Opinion - One of my clearest childhood memories is of an animated wall poster in my room on children’s rights and responsibilities.
Oddly enough, I remember understanding this long before I could properly comprehend the world around me.
This poster stood alongside PlanetE glow-in-the-dark stickers, which transported me to a magical world every night before falling soundly asleep.
Never did I imagine that 20-odd years down the line I would have to grapple with the reality that as the human race flourishes from childhood to adulthood, sound sleep and a free mind become somewhat of a dream.
I wonder if you have experienced this: one in five people I have spoken to in the past week have been either stressed or tired or somewhere in between.
I am not convinced that it is a lack of sleep that keeps our minds awake, but rather our racing minds and lives that rob us of the sleep we require to wholly function.
How did we find ourselves in this position where peaceful sleep and bright mornings do not come easily?
Some believe happiness to be the highest fundamental right of all humans.
Fundamental rights represent the basic values cherished by people and are calculated to protect the dignity of the individual and create conditions in which every human being can develop his or her personality to the fullest extent.
Our South African Bill of Rights outlines various rights spanning the realms of education, political freedom, disability, health, welfare, sexuality and labour rights.
I hold two aspects of human rights dearest to my heart: the environment and mental health.
There is a quotation that reads: “When a flower doesn’t bloom you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower. Call me Utopian, but I sincerely do believe in both the environment and the flower.”
Section 24 of the South African constitution enshrines the right to the environment.
“Everyone has the right to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being; to prevent pollution and ecological degradation.”
To me, this seems like the perfect opportunity to exercise human values in making our rights a lived reality, and this is what I work for every day as a marine biologist.
Did you know that the United Nations attributes more than 2 million deaths annually and billions of cases of diseases to pollution?
The World Economic Forum alludes to a report stating that: “Diseases caused by pollution were responsible for an estimated 9 million premature deaths in 2015 - 16% of all deaths worldwide.
"This is three times more deaths than from Aids, tuberculosis and malaria combined. It is 15 times more than from all wars and other forms of violence.”
Furthermore, water shortage, fisheries depletion, ecosystem declines and the effects of human-induced climate change show clear links between the environment and the enjoyment of human rights.
The environment has been declared a prerequisite for the enjoyment of human rights.
Globally, the issue of mental ill-health has become an increasing concern.
In South Africa, the cycle of stress, poverty, and societal pressure is exacerbated by the history of violence, exclusion and racial discrimination under apartheid and colonialism.
The trauma cases that linger from the apartheid era have been well documented in the findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, as have the effects of these acts on the mental health of victims.
Ongoing realities of violence and crime further take their toll on the mental health of South Africans, feeding into destructive habits of drug and alcohol abuse.
This affects families, shifting stress between work and home, compromising the safety and emotional stability of children as well as the environment in which they are nurtured and raised.
Wouldn’t it be wise for the socio-economic development of our nation to be built on human values in order to be sustainable?
Human values are virtues that guide us to take into account the human element when interacting with others.
Human values include right conduct, peace, compassion, non-violence and truth.
One organisation in South Africa facilitates human values and mental health through community development, through schools, hospitals, and prisons: the International Association for Human Values offers programmes to reduce stress and develop leaders, so that human values can flourish in people and communities - a sense of connectedness, respect for people and the natural environment, non-violence, social service.
Notable shifts in people have been documented, such as clarity of mind, shifted attitudes and behaviours, and a resilient, energised and inspired way of being.
WWF-South Africa is an example of a local chapter of a global conservation organisation which works to look after our natural resources - oceans, land and wildlife - so we can continue to benefit from food, water and a healthy climate.
A healthy environment breeds healthy people, and healthy people constitute a healthy nation.
I have worked with both organisations, which have allowed me to train my mind to see possibility.
I believe that responsibility and an attitude of service are the foundation of true empowerment and realisation of our rights, and we are all capable of acting within our ability to respond.
Incorporation of human values into all aspects of life can ultimately lead to a more peaceful, just and sustainable world.
There is a lot that we can all do to see the South Africa we envision for ourselves and future generations.
I thank my parents for that wall poster on children’s rights, for instilling a sense of rights, responsibility and values in me, for ultimately being the reason for my sound sleep.
Not everyone has had this privilege, but everyone has the responsibility and power to be an inspiring example to someone in their life.
I remain unconvinced that we cannot live with a mind free of worry, societal pressure, lack and injustice.
The time to glorify our racing minds and busy schedules has passed.
Our over-stimulated brains and bodies are tired of our internal, ongoing chatter that deprives us of self-care and connection with our surroundings.
We very well know the theory and logic of what ‘should and could be’, so can we perhaps act more to bridge this gap?
Let’s not lose sleep over injustice and let’s be fuelled by the opportunity South Africa has presented us.
Our human rights go hand-in-hand with our responsibility to bring them to life.
A moment of critical mass can bring about massive change that could ultimately enable South Africans to go to bed peacefully and rise to a bright tomorrow, each and every day.