In Sulu, human rights work starts with letting the people know.

By Julie Alipala. Inquirer Mindanao
March 24, 2012

ZAMBOANGA CITY—It struck Jocelyn Basaluddin, a volunteer working among families displaced by violence in Sulu, that many of them had no idea what their human rights are.

“Many of them knew nothing about their rights. So I started teaching them basic human rights through casual conversations,” Basaluddin said. The 39-year-old mother started sharing what she had learned from years of working with nongovernment organizations as a volunteer relief worker and from journalists she met.

While going around villages, Basaluddin was able to establish a network of contacts. She made sure to send them cell phone text messages every day.

Whatever possible complaints of human rights abuses she received were forwarded to the Mindanao Human Rights Action Center (Minhrac) based in Cotabato City. Minhrac later tapped her as a human rights grassroots monitor.

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