March 13 Commonwealth Day :: Maldives News :: Dhivehi Observer

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March 13 is Commonwealth Day - This year's theme is 'Health and Vitality'

13 March 2006, www.humanrightsinitiative.org

The Commonwealth is a global family of 54 member countries. About 1.7 billion people in these countries make up a quarter of the world's population. While the day should be marked not only to know about other countries culture and its people because of its rich diversity, it should also be observed to remind governments of their commitment towards democracy and development and making them accountable to the promises which Commonwealth Governments made towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which many countries around the world are still lagging behind in these promises and seem very little likely to fulfil their promises.

This year's theme is 'Health and Vitality' and although it is pertinent to write on health related issues where many states are fighting the scourge of AIDS epidemic as well high rates of infant mortality along with absence of basic health care facilities. This could also be linked to the health of democracy, development and human rights.

In this context, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, urges the civil society activists, media and people concerned about human rights and democracy to remind our governments about the promises they made and hold them accountable for such promises through events, stories, press notes and releases.