SenseOnline, as a caring, gentle magazine, fully supports the United Nations World Humanitarian Day and salutes a few heroes.

World Humanitarian Day

On 11 December 2008 the United Nations designated 19 August as World Humanitarian Day to strengthen the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance. It honours all ‘who have lost their lives in the cause of duty and those who have worked in the promotion of the humanitarian cause.’

Some of the key principles embodied in the resolution are:

o    Addressing human suffering wherever it is found. The purpose of humanitarian action is to protect life and health and ensure respect for human beings.

o    Humanitarian action must be carried out on the basis of need alone; making no distinction on the basis of race, gender, class or political affiliation.

Sergio Vieira de Mello

World Humanitarian Day came about because of the efforts of the family of Sergio Vieira de Mello, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General who was killed along with 21 colleagues in the bombing of the headquarters of the UN in Baghdad on 19 August 2003. They were there to bring peace and stability to Iraq.

South African born Navi Pillay now holds that position at the world body. She writes, ‘They, and all the aid workers like them around the world, past, present and future, most certainly deserve to have this day in the annual calendar devoted to their selfless, often unrewarding and sometimes dangerous efforts to improve the lives of others.’

Dangerous Efforts

‘It was by no means the first time that humanitarian aid workers, human rights defenders, peacekeepers and others working to improve the lot of the disadvantaged had been deliberately targeted by ruthless forces determined to create instability or subvert the basic laws and norms on which civilized society depends’ continues Pillay. ‘My own organisation experienced its first loss of staff on 4 February 1997, when five members of the Human Rights Field Operations were killed in Rwanda.

‘And sadly, since 19 August 2003, there have been numerous other assassinations of individuals and further bombs – most notably the one in Algiers on 11 December 2007 which took the lives of a further 17 UN staff members – targeting UN and NGO staff. And I have just learned that two more UN staff are among those killed on Tuesday by a suicide bomber in Kabul.

‘In the case of the Baghdad and Algiers bombs, the perpetrators of these crimes were terrorist organisations. However, in other cases, the killers have sometimes acted on behalf of a government, or for organs meant to be under the control of governments.

‘Killing those who are trying to help others is a particularly despicable crime, and one which all governments should join forces to prevent, and – when prevention fails – to punish. Humanitarian aid workers are on the frontline, trying to provide at least a minimum of material support and protection for the displaced, and for populations affected by conflict, chronic poverty, food shortages, natural disasters and other crises.’

Navi Pillay

Given South Africa’s tumultuous past, the country has produced numerous people who have risen to the challenge of helping the disadvantaged. One only has to think of Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. But there are many more to salute, like Navi Pillay.

Before taking up her position at the United Nations, she was a lawyer (the first woman to open a legal practice in KwaZulu-Natal), acting judge of the Supreme Court and a judge of the International Criminal Court. She was an activist during apartheid with a special interest in the plight of political detainees. And she was a co-founder of the Advice Desk for the Abused and ran a shelter for victims of domestic violence.

Malizole Banks Gwaxula

Banks Gwaxula is a teacher and community leader in the Eastern Cape. He has tirelessly given of his time to uplift the Emfundweni Primary School in Zwide, which has become a beacon in Port Elizabeth.

He is co-founder of the Leaderwise Schools Project and, more recently, the Ubuntu Education Fund, which employs over 50 people and reaches 40 000 children. His efforts are recognised internationally and he has been honoured by, amongst others, the World Economic Forum and been inducted into the New Brighton Library’s Hall of Fame.

Zackie Achmat

Zackie, co-founder of the Treatment Action Campaign, was also a political activist before focusing on humanitarian issues. He was involved in the 1976 student uprising and was arrested on numerous occasions.

A gay rights campaigner, he founded TAC to ensure HIV/Aids was not a death sentence for sufferers. It is largely through his efforts that the denialism of the Thabo Mbeki years was converted into action where antiretrovirals are available to all. He is also a founder of the National Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Equality and a director of the Centre for Law & Justice. He has previously been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by a US humanitarian group.

Zanele Muholi

The multi-award winning photographer Zanele Muholi has highlighted lesbian issues in a country where black lesbians face great dangers. Lesbian women are often raped or killed over their sexual preferences, but Muholi has done much to start changing perceptions.

She has worked as a community relations officer for the Forum for the Empowerment of Women (FEW) and Behind the Mask; organisations that deal with gay and lesbian issues in Africa. Her portrayal of black female bodies in her photography challenges preconceived notions of African women.

Gail & Nkosi Johnson

Gail fostered the young Nkosi who was born with the HIV virus. The young boy, then with full-blown AIDS, captured the hearts of the world when he addressed the 13^th International Aids Conference in Durban in 2000. He was posthumously awarded the International Children’s Peace Prize.

Since then Gail has gone on to establish the Nkosi Johnson Aids Foundation. This organisation has established Nkosi’s Haven and Nkosi’s Haven 4 Life Farm, which care for HIV-mothers and their children. 

Mzansi Sista

These are just a few of the dedicated humanitarians we celebrate today in the name of all great South Africans. But community outreach work should not be limited to the few because we all have a role to play in developing our country and its people.

Everywhere there are people doing even small things to make a difference. Our Mzansi Sista, Miya Bam, for example, has decided to forego a traditional Christmas celebration and is raising money to take festive cheer to the poorest of the poor children. What are you doing?