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<\/p>\n10 December 2021 | Brussels, Belgium [Maja Ahac with tedNEWS] <\/p>\n
A story of statelessness and human rights.<\/p>\n
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Human Rights Day is observed annually on 10 December. Designated by the United Nations in 1948, this is an important day for the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) which seeks to protect the inalienable rights of every human, regardless of race, colour, sex, property, or status.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs we reflect on human rights this year, we cannot help but think of the many individuals worldwide who suffer unspeakable inequality and whose human rights are being violated,\u201d said Maja Ahac, Head of Advocacy, ADRA Europe. \u201cThe story of Rocki Raki\u0107, a stateless person, is a prime example of the conditionality of our rights.<\/p>\n
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\u201dRocki Raki\u0107 was born in 1992, in an informal refugee camp in Italy. As he grew up, Rocki started a family in Germany but was repeatedly deported to Serbia. Rocki\u2019s mother lived in extreme poverty and gave birth to him in an informal setting, so she did not register him with the Italian authorities. After a few years, the family applied for asylum in Germany, where Rocki lived and fathered a son. However, when Rocki reached his eighteenth birthday and became legally an adult, he was deported to Serbia.<\/p>\n
Rocki had never visited Serbia before, nor could he speak the language. However, based on his mother\u2019s nationality, he was deported there. Without any identity documents, Rocki could not get a job, find accommodation, get medical assistance or, crucially, see his son. \u201cRocki was deported three times before getting in touch with ADRA Serbia. It took a two-year-long legal battle for Rocki to obtain his documentation and become \u2018a person\u2019\u201d, Ahac reflected.<\/p>\n
ADRA protects people on the margins, who are often invisible and at risk of falling through the cracks of the legal system. Drumodom, the ADRA project in Serbia, focuses on providing support for undocumented and homeless people. These people find themselves in an impossibly vulnerable position. \u201cAll human beings might be born free and equal in dignity and rights. However, it seems that the exercise of their rights is conditional on having documents\u201d, said Ahac.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the reason why today, and every day, we are called to stand up for human rights,\u201d said Ahac. \u201cEquality, justice, and freedom are core Gospel values that prevent violence and sustain peace\u201d.<\/p>\n
To volunteer, donate or support initiatives like this, visit ADRA website<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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