First I would like to express my gratitude for inviting me to attend this very important international conference here at Lyon, in France. I thank you for this gesture.

Democracy and human rights are the talks of the day everywhere in the world. It is because democracy and human rights and freedoms affect every human being. God created man with rights and freedoms to enjoy on this earth. So this rights and freedoms are God given at the birth and must be adhered to to the letter. These are the only way if we want mankind to live conflict free lives to enjoyed democracy which has been acquired at great cost/expense especially in the majority countries throughout the world. We read history which shows countries going through conflicts and wars before achieving this animal called democracy, which therefore needs to be nursured carefully and jealously guarded.

A country free of conflicts enjoys peace and peace is very important because it facilitates the development in every sector including economic development hence progress in the country.

Peace therefore to me is the fundamental issue and cannot be ignored in a country, in the government, in institutions, in religious circles, e.g., churches, mosques, synagogues, at work in homes and in individual�s hearts (peace of mind). Therefore it is very important to work towards peace, our mindset should be thinking of peace all the time and let us all make it a practice to pray for peace daily for our countries and for everybody in the world as a whole.

Peace I bring you, said Jesus Christ in the Bible.

Human rights

Observance and enforcement of human rights and freedoms contributes to peace. Violation of human rights and freedoms are causes of conflicts and wars in the world. For this reason human rights and freedoms are enshrined in international instruments like Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Freedoms conventions and also in National Constitutions to mention but a few to shape lives of people and administration of Governments.

European Union and African Union have created Human and peoples rights Commissions which specifically set out in their charters rights and freedoms to be complied with by countries which are a party to the Unions. Protocols are also created setting out rights of the marginalised/ vulnerables e.g. women: the Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa by the African Commission on Human and peoples rights. It should be noted that rights go with duties or obligations, therefore when exercising our rights and freedoms we should exercise caution not to violate other peoples rights in process of exercising ours.

There are so many rights and freedoms which would take a long time to talk about and for which we do not have here to discussed them all. Therefore allow me to talk about just few of them.

The first fundamental rights enshrined in the African Charter on human and peoples� rights and adopted in the National Constitution are the Right to Life and the Right to Human Dignity. These rights are frequently violated in everyday life by governments, institutions and individuals. For instance no one has a right to take away somebody�s life whether the Government in the form of imposing death sentences on murderers and executing them. Only the Lord God has this fundamental right of bringing life on Earth and taking it away.

Therefore death penalty is a violation of the right to life and must be abandoned by all States and Governments in this world. It serves no one any good. Research has shown that it does not act as deterrent as one school of thought advocates. It is also a violation of one of the Commandments, �Thou shall not kill�. I think one of the most disadvantage of death penalty is that sometimes innocent people are executed. Judges are human beings and are prone to error. Examples are many. In Great Britain, for istance, a man had to be pardoned posthumously by the Queen of England after he was executed due to mistaken identity.

I myself and my late husband Orton Ching�ali Chirwa were sentenced to death innocently. Thanks to Amnesty International and international Community�s protests to Dictator late President Banda who due to pressure commuted death sentence to life imprisonment. Although my husband was murdered in prison by injecting him with a lethal gas, here I am contributing the little I do to welfare of mankind. Would I be here if I was executed?

As special Rapporteur in prison and Conditions of detention in Africa, I produced a paper for the commission condemning death penalty and recommending that death penalty should be put and remain as an item on every agenda of the Ordinary Sessions of the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights till a Protocol on Abolition of Death Penalty in Africa is produced by the commission, concluded and enforced by State Parties and Governments. Meantime abolition of death penalty is being discussed in open forums in Africa and world over. In 1998 the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights passed a resolution that called on all State parties and governments to consider a moratorium on death penalties. Some countries have responded by legally abolishing death penalty such as South Africa. The constitutional Court of South Africa ruled that death penalty was a cruel violation of right to life as death is inhuman and degradating treatment and punishment as stated in South African�s Constitution.

Also Angola, Mozambique and Namibia have abolished death penalty de-jure whereas in Malawi, Zambia, Kenya, to mention but a few, death penalty has been abolished de-facto.

Presidents of these countries swore not to execute anyone during their life terms of presidency. Every citizen has a right to shelter, right to access medical facilities, food, water, fresh air, fresh air etc..

The governments have obligation to provide amenities to their citizens. HIV/AIDS is violation of somebody�s good health and right to live if the victim dies. At the moment only few countries seem to have taken steps to prosecute culprits. Otherwise since women and children are usually the victims they are perishing silently. Government and all stakeholders have a responsibility to raise awareness so that people go for blood testing so that they know their status. Governments have obligations for supplying medicines, to prolong life and providing also balanced diet to home care cases. We in Malawi are grateful to the Community of Sant�Egidio to setting up centers in order to provide such service to the people of Malawi. My two human rights organizations, Malawi CARER and Women�s voice, pledge to work with the Community in this noble work. There are other violations like corruption and violence especially against women and children which the Governments and with the help of religious sectors, human rights activists and all stake holders should as team/work and work tirelessly against these evils in order to alleviate, if possible eradicate them completely. they are some of the worst violations the former affect economy of the country and the �victims and therefore brings instability into the country

About economic rights government has obligation to create an environment conductive to availability of jobs, business, clean water, good health, affordable prices for ordinary citizens, etc, e.g. we are talking about HIV/AIDS pandemic. Medicine to cure is not yet discovered government can create environment which can at least alleviate much suffering by feeding its citizens well, living in clean atmosphere, medicines (antiretroviral) available and blood testing, available even in remote areas or villages. Making medicines affordable and available to every body to prolong life. Provide Antiretrovirals to all organizations with enough resources (money) to go about in the country sensitizing and making people aware of the dangers of the disease, how they can avoid it, or if they already have it, how they can avoid giving others and how they can look after themselves by exercise and eating balanced diet which in turn calls for training them how to obtain these nutrients/amenities.

Abstinence awareness: Malawi CARER, Women�s Voice, the Community and other human rights organizations including churches in southern Africa are encouraging this.

One of the methods my organization is to teach people by telling them a story which they find very interesting and educative. I am in process of writing that story for school children who find it very interesting and makes a differences to other teachings.It is at the moment in demand.

Freedom of speech, of expression, of conscious of religion, to own property and to live peaceful life are some of important rights and freedoms which society should achieve in order to avoid wars and conflicts which are a hindrance to progress and peaceful living.

The whole world I s in search of Peace. There is no country that can safely boast that its citizens are enjoying peace. What more with terrorists acts increasing and spreading every day! To me love and forgiveness, tolerance, hope, faith and honesty are the key words.

It these words can be put into practise by all the stake holders, we can achieve the difference we are looking for � sweet peace which is achieved through dialogue.