19 Aug 2018

Community leaders are better placed to influence people to change their minds and attitudes towards diverse sexualities.

Giving a keynote address at a one day sexual and human rights symposium in Francistown recently, British deputy high commissioner to Botswana, Ms Emily Summers explained that community leaders such as dikgosi, councillors, chairperson of village development committees play an important role in bringing understanding and acceptance around issues relating to sexuality and human rights.

She said because of their position in the community, the leaders were capable of sending a strong message to their people.

The symposium was preceded by a brief training on 2018 Chevening scholarship application for international students in the UK in which Ms Summers informed prospective students that application for scholarships was now open.

She said the scholarships were awarded to individuals with strong academic backgrounds to identify potential leaders in different fields,  adding that those who would be awarded with the scholarships should be ambassadors of Botswana.

Ms Summers underscored that those who would win the scholarship should commit themselves to come back home and give back to their communities.

Ms Summers appealed to Batswana to start working on building an inclusive society in which all persons live in harmony.

Speaking at the same event, a Psychologist Mr Smarts Kachipare explained that mindset change  should start at family level.

Mr Kachipare also advised that service providers such as the police and health workers should be equipped with professional skills on how to handle different sexualilities.

Meanwhile, Francistown District youth coordinator Ms Minkie Bokole explained that  the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development provided a conducive environment for an inclusive society.

She said their services did not discriminate against any one, regardless of their sexual orientation.

One of the objectives of the symposium was to engage Chevening Alumni Association of Botswana (CHAABO), community leaders and the youth in driving community dialogue on diverse sexualities and human rights in Botswana’s context as well as to examine the role of community leaders in championing dialogue in diverse sexualities to support inclusive communities. ENDS