matter who we are and where we come from, these rights are meant for everyone. Each and every human right is essential because without them, it is impossible to live a full life. Although some people disagree on what human rights are and even some tend to abuse other peoples rights, there are defenders everywhere that passionately work in order to defend the neglected For my assignment, I have chosen Dr. Timothy Njoya. Born in Kenya, he grew up in Ngoru village, Nyeri District, Central province. In spite of his familys poverty, Dr. Njoya still went to school. He earned his first degree in 1971 then later on in 1976, he earned a Ph. D from Princeton University in the United-States. Not to mention, Njoya also received a Doctor of Divinity from the Knox College. Before becoming one of the most devoted and active human right defender in Kenya, this man started off as a blessed clergy member. Presently speaking, this courageous advocate has defended two human rights. Dr Njoyas primary challenge was to defend the countrys right to peacefully protest and speak against a political regime. During his time, Kenya was under a political dictatorship full of violence and injustice. In order to bring a good change to his country, he demanded freedom from the corrupted government and multi-party elections. Throughout his battle, Njoya was and still is a very important member of the Presbyterian Church of South Africa. As a leading advocate, facing the Kenyan government wasnt easy. Many people from the political authorities and even from other churches opposed Dr. Njoya. As a result, he had to face and survive numerous violent beatings from the army. He has also been held into custody without trial. Fortunately, with time and help from his supporters and his church, he managed to bring forward the first multiparty general elections in 1992. While he was confronting against Kenyas political dictatorship, Njoya also fought for womens rights. He realized that women always had to do the hard work in the family while men took things for granted. Respectively, in his work for gender equity, he proudly created the Men of Equality with Women (MEW) organization. With MEW, members would teach men to have more compassion and respect towards women and to help their wives in daily chores. Of course, many women supported this cause. Compared to his main challenge, he didnt face any huge difficulties.

After his accomplishments, Njoya won the prominent John Humphrey Freedom Award (2000) in recognition of his success and of his combat for peace, justice and equality in his country. Today, he inspires the younger generations in Kenya and in other places to struggle for the exact same rights that he has defended. A quote from Dr. Timothy Njoya saying: I am not a victim. I accept the harm done to me because my struggle has produced the fruit of change in my country. In my opinion, Im very impressed with the work Mr. Njoya has done during the last two decades. Even if he faced very harsh obstacles and difficulties during his mission, he still managed to accomplish his goals. I admire his great perseverance, his bravery and his strong faith with God. I am also inspired with his appreciation for women. Who would think that a man will stand up for womens right?