Background
Incidences of human rights violations, gender inequality and many other actions that infringe on the rights and welfare of citizens remain on the rise in Nigeria and Lagos State and have informed our response through programmes that champion gender issues, prioritize alternative dispute resolution, advocate human rights and prison welfare.
Overall objective
The programme aims at upholding the rights and welfare of all the people in the Archdiocese of Lagos, especially indigent and marginalized persons.
Components and Specific Objectives
To effectively deploy its services and have a greater impact, the programme is made up of the following activities, namely:
1. Gender Mainstreaming, whose objective is to champion gender equality and agitate for the elimination of all forms of discrimination based on gender;
2. ADR, whose objective is to resolve disputes in a non-acrimonious manner and reduce the burden on the courts;
3. Human Rights, whose objective is to protect the rights of citizens and advocate for those whose rights have been infringed on;
4. Prison, whose objective is to facilitate the release of vulnerable youths and promote the welfare of inmates.
Strategy / Approaches
– Running programmes and projects that target the needs of the most disadvantaged sections of the population, especially women, children and the elderly. These programmes are designed to harness the potentials of and build the capacity of these groups, towards making them self-sufficient.
– There is also the microcredit scheme, which provides microfinancing and promotes savings for organized small groups of women, widows, petty traders, and peasant farmers.
– Adult education classes are run at various communities in the state for the target groups.
– Partnering with relevant governmental agencies and nongovernmental organizations in carrying out her activities.
– Providing free legal aid and counselling services to indigent persons and the less privileged in the society, especially for persons awaiting trials at the various prisons and detention centres in Lagos State.
– Employing Alternative Dispute Resolutions (ADR) methods for conflict prevention and resolution, management and peacebuilding strategy within the society and the criminal justice system.
– Conducting seminars and workshops, and also researching and publishing information relating to human rights.
– Conducting human rights education and civic enlightenment programmes, especially at the grassroots level and secondary schools, as a way of keeping the generality of the people informed of their socioeconomic, political and cultural rights, and also enhancing peoples’ participation in the governance of lives.
– The prison welfare programme attends to the welfare needs of prison inmates, detainees and displaced persons. On a periodic basis, staff and volunteers visit the various prisons in the metropolis alongside a team of doctors, nurses and counsellors.
– The programme also facilitates prison release and undertakes the rehabilitation of released prisoners and detainees, and also provides support services for physically and mentally abused victims of social injustice.
– Destitute (especially children and women) are sought out from the streets and rehabilitated.
– In cases of emergencies like natural disasters, accidents, violent conflicts, etc., the Centre tries to respond positively through this programme by providing succour for the victims, refugees and internally displaced persons, in the form of material welfare, temporary shelter and counselling
– Cooperates with relevant governmental agencies and other NGOs and CBOs.