Human Rights Monitoring and Outreach Services

Goals

1. To coordinate and monitor human rights violations in Tanzania

2. Strengthen partnership for human rights, good governance and public engagement

3. Provide the public with expertise on legal and human rights and thus achieve attainment of justice and know how on human rights. 

Role

The key function of the Human Rights Monitoring (HRM) Unit is to collect, verify and thus utilize the acquired information to address human rights violation/abuse in Tanzania. Modes of collecting data includes  observation of human rights events (such as elections and trials), visits to specific sites where human rights issues might be involved such as refugee camps and  prisons.  It further involves visits to areas where LHRC has programs and fact-finding missions where human rights violations/abuses have been reported.

The information collected is normally used to pursue remedies in Court and/or is channeled to respective government authorities for appropriate administrative measures. It is further recorded by the Centre and later on used for advocacy activities to support positive reforms of law, policy, practice, and are published in its annual Human Rights Report .

HRM is endowed with monitors who have been trained on basic human rights and monitoring techniques. At the moment the centre has 127 monitors scattered in almost all districts of Tanzania except 9. Apart from monitors, LHRC receives details in regard to human rights violations and abuses from like-minded organizations as well as human rights activists, both known as human rights defenders.

LHRC conducts a regular assessment and training of human rights monitors and defenders as one of the Unit’s core activity and those victimized enjoy full and free legal representation from the legal aid clinics run by the Centre.
Additionally, the Centre plans to establish a Special Rapporteurs as a monitoring focal point in designated areas, such as refugees’ camps and prisons to keep abreast on prevailing human rights situation in these areas.
 
Human rights-related activities organized by the HRM Unit include the Annual Human Rights Conference which is held annually on the 10th of December.  The day coincides with the commemoration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights where the anniversary is marked with press conferences and consultative meetings with stakeholders. Moreover, the Centre has since 2003 prepared the Tanzania Human Rights Report. Currently LHRC prepares the said report jointly with the Zanzibar Legal Service Centre (ZLSC).

The report is based on data gathered from the LHRC human rights Monitors, as well as field research, in-house progress activities reports and national newspapers survey. The document further highlights success, challenges and failure by the government to fulfill its obligations as far as human rights is concerned.

The HRM Unit has through its existence made a positive impact in the Tanzanian society against various legal policies and practices.  It further has made a significant impact towards realization and enjoyment of human rights by all in Tanzania.  On top of the Unit’s human rights agenda are female genital mutilation, (FGM), land rights, corruption practices and the rights of indigenous people or minority groups in Tanzania  but to name  a few.

Outreach Services

The Outreach Unit focuses on sensitization and awareness of members of the public and some specific groups in the society. The mass sensitization is carried out through weekly radio and TV programs, in addition to publications such as books, manuals, booklets, leaflets, posters, fliers, published by LHRC.

Similarly, the Unit aims at raising people’s awareness on various legal aspects that affect the people’s rights. To achieve this objective, the Unit facilitates several workshops and trainings at grassroots level, including training for Paralegals who are community members who volunteer to be trained on legal and human rights issues. Once trained, Paralegals become competent grassroots trainers and have the responsibility to empower their community on legal and human rights issues and assist their community to solve simple legal problems.

Achievement

Over the years, the Unit has built capacity of paralegals through workshops, meetings, follow-ups, monitoring and evaluation visits to impart monitors with up-to date and necessary skills and thus educate their community through variety of development activities ranging from households visits to village meetings. Trainings encompasses various aspects of laws and human rights including land rights law, law of marriage, inheritance, sexual offences, female genital mutilation (FGM), as well as duties of the Police, bail, court system and good governance. So far, LHRC has trained 270 Paralegals since establishment of its paralegals programs in 1996. Most of them have volunteered as Paralegals since then and continue to play an integral role in increasing awareness on legal and human rights issues in their communities.

LHRC Paralegals are in Ngorongoro (Loliondo and various wards around), Mbulu (Yaeda Chini ward), Hanang, Kiteto, Babati, Morogoro Rural, Kilosa, Tarime, Serengeti and Mvomero. In 2007, the Centre identified potential volunteers to become paralegals in Geita, Maswa, Bariadi and Ukerewe and the duo were trained in 2008. Likewise, in 2010, the Centre intends to establish paralegals in Makete and Ludewa districts respectively.

Furthermore, the Unit extends human rights training to law enforcers and justice dispensers namely the police, prisons officers as well as primary court magistrates. Leaders of NGOs and political parties are also included in the target groups to enable them promote human rights in their respective areas and fields of work.

Mass sensitization is also carried out through radio and television programs where information on human rights and law-related issues and topics is discussed and  disseminated to the public.