Group Promotes Rights Of Vulnerable

By William Yaw Owusu

Saturday, 03 February 2007
The 10th anniversary celebration and fund-raising campaign launch of the Legal Resources Centre (LRC), a non-governmental organisation helping to promote access to justice to the vulnerable, has been held in Accra.

The LRC was founded by some young lawyers about 10 years ago to offer services in human rights education and learning services. It also facilitates access to social services, legal aid clinic, policy analysis and advocacy services, among others.

In his keynote address, Ambassador Walter Lichem, a leading member of the People’s Movement for Human Rights Learning (PMHRL) in New York, USA, described the LRC as "bridge builders who should be encouraged to do more."

He said the PMHRL has recently been selected by the United Nations to help incorporate human rights learning into peace building, an effort which would be the first of its kind in the history of mankind and "we will involve the LRC in this project."

Dr Raymond A. Atuguba, Executive Director of LRC, said the group was launching an Endowment Fund to sponsor its activities and commended all donors who had supported them to get LRC this far.

He said Ghana has the best human rights constitution and it is up to everybody to uphold and support it to make it work.

Addressing the gathering, the Minister for National Security, Mr. Francis Poku, said the security agencies do not perceive human rights activists and their work as a threat to national security.

Rather, he said "they point to us where the problems are, and it is a pointer to the promotion of good governance."

Mr. Osei Prempeh, Deputy Attoney-General and Minister of Justice, said the LRC over the years had complemented the effort of the ministry in the quest to explain issues in the Constitution to the ordinary people.