South Africa Human Rights Day marred by distrust of non-South Africans

A survey just released by South African research and conference project FutureFact raises the specter of violence fueled by prejudicial attitudes toward foreign nationals living in South Africa.

The 2012 survey of 2,946 South Africans age 15 years and over found “eight out of ten believe that foreigners get jobs in preference to South Africans because they are prepared to work for less money” and “55% believe that ‘most criminals in South Africa are foreigners.’”

With an estimated 62 people dying in 2008 riots fueled by xenophobia these current statistics alarm government, law enforcement and human rights organizations.

Tony Mathipa, Director of Social Programs of the Church of Scientology Johannesburg and coordinator of Youth for Human Rights South Africa, urges a return to the humane values expressed by Nelson Mandela in 1994: “We have triumphed in the effort to implant hope in the breasts of the millions of our people. We enter into a covenant that we shall build the society in which all South Africans, both black and white, will be able to walk tall, without any fear in their hearts, assured of their inalienable right to human dignity—a rainbow nation at peace with itself and the world.”

Mathipa believes Mandela’s vision can be realized through raising awareness of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights which identifies 30 rights everyone has.

Tony Mathipa is an ambassador to the Parliamentary Millennium Program, appointed by the National Parliament of South Africa. He was also appointed as an ambassador to Gauteng G2055 Vision by the Gauteng Planning Commission and the office of the Premier. His work in human rights education earned him the Human Rights Hero Award at the Youth for Human Rights International Summit held at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, in 2009.

The purpose of Youth for Human Rights International is to teach youth about human rights, specifically the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and inspire them to become advocates for tolerance and peace.

Scientologists on five continents engage in collaborative efforts with government agencies and nongovernmental organizations to bring about broad-scale awareness and implementation of the 1948 United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the world’s premier human rights document.

The Church of Scientology published Scientology: How We Help—United for Human Rights, Making Human Rights a Global Reality, to meet requests for more information about the human rights education and awareness initiative the Church supports. To learn more, visit Scientology.org/HumanRights.

Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard wrote, “Human rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream,” and the Scientology religion is based on the principles of human rights. The Code of a Scientologist calls on all members of the religion to dedicate themselves “to support true humanitarian endeavors in the fields of human rights.”