Nick Clegg’s ‘Protect the Human’

Wednesday 10^th December 2008

“Protect the Human” was organised by Amnesty International, to mark the 60^th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Nick Clegg MP, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, was the events key-note speaker, followed by a conversation with Adam Boulton from Sky News.

As the British Obama, Nick Clegg had touched upon all the issues which I believed were important. He emphasised how important it is for politicians to work closer with grassroot campaigners in bringing about real change in society, and how he would like to lead the country from a bottom-up approach.

[Right: Talyn Rahman with Liberal Democrat leader, Nick Clegg]

Clegg’s keynote began his speech talking about how the international landscape is testing the values of the UNDR: freedom, tolerance and, justice. Developed democracies are failing to meet those challenges across the world and in the UK. He believes the government cannot be proud on Human Rights Day as Britain is no longer part of the solution, but part of the problem. Millions of people still suffer abuse and cruelty and the growth of poverty, violence and repression is rapid.

“The world today is full of unprecedented threats and dangers,” Clegg confessed. He mentioned the spread of disease and the environmental crisis, and how the line is being blurred between military and civilian war. He stressed with great disappointment that western democracies are failing to restrain unwarranted aggression and this failure is the lack of political will.

Clegg had praised Obama for breaking barriers with America’s old enemies, ending the abuse of Bush’s administration and not hiding from America’s past. By combining this viewpoint, he believes that America will be able to move forward, leading the world to a better future, therefore making Obama a great role model for other politicians.

To the relief of British nationals, Clegg disagrees with the idea of carrying forced ID cards, which will make worse problems for asylum seekers and waste taxpayer money.
“So no ID cards,” he said, “Not for anyone. Not - as the Conservatives would have it - for foreign nationals but not British citizens.”

He touched upon the problem of refugees, forced marriages and women’s rights, as well as answering questions to the lack of human rights so clearly demonstrated by China and the Olympics. I shook his hands for wanting to form relationships with NGOs and strengthening their campaigns. I hope that working closer with a leader like Nick Clegg, NGOs will have greater power to engage with key decision-makers to allow change to happen. I hope that Nick Clegg is able to reach out to a wider audience and is able to persuade less-liberal minded people to engage with his politics and see him through to the next election.