In Guinea-Bissau, in June 2019, a training session on understanding and applying the values promoted by Human Rights was provided to a hundred women. The main objective of this training was to educate women politically and mobilize them within an emerging democracy in Guinea-Bissau. This training aimed to raise awareness of Human Rights values and develop their skills as citizens. The goal of mobilizing women was fully achieved with the creation of an agricultural cooperative, whose logistical and production expansion over the following six years strengthened the empowerment of participants.
Report and Expertise by Murielle Gemis, Spokesperson for the HumanRights4Prosperity Program
In a world where economic growth and the promotion of Human Rights (1948) are often perceived as distinct goals, the HumanRights4Prosperity program demonstrates that they can be effectively reconciled to generate lasting and meaningful impacts. A concrete example of this innovative approach is currently unfolding in Guinea-Bissau.
Thanks to a strategic partnership between ONAMA (the women’s group of the political party APU PDGB – Assembleia de Povos Unidos) and the AMD Quinara association, a transformative project was born. After a training session provided by HumanRights4Prosperity to the women of these two groups, an agricultural cooperative was created. During this training, 100 women participated, joined by 63 men, including members of the security forces. The very next day, these women, strengthened in their confidence and ability to act, took the initiative to build an autonomous project focused on a sustainable goal.
Today, this cooperative, led by local women, plays a key role in agricultural production to meet the food needs of surrounding communities. To date, it supplies nine villages on the outskirts of Bissau, the capital. Its production capacity has reached such a level that it is now able to serve the entire southern region of the capital.
This training not only strengthened community mobilization centered on women’s empowerment but also stimulated the local economy. This success demonstrates how implementing Human Rights principles can be a powerful lever for economic and social development.
A Transformation Model Based on Human Rights
“The success of the cooperative perfectly illustrates the transformative impact of understanding Human Rights on economic and social development. In this context, we started from scratch and, by investing in training as a social foundation, we enabled communities to take charge of their future,” said Murielle Gemis, spokesperson for HumanRights4Prosperity.
The HumanRights4Prosperity program is designed to implement the guiding principles related to businesses and Human Rights, following the framework of “protect, respect, and remedy” (NDUH, 2011), while adapting to the cultural and social specificities of each territory, company, or state.
By offering targeted training and emphasizing social inclusion, the program fosters cooperation and the creation of sustainable enterprises that combine economic prosperity with respect for Human Rights. However, building such initiatives does not come without challenges, especially when starting from scratch and integrating local realities.
This is precisely what HumanRights4Prosperity demonstrates: by adapting its actions to specific contexts, it is possible to create viable projects that place Human Rights at the heart of political and entrepreneurial strategies. Far from being a constraint, these principles prove to be a powerful driver of social and economic transformation.
Thus, integrating Human Rights is not merely an ethical approach; it is also a lever to stimulate sustainable economic development and concretely improve people’s living conditions.
A Model to Be Deployed on a Global Scale
Currently, this cooperative goes far beyond a simple agricultural project: it is the symbol of profound change, demonstrating how understanding Human Rights values can generate concrete and measurable transformations. This model, founded through cooperation, proves that ethical prosperity is not a utopia but a reality when individuals are placed at the heart of priorities.
The project in Guinea-Bissau is among the successes achieved through the HumanRights4Prosperity approach. As the organization continues to expand its efforts worldwide, this case demonstrates that sustainable development based on Human Rights is a promising path toward a fairer and more prosperous future.
*The tools were provided free of charge by the humanitarian campaign Youths For Human Rights.
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First published in this link of The European Times.
