The Role of Literature in Human Rights by Onyekachi Peter Onuoha

THE ROLE OF LITERATURE IN HUMAN RIGHTS

 

Being a paper presented at the first Webinar of the International Human Rights Art Festival (IHRAF) African Chapter by  , Lecturer at the University of Calabar

 

As a matter of interpretative convenience this talk reframes the theme of today’s discourse in a rhetorical manner by asking, “What is the role of literature in human rights?

 

Human rights literature is the appropriation of creative literature as a tool for social change. It is the use of literature to amplify the voices of the oppressed and in the seeking for social justice and equality in the society.  Human rights literature re-enacts and reflects society through highlighting of social interactions and actions, which sometimes leads to subjugate of the subalterns within their social space. This social depiction provides a moral focus for those who still have conscience to act in an attempt to correct social ills. Human rights literature is a form of creative testimony that provides a balance of narrative for all parties involved in social controversies to make a case for their own existence through balance of characters depiction and engagement within the framework of art. 

 

African Literature from the time of Achebe until now has played a functional role in social justice and equality in the society. The foregoing foregrounding Achebe’s postulation when he submit, that art for art seek is a deodorised dog shit. Achebe believes in the functionality of literature in the society and that is why he clearly state in Morning Yet on Creation Day that; “I will be quite satisfied if my earliest novels (especially the ones I set in the past) did no more than teach my readers that their past- with all its imperfections- was not one long night of savagery from which the first European acting on God’s behalf delivered them (45). From the foregoing, Achebe’s earliest novels were seeking for the dignity and the rights of Africans within the framework of art. An attempt to reject the human rights violations and exploitation of the colonialist government as depicted in Things Fall Apart and Arrow of God, through literature Achebe makes a case for the pre-literate African society before the coming of colonialism.

 

Literature as depicted by Achebe frames social justice within alternate spaces and allows us to reimagined situations through the framework of reflection as represented by art. Achebe’s depiction of human interactions in Umuofia in Things Fall Apart implicates the role of literature and human rights when he affirms; “Perhaps what I write is applied art as distinct from pure. (…)  art is important but so is education of the kind I have in mind”.  This in brief shows that literature assist in the depiction of human rights. The role of human rights literature educates the masses on the abuse of their human rights as foregrounded in Achebe’s Things Fall Apart and Arrow of God etc. Literature in human rights is an applied form of literature as clearly illustrated by Achebe.  It is a form of literature that makes a case for the masses on their rights and the abuse of their rights in the society.

Sometimes, the role of literature in human rights takes the form of propaganda to draw the attention of the world to the subjugation of the masses. W.E. B. Du Bois in “Criteria for Negro Art” note that; “…all art is propaganda and ever must be, despite the wailing of the purists. I stand in utter shamelessness and say that what ever art I have for writing has been used always for propaganda for gaining the right of black folk to love and enjoy. I do not care a damn for any art that is not used for propaganda. But I do care when propaganda is confined to one side while the others is stripped and silent” (103). Oppression and injustice is backed by a form of propaganda that emphasizes the superiority of one above the other. And W.E.B Du bois thus re-domesticates the operation of the propaganda to seek for the existences of his people through the framework of literature. Feminist literature foregrounds the function of literature in human rights, literature and propaganda in the advancement of equality of gender within the African traditional society as portray by feminist writers in the depiction of subjugated and liberated woman within the framework of art and the African Novel. Feminism is t a clear illustration of the functionality of the role of literature and human rights in the human society. Feminist literature advocates for gender complementarity and gender equality in literature and by extension in the society. Human rights literature through representation re-engages social norms and belief in the society in a form of interactions that reflects various advantages and disadvantages as criteria for change and social justice.    

 

Denis Brutus’ Letter to Martha did a poetic witnessing to pain and trauma in South African prison as a depiction of the functionality of the role of literature and human rights abuse. Poetic witnessing is used to illustrate the climate of uncertainties and a bearer or witness to pain.  Brutus’ Letter to Martha is the poetic narrative of the oppressed through an autobiographical presentation of his plights and suffering in the hands of Apartheid administration. Writers over the years have used art as testimony as witnessing against the nation state and its exploitation of the masses within such political discourse. Achebe in witnessing and resistance through poetic composition captures the pain and alienation during the Nigerian Biafran in his Girls at War captures the pain and annihilation of the people of the former eastern region during the Nigerian Biafran Civil war. In recent times, the poetic composition and video recordings on social media captures the not too long python dance in the Eastern states is the to the brutality of the people of the Eastern region and the function of literature as witness to human rights abuses and advocacy in Nigeria.  Creative literature aids the dislodgement of the fierce python dancing in Eastern region in the sense that literary and (auto) biographical representations of the actions of the military in that part of Nigeria raises questions on the motives of their actions in the region. 

