Demonstrations are not a licence for violating the rights of others

It is common although not all the time practiced knowledge that the mark of a civilised society is one that is guided by the rule of law, respect for other people’s rights and such like values.

Educational institutions are meant to inculcate such values in growing individuals for the good of the whole society.

In this regard, the higher the level of education, the more will be expected of the individual who attains it in terms of what example they give and what contribution they make.

The reason why more is asked of a person with a higher level of learning is that it would be expected that such an individual has capacity for more structured thinking and is open to universal values such as justice, honesty, beauty and so forth.

I am filled with pain as I say these words given the events that have taken place at our university in the last week or so.

CIVILISED SOCIETY

Many people have said many things about these events and I can tell you that a lot of lies have been told. I watched a colleague lecturer on NTV saying that girls as well as boys were raped.

The anchor of the program saw through that and put the disclaimer that this was only hearsay.
It is not my intention to narrate those events here. I wish to stick with the thought on the nature of a civilised society.

Take for instance the right to things like demonstration that is enshrined in our Constitution. Yes, we all have that right but how should we go about it?

Would it be right or just to do our demonstration in such a way as to infringe upon other people’s rights or for that matter to destroy public property?

TRAINING

When we demonstrate, civilisation requires much more than the personal or even communal emotional catharsis if there is any such thing. It calls for deep thought and planning.
Our institutions of higher learning should be the training ground for a civilised lot that will carry forward the values that are good for all.

These will be people who will stand up for what is their right and the right of others. A parent has a right to the respect of their child just as the child has the right to provision by the parent.

We have often been told that a lot of times that our rights end where someone else’s rights begin.

No one says people – even students – should not demonstrate. We once invited a commissioner of Police to address our students.

I heard him telling them that if they want to demonstrate they should tell him and he will even give them the police band. There is a civilised way of demonstrating.

Writer is Dean of Students at the University of Nairobi; [email protected]