Harare, (New Ziana) – The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) and the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJPZ) on Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at enhancing cooperation between the two organisations.
Whereas the ZHRC nurtures the promotion, protection and enforcement of human rights and administrative justice in Zimbabwe, the CCJPZ is the Roman Catholic Church’s arm for social concerns.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, ZHRC chairperson Jessie Majome said the partnership was invaluable. “This partnership is coming just at the right time and a few months after Zimbabwe abolished the death penalty. We have to amplify our voices in speaking about that we strongly believe. Through our collaborative efforts, we will deliver a just society where living in peace, people can rise to their full potential. It is our hope that this MoU will improve accountability on how we handle both topical and general human rights issues in the country,” she said.
Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference (ZCBC) secretary general Father Travis Moyo, who signed the MoU on behalf of the CCJPZ, said the event was a significant milestone and testament to the commitment of the commissions to upholding human dignity.
“Our two institutions are closely linked by their quest to see people live in a just and free society. This partnership, therefore, comes not as a surprise. We champion the truth about each individual person and proclaim the dignity of every person, the sanctity and inviolability of life. The formalisation of our partnership is witness to our convictions and shared values of promoting human dignity. All this is done in pursuit of peace that can only be achieved by working for justice. “
Never has there been a time like ours when the truth about individuals and communities is challenged. In pursuit of profits, fame, and power, human beings are more and more being used as a means to an end – something that compromises their inherent dignity.
At the core of the mission of our two institutions is dignity of the human person and the creation of an environment in which that dignity is upheld, respected and informs decisions about humanity.” Fr Moyo added that the Catholic Church believes that there can be no progress or development if justice is not righteously served and if people are left behind in peace building initiatives.
“As the Catholic Church, we proudly proclaim that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for any society,” he added.
New Ziana