 

Kan Saro Wiwa through his literary writings and activism seek for social and environment justice for his people within the Nigerian society and the concept of resource control. Saro Wiwa employs literature as a tool for enlightenment and to highlight the effect of oil exploration in the Niger Delta. Many writers after him have used literature to x-ray the effect of oil spillage and the exploitation of the people of the Niger Delta and thereby demanding for social justice. The foregoing illustrate how literature functions within the framework of human rights or how human rights function within the framework of literature as literary materials for the advocacy and the survival of the subalterns in the society.   

 

End SARS poets as depicted in End SARS Rhythms continue in this form of poetic tradition of witnessing and resistance to injustice in Nigeria as an illustration of the role of literature in human rights. The poets through poetic remediation of memory engages in poetic activism and resistances to police brutality in Nigeria. Human rights poetics in literature is a form of literary mediation of resistance and the erecting of memorial in art as confrontation to totalitarian system of governance. The poetics of End SARS Rhythms highlights how poetry participates in movements and fashions its content based on the agitation and redefines the memory of such movement as freezing the memory in poetic frame. The role of literature in human rights is framed in poetic resistance and is founded on the ideological concept of Marxism which is geared toward emancipation of the oppressed in the society. This is also the temperament and the function of literature in human rights. The Editor’s Note in in End SARS Rhythms indicates the functionality of poetic witnessing in literature and by extension the role of human rights thus; “Literature and arts owe society the duty not just to entertain and educate but also to document the history of the people as well as mirror and x-ray the society” (5). End SARS Rhythms does three things which are: to entertain the people within the site of their trauma and brutalisation, document in poetic form various instances of their brutalisation and through this medium question the moral fabric of the society.  Through such questioning the poetic rendition of End SARS Rhythms highlight human rights violations and implicates the role of literature as a tool for confrontation of social injustice.

 

In accounting for Marxism and how it functions in human right literature, Charles Bressler note that;“…society shapes our consciousness; that social… conditions directly influences how what we believe and value…Marxism offers us an opportunity and a plan for changing the world from a play of bigotry, hatred and conflict resulting in class struggle…” (115). Marxist poetic which is steeped in the use of poetry as resistance to oppression in the society highlights such oppression as witnesses against the Nigerian Police force and by extension bad governance in Nigeria. This is an indication of how literature function in human rights.  Human rights literature does not only portray abuse of human rights but suggest methods and medium to change such social abnormities and make the world a better place for humans.

 

Furthermore, Endsars.com is a Digital Storytelling site that hosts testimonial which became part and collect cause for resistance to police brutality and activism during the End SARS in Nigeria. The narratives in Endsars.com are a form of (auto) biographical narrative in blog clearly depicts how police brutalities have destroyed many Nigerian youths. Digital Storytelling becomes testimonies and memorials as a form of activism and resistance to police brutality in Nigeria. #Endsars narratives in #Endsars.com portrayals the damage police brutality has done to many Nigerians and through such narratives keep protesters of #Endsars across Nigeria in the streets during the protest.

In the human rights literature, memory plays an active role in the composition of art. The human memory powers the human creative imagination and leads to literary output. The authorial vision within the framework of art is the principle that aids the gleaning from memory amidst the interfacing influence of the imagination. Onuoha writes about memory that; “Memories are a defining characteristics of man; they are a form of socialisation of self-worth and they are the promise of the definition of what is good and bad in the African traditional environment” (84). Raji’s work strives on memory and poetic justice is one of the cardinal principles of Remi Rjai’s Webs of Remembrance. In the attempt of the poet persona to remember the injustice done to his people by those in the corridor of power the poet persona proclaims hailstone judgement against them amidst the memorials of the afflicted. Michael A. Quinlam writes in regards to poetic justice that; “The study of poetic justice necessarily involves a study of ethical principles in literary art; for the very idea of poetic justice implies a judgement regarding the morality of action. As a result, then, of studying criticism it is possible to come to a partial knowledge of the principles of by which a given races of people was governed at same given time” (ii). What the foregoing highlight is that poetic justice is an act of literary retribution within the work of art and it reflects the morality of the society.

