No human rights without communication rights, says global communicators’ organization

Toronto, Canada - In a statement released to mark Human Rights Day 2007 (December 10) a global communication advocacy organization is calling on governments, non-governmental organizations and the private sector to recognize and strengthen communication rights as a vital component in the development and implementation of political, economic, social and cultural policies.

The World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) states that communication rights are integral to achieving the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals which include eradicating poverty and developing global partnerships for development. The organization asserts, “There can be no genuine development without human rights and no social justice without communication rights”.

“Human rights are not just a matter of civil and political rights,” says the organization’s general secretary, the Rev. Randy Naylor. “They include those rights that empower individuals and communities to express their needs, to make their voices heard, and to participate fully in their own development.”

WACC promotes communication for social change by focussing on equal and affordable access to communication and knowledge and the relationship between communication and power.

Full statement

For information about WACC’s Communication Rights Programme:
www.waccglobal.org
For interviews contact:
Philip Lee
Deputy Programme Director
Tel. +1-416-691-1999 ext 227
info@waccglobal.org