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IVD activities in Kenya focus on MDGs

14 December 2005, 14:31
by Fatou Diop

International Volunteer Day (IVD) was celebrated in Kenya on Monday 5 December at UN Gigiri complex around the theme “Volunteering to promote awareness and achievement of the MDGs in the community”.

The theme was selected based on the need to increase local knowledge about the MDGs and engage the community in volunteer activities to achieve the MDGs. Activities included marketing stalls to give UNVs, volunteer involving organizations (VIOs) and civil society organizations the opportunity to expose their work to the public, launch of UNV Kenya website, and publication of brochure on the UN Volunteers programme in Kenya.

From: IVD 2005 Blog

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Posted by: gibson Date: 15 December 2005 16:23 From: Nairobi,kenya

Thanks a lot 4 ur efforts. We should endeavour to incorporate our societies in voluneerism for the sake of prosperity and sustainability. Bravo.

Posted by: Justus Date: 02 March 2006 08:27 From: Nairobi, Kenya

Volunteerism is the best thing to have happened in this century of natural calamities and political unrest in many countries, especially in Africa, including the hightened vulnerability in children worldwide.

I have worked in a child rights non-governmental organisation called the CRADLE, where I have had first hand exposure to child abuse, which has changed my life and how I view the human fraternity.

It is my humble prayer that we keep on the spirit and make the world a better place for us and the future generation.

Posted by: Justus Date: 13 March 2006 08:20 From: Nairobi, Kenya

I am a lawyer by profession and a human rights activist. Something has been bothering me for a while in regard to a principle in law that says that "Ignorance of law is not a defence".

Just to elaborate, size this up. Here is a 35 year old maasai man who has married a 14 year old girl. In the Maasai community, it is right (as a custom to marry even 12 year old). This Maasai man is working in Nairobi as a watchman, having been brought from the interior of Maasai land and he is not well-educated. So he is arrested and charged of defilement (that is having sexual intercourse with a girl of less that 16 years), and it doesn't matter whether she consents to it or not.This man is confused as to why he is being arrested because he has no idea what he has done. We assume he has no idea that its an offence to marry and or have sex with an underage owing to their custom and also lack of opportunity to have excess to statutes or laws.

Now, I know that what the Maasai man has done is wrong and I do not support it. But the question is, where does the laws draw the line between ignorance of law by virtue of not having axcess to the information, and sheer ignorance out of choice.

I invite comments on this.

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