 

 Memory and history is an enabler to the poetic composition of Web of Remembrance. Raji reimagines the past under the same sign of the past even in the present; memory recall makes him to locate the search for justice within the sight of historical crime. Paul Ricoeur corroborates the foregoing that; “Under the sign of the same: “Re-Enacting” the past in the present under the sign of the same. I place the conception of as a re-enactment of the past…(13). Web of Remembrance is a re-enactment of the past and the coming back of traumatic memory of the poet person is a product of history which is powered by memory of such history. Raji’s Web of Remembrance is a re-enactment of memory in fierce remembrance of the evil of military dictatorship and by extension an enactment of memorial for the plight of the masses using poetry as the memorial tomb as an evidence for seeking of justice.

 

            Finally, literature in human rights provides realist evidence on the actions and inactions of man within his immediate environment. it educate man and provides a medium and a second handle in the assessment of man in an alternate space as a representation of his environment. Human rights literature gives man a sort of objective representation to see his actions and relationship with others in his environment. Literature plays a functional role in the liberation of the people and enables the people to change their ways and to be involves in issues that affect them and the society. Human rights seek for the equality of all including the environment in the society.

 

ENDNOTE

 

Achebe, Chinua. Morning Yet on Creation Day. Heinemann Educational Books Ltd,

            1981

Bressler, Charles. Literary Criticism: An Introduction to Theory and Practice.

            Paramount Communication Company Publishers Ltd, 2011 

Du Bois, W.E. B. “Criteria of Negro Art” in The Portable Harlem Renaissance Reader.

            Penguin Book, 1929.

Ricoeur, Paul. The Aquinas Lecture: The Reality of The Historical Past. Marquette

            University Press, 1984

Quinlan, A. Michael. Poetic Justice : The History  of an Ethnical Principle in Literary

           Activism. Forgotten Books, 1912

 

 

Raji, Remi. Webs of Remembrance. Kraftgriots, 2021

 

© International Human Rights Art Festival (IHRAF) African Chapter – June, 2022.

 

 

 

Meet the Recipients of the IHRAF Teen Arts and Writing Mentorship Programme, 2022 Edition

 

 MEET THE RECIPIENTS OF THE IHRAF TEEN ARTS AND WRITING MENTORSHIP PROGRAMME, 2022 EDITION

 

 MOYINOLUWA OYETUNJI SARAH (POET)

Oyetunji Moyinoluwa Sarah, born thirteen (13) years ago in Ibadan, her birth was recorded on the 17th day of November 2008; she is presently a junior secondary School III, student of God’s Blessing Comprehensive College.

Her journey into creative writing was discovered at an early age, but as a relatively shy and quiet girl, she kept all her writings to herself, with hardly no reader, until her school mother helped her. Adebayo Damilola, helped her discover her talent and motivated her to write and never be discouraged, and so she courted the habit of reading every good book available to read.

She started writing at the age of nine when she was in primary four and has written over five short stories and several poems

Her hobbies include singing, reading, writing and debating.

Her interest in reading and writing has made her a better person and has opened her eyes to desire to change the world positively.

Moyinoluwa specializes in writing poetry and prose, and may consider playwriting in the near future.

She is a member of the Book Friendly Club in her school, where she shares ideas and discusses her works with other writers, under the tutelage of Mr. Marcus Ugboduma .

She is also a member of the Ibadan Book Club. Her greatest aspiration is to become a great writer from Africa.

She has written many poems, some of which include: ‘Have you ever wondered’, ‘I am me’,

‘Rights of the youths, “My way of giving” “Poetry is me”, “My parents my jewel”, “What goes around, comes around”,” Giving is taking” among other poems all yet to be published

Moyinoluwa has also three written works in prose which are, “My life my Complications”

” The rough path”, and “Folashades’s mystery.”

Moyinoluwa as at certain times in her youthful life engaged in acting in the past, usually at the church during special programmes and when she was in primary school, and her next acting stint in which she is actively involved is AGBEKOYA a play on the Farmers uprising in Ibadan in the 70s, which would be staged coincidentally on her forthcoming birthday this November. She had three of her poems read to the listening pleasure of members of the Ibadan book club.

She is grateful to God for her writing skill.

