Protecting, Promoting and Enforcing Human Rights and Fundamental Freedom
Promotion of Human Rights [continued]
7.3.7 Engagement with Civil Society Organisations
The Commission intensified engagements with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to
enhance collaboration and partnership by starting a process of signing MOUs with some
key ones. Towards the end of 2015, ZHRC was approached by a consortium CSOs to
implement the project titled, Towards a strengthened Human Rights Commission in
Zimbabwe funded by the Kingdom of Netherlands though Hivos. The consortium consists
of Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum (the Forum), Zimbabwe Human Rights
Association (ZIMRIGHTS) and Zimbabwe Association for Doctors for Human Rights
(ZADHR). The partnership seeks to strengthen ZHRC to adequately respond to the
promotion and protection of human rights in Zimbabwe through a two-pronged approach
of awareness raising of the Commission's mandate and work as well as the partners
analysing the work of the Commission and making recommendations for improvement in
2016. The project will enable the Commission to undertake 12 outreach activities in 10
districts of the country, development of Information Educational Communication
material, publication of quarterly reports as well as press statements on emerging human
rights issues in the country.
7.4
Simplified Version of the Declaration of Rights in the
Constitution
In line with the ZHRC function of promoting awareness of and respect for human rights
and freedoms at all levels of society, the Commission developed a simplified version of
the Declaration of Rights, that is, Chapter 4 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment
(No. 20) Act 2013. The document has been developed into an A6 booklet and the English
version was printed and dissemination to the public started in December 2015. The
Ndebele and Shona drafts were produced and are yet to be printed and eventually it will
be translated into other vernacular languages for wide dissemination. Use of IEC
materials is one of the several initiatives the ZHRC uses to implement its promotional
mandate of human rights issues, education and awareness raising in society.
Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission Annual Report 2015
31
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