Qalna Eritrean human rights group and its foundation

 

Rev. Semere Sibhatu

Qalna human rights group-Toronto

Chairman

 

Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

On behalf of myself and Qalan Eritrea human rights group, I am delighted to thank and welcome all of you for coming to our first meeting. I would also like to express how great privilege it is to have this opportunity to share our views on the human right abuse, which is inhuman and degrading treatment taking upon our  innocent people in Eritrea

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Today we are gathering together for dual purposes:

 

Ø      to pay our respect to our honorable Eritrean journalists  who gave their precious life to plant  the fundamental right: freedom of expression. It is also to remember the crackdown of the private press and the unlawful detention of the brave independent journalists in Eritrea, which took place in September 2001.

     

Ø      to inaugurate the  foundation of Qalan Eritrean human rights group in Toronto . So beginning from this historic day September 22, 2007 Qalan  Eritrean Human rights group is officially-recognized corporation  in Toronto.

 

Just to provide you with general profile of our organization, I would like to brief you who we are, what goals and objectives we have.

 

1. Who we are


Qalna is a peaceful Human Rights organization whose mission is to promote and defend human and democratic rights of all Eritrean citizens inside and outside Eritrea. This is a mission basically consistent with the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

 

2. Our Goal:

 

The goal of QEHRG- Toronto is to raise people's awareness of the existence of the various schools of thought, disciplines and doctrines interlaced with people's basic rights.  Qalna also works towards fostering a sense of duty, responsibility and respect towards one's self and other people; and provides conducive environment for open discussion in regards to the function of human and democratic rights of Eritreans in accordance to prominent doctrines and declarations.

 

 3. Our Objective:

 

  • To advance public education /awareness of all aspects of democratic rights and systems, human rights and human rights abuse and to publish the useful rights of such research, again with particular reference to Eritrea and the Eritrean people with the aim of promoting peace and reconciliation in Eritrea.

 

  • To fight for the abolition of torture and other contravention of human rights of the Eritrean people by all lawful means.

  • To promote and carry out research into the abuse of human and democratic rights

            of Eritreans.


To Conclude:

 

On this occasion, we, Qalna Eritrean human rights group would like to:

v     pay our respect to the brave journalists who are held in communicado in life-threatening conditions for six years.

v     express our clear stand against such a continued ill-treatment of the independent and state media Journalists.

v     urge the Eritrean government to immediately and unconditionally release all journalist under detention and guarantee the rights to freedom of expression of peaceful opinion and  the freedom of the press.

v     call on the international community to put pressure on the Eritrean government to stop the brutal action, repressive authority and unjust crime that is being perpetrated by the PFDJ.

    

Thank you.

Chairman

webmaster@qalna.com