TEMITOPE AKINFENWA (POET)

Temitope Akinfenwa was born 12 years ago , since her childhood days she developed her interest in books and enjoys reading at ease, she dreams of being a mass communicator, or an accountant, since she discovered how versatile she is reading and writing, her teachers at God’s Blessing Comprehensive College discovered she was fond of converting her note books to her writing pad where she wrote her poems and short stories, it was then it was discovered that she had several other works she had secretly written and kept to herself, which she had been writing since she was 9 years old. And so she was advised to join the Book Friendly Club of God’s Blessing Comprehensive College Ibadan. Since then, her writing skill has taken a new dimension. She had her first opportunity to read her poems to a large audience when she joined the club, and she was further encouraged, at the monthly reading of the Ibadan book club where she was appreciated having read her poems to a larger and experienced audience.

Some of her poems includes: ‘I must shine’,” My tomorrow”,“Victory is mine” and

“My body,God’s temple”. While her plays and prose includes, “Do no cry yet”

“The Young virgin”, “Blood she’d and not shed” and “From Shame to glory” and others.

She believes a future career in writing is possible and that constant reading shapes one's future, while God, her parents and teachers motivates her to write stories, poems and plays, and they have been her pillars supporting her to be a better person, to them she shall be forever grateful.

TINUADE DORCAS OMITOOGUN (SHORT STORY WRITER)

 Tinuade Dorcas Omitoogun, is an upcoming budding creative writer, with a penchant for writing prose and short stories. She is twelve years old and was born to the family of Mr and Mrs Omitoogun on the 23rd day of October, 2009. She started out loving to read books her parents bought for her, and reading books her older siblings had at home. As she fiddled with books at an early age, tearing off book covers and pages of novels, her family never got discouraged, this prompted her father to buy her books meant for her age, at that time she was barely three years old. She guided her book jealously and since then holds every book in high esteem, as she scribbled on these books, the love for writing began to take shape. She got motivated by every book she read, and her appetite for reading heightened. And a desire to write stories began to build up, because of her love for reading.

At the age of 8 years she fulfilled her dream to be a writer, by completing her first story titled “The best place to be” at that time she was in primary 4.

Among her other works are

“Seed to sow”, “honesty pays”, “The reward of jealously”, and “Why didn’t I listen”? etc. Some of my poems also are “Why is this world wicked”, “My mother”.

Tinuade Dorcas Omitoogun is a member of Book Friendly Club of God’s Blessing Group of Schools and also the Ibadan Book Club, where she has had opportunities to read out her poems and stories to club members. She earned herself a major role in AGBEKOYA, a play based on farmers uprising in Ibadan in the 60s. The play has further motivated her to write plays and so she looks forward to publishing her first book soon.

HALEEAH OLUWALAANUMI AJOBO (POET & SHORT STORY WRITER)

Ajobo Haleeah Oluwalaanumi is a lover of nature and enjoys reading and narrating stories. Presently, preparing for her BECE 2021/22 Academic Session. She aspires to become a qualified and successful Medical Practitioner. A founding member of Elewura Readers’ Club. Haleeah recently read one of her works at a readership promotion campaign programme of the National Library of Nigeria, Oyo State Branch held recently in Ibadan.

SAMAD RAZAK (ARTIST)

Samad  Razak was born in the year 2007 in Ibadan, Oyo state where he hails from and currently lives. As Samad grew up he watched his elder sister draw and paint object and pictures and that inspired him to desire to draw and paint pictures too, At the age of seven, the turnaround came when he drew his first picture, his elder sister saw the talent in him and began helping him out to perfect his artistic skills. Support and encouragement from his parents and teachers have him the needed lifeline,

One day he was suspended from the table tennis team of God’s blessing Comprehensive College Ibadan. He was kept out of the team for weeks for failing to take his studies seriously. While he sat one morning watching his peers play, he had in one hand his drawing pad, some students were gathered around and flipping from page to page with excitement on their faces. At that point Mr Marcus Ugboduma discovered he was an artist and decided to nurture him and promote his artistic works, so he began tasking him. At that point he became a celebrity Artist, whose specialty is simply to draw celebrities and notable personalities.

Among the notable personalities or celebrities he has drawn includes: Burna Boy, Dr Yinka Ayefele, President Mohammadu Buhari, Governor Setup Makinde. But his most favorite drawings are That of the Olubadan of Ibadan Land and Dr Yinka Ayefele. Samad really appreciated his teacher, mentor and master, Mr. Marcus Ugboduma who tutored, mentored, encouraged and took him like his son. In a bid to show his gratitude to him, Samad drew a beautiful portrait of Mr. Marcus and his wife to mark their 3rd wedding anniversary.

