Overstrand Unite is a Community Based Organisation (CBO) made up of community activists and active citizens living in the Overstrand. The thread that binds us is a commitment to doing what we can to ensure every resident of the Overstrand is treated with dignity and lives with dignity.
What is dignity?
Human dignity is when human beings are treated with respect regardless of their age, gender, ethnicity, status, or ability.
What is respect?
Respect is when you treat people with care. When you treat others as you would like to be treated no matter who they are, or even whether you like them, or not, you are respecting them.
All any human being needs to do to ensure others are treated with dignity and respect is to be kind. It is that simple. Be kind. Care and share. Be friendly, considerate, and generous. Have compassion, be honest, and offer support.
What is living with dignity?
Living with dignity is when a human being lives the happy comfortable life that all human beings deserve. It is when your basic human rights are met.
What are your basic Human Rights?
Human rights are not granted by any state. They are universal rights every human being has just because they are a human being. The most fundamental human right is the right to life. There are social rights, cultural rights and rights that make life worth living like the rights to food, to work, to health, to education, to a decent roof over your head, to water, and to liberty.
These rights are enshrined in Section 10 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa: “Everyone has inherent dignity and the right to have their dignity respected and protected”.
Section 1 of the Constitution recognizes the right to dignity stating that the Republic of South Africa is founded on the values of human dignity, the achievement of equality and the advancement of human rights and freedoms. The right to Human Dignity is the foundation of almost all other rights in the Bill of Rights. The right to dignity, along with the right to life, is regarded by the Constitutional Court as the most important of all human rights.
The problem is that the right to Human Dignity cannot be realised if socio-economic rights are not realised. So, if we are to ensure that all citizens of the Overstrand are living with dignity, we need to ensure they are afforded their socio-economic rights and their human rights.
How do we do we practically bring dignity to all Overstrand citizens?
Overstrand Unite provides opportunities for active and engaged citizens to support one another, to be productive, and to work together to achieve our common goals.
Our mission is:
To assist citizens of the Overstrand to fully participate in decision-making and programs that affect their lives.
- To promote an environment where there is economic and social justice that will lead to a better life for all.
- To facilitate the development of a dynamic and informed community, able to influence policies and actions at all levels.
- To ensure that community based projects which promote safe and sustainable livelihoods thrive.
And this is how we do it…
Help Us, Help You, Help Others
We believe that by providing support, opening up access to opportunities, and providing access to information people are better equipped to overcome socio-economic injustices. By doing this as a collective we believe it is possible to ensure that every citizen of the Overstrand lives with dignity.
Support
Compassion and support for one another determines a community’s strength. Acknowledging and responding to those in need builds a strong and healthy community.
Overstrand Unite provides support to those in need in our community. We also provide the opportunity for community members to support one another.
Community support is provided by offering relief in emergencies and services like facilitation, mediation, translation, and networking, as well as cutting through red-tape and navigating governmental and business structures for those who don’t have access to resources.
Productivity
Productive people are Happy people. Whether you are earning money for not, being productive gives you purpose, helps you grow, and lifts your mood.
Overstrand Unite facilitates skills development programs and provides easy access to job and business opportunities. We develop tools like the Community Notice Board to make access to information that aids development more accessible.
By upskilling, mentoring, and making opportunities accessible to citizens we can have a direct impact on their productivity and, in turn, their socio-economic situation.
Knowledge
Being informed and having access to information helps people grow, improves skills, broadens horizons, and empowers us to be the best we can be.
Overstrand Unite assists people access the information or knowledge they need to exercise their human rights. We passionately promote active citizenship. We also develop tools like the Community Directory and the InfoHUB where information is curated which people who want to be active and productive citizens will find extremely useful. We also maintain a Community Calendar where important events and dates are easily accessible.
It’s up to every single one of us
Sadly we live in a world where the majority of human beings are subject to the indignities of a life of hardship and pain due to social and economic injustices. The wheels of government turn very slowly and are plagued by corruption. If we are to wait for the state, whose responsibility it is to protect the dignity of South Africans, to eradicate these injustices we will continue to live in paradise surrounded by excruciating poverty for the rest of our lives.
It is vital for every single one of us who is able to, to be active citizens, to work together, and to address these injustices ourselves as a community. We all know how infectious a smile is. Kindness is just the same. Many different acts of kindness will have a major impact on the social fabric of our communities. Every little injustice that is addressed will impact on the dignity, and happiness, of the greater community.
Join Overstrand Unite and start making a difference to your life and the lives of your fellow citizens.
