Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION TO STATELESSNESS The term stateless seems to imply without a State; in fact it means without a nationality. While by no means every case of statelessness makes it to the newspapers like the high-profile example above, the condition of statelessness is universally unfortunate and deplorable. Stateless persons have been described as non-persons, unclaimed, outcasts, legal ghosts or the ultimate forgotten people. These expressions reflect the dramatic impact that statelessness can have on an individual’s enjoyment of human rights and his or her overall well-being. Founder of Zambia Is Declared Stateless In High Court Ruling* Kenneth D. Kaunda, the father of modern Zambia and the country's President for 27 years, was declared a stateless person by the country's High Court today. Ruling on a case brought by high-ranking members of the present governing party, the court ruled that Mr. Kaunda is not a Zambian citizen under the Constitution because his parents were from the former British Nyasaland, now called Malawi. Mr. Kaunda renounced his Malawian citizenship years ago, when he was President, so he is now effectively stateless. * Newspaper report by Donald G. McNeil Jr, New York Times, 1 April 1999 6