Samad is a member of the Book friendly club of God’s blessing Comprehensive college, and also the Ibadan book club. He feels privilege to have exhibited his art works at the 2020 Cultural day celebration held in his school, where the Chairman of the Oyo State council For Arts and culture, was present and promised to take him to the Olubadan of Ibadan Land to present his work to Our royal father, but that dream is yet to see the light of day but he hopes it comes sooner, His works were also exhibited at the Ibadan book club in one of their monthly readings,

Samad is an artist per excellence, who recently played the role of prisoner 1 in Agbekoye. The play AGBEKOYA was staged by students of his School to mark the 2020/21 Valedictory Service. He now believes that with constant reading and study with book club members, he hopes to write poems, plays and prose sooner.

Samad is sure that in the nearest future his drawings will flood the art space as the biggest maker of celebrity art works, his current work is the drawing of Prophetess Esther Ajayi.

STEPHEN  AJEIGBE (POET)

Ajeigbe Stephen was born in the year 2008 in Ibadan, Oyo state and he resides there, as he grew up, he never knew he had the talent of writing poems but he tried to be an artist but unfortunately, he discovered it was not in him, at the age of thirteen, he was taken to Ibadan book club by Mr Marcus Ugboduma and when he saw others displaying their talents. By the time it was over, he left very sad because he had nothing to display. At that point Mr. Marcus inspired him to be a poet. He wrote his first poem titled beauty and some other titles "friendship" and “anger in a man". Stephen is a member of The Book Friendly Club of God's blessing Comprehensive College and also the Ibadan Book Club.

He feels privileged to have read his first poem ever on the floors of the Ibadan Book Club.

Stephen is a writer per excellence, who seizes every opportunity available to write poems. 

He now believes that with constant personal and group reading and learning with book club members, he hopes to write more poems sooner.

Stephen is sure that in the future, his poems will flood the world as the biggest writer of poems, his current poem is titled "Education with Godliness".

PEACE AKINDIMEJI AKIN-TELLA (POET)

Akin-Tella Peace Akindimeji was born on 29th day of September 2008, in Ibadan. 

Peace did not start writing Early enough, but preferred reading. His ability to write was discovered at the age of 13, when he saw his classmates and other friends writing and feeling happy with their works being read in gathering and on the School assembly ground, also at that point came the constant boastings of one of his teachers, Mr Marcus Ugboduma, The coordinator of the Book Friendly Club of his school, who used to boast about his students writing prowess and creative skills, especially in Poetry and prose.

He  also constantly advised that writing was going to help them academically and it was capable of taking them to greater heights. 

This prompted Peace to write his first set of poems which includes: "Why death", "Ibadan", 

" I am strong" and "Foolishness." 

 

Peace Akin- Tella is currently a member of his School's Choir, The JETS Club, the Book Friendly Club of God's Blessing Comprehensive College and the Ibadan Book Club, 

He has represented his School in several competitions and most recently The Science Teachers Association of Nigeria OLYMPIAD 2022, at the junior category. He looks forward to becoming a renowned Science fiction writer in the near future. His Parental encouragement has been his source of inspiration in Writing.

Seven Writers and Artist for 2022 IHRAF Teen Arts and Writing Mentorship Programme

 

SEVEN WRITERS AND ARTIST FOR 2022 IHRAF TEEN ARTS AND WRITING MENTORSHIP PROGRAMME

 

 

 

Six Writers and One Artist have been nominated for this year IHRAF Teen Arts and Writing Mentorship Programme, a programme of the African Chapter of the International Human Rights Art Festival (IHRAF) with its international headquarters in New York, U.S.A. They include: Moyinoluwa Oyetunji Sarah (Poet), Akinfenwa Temitope (Poet), Tinuade Dorcas Omitoogun (Short Story Writer), Ajobo Haleeah Oluwalaanumi (Poet & Short Story Writer),  Razak Samad (Artist), Stephen  Ajeigbe (Poet) and Peace Akindimeji Akin-Tella (Poet).

 

This was contained in a statement signed by the Director of IHRAF in Africa, Wole Adedoyin.

 

According to him, IHRAF Teen Arts and Writing Mentorship Programme provides the guidance to help teen writers and artists perfect their craft and successfully complete and publish their self-published book/arts projects. They are to write/create works of art on issues bordering Human Rights issues affecting Africa.

 

The programme also hopes to help empower shortlisted recipients to independently identify growth areas and find relevant, valuable, ongoing learning opportunities from individuals who have relevant and shareable experiences and insights.

 

The duration for the programme is six months and completed works will be published by the International Human Rights Art Festival (IHRAF).