Category Archives: HUMAN RIGHTS

South Africa: International Training Program for Human Rights

… HUMAN RIGHTS …

an article by UNESCO Chair in Human Rights

Over the past 10 years, the UNESCO Chair & Institute of Comparative Human Rights has held summer leadership training fora for young leaders from all regions of the world. In conjunction with its annual fora at the University of Connecticut, it has conducted three regional leadership training programs in Rwanda, Italy, and Thailand. In partnership with the African Studies Centre at the University of Cape Town, the main goals of the upcoming Forum are to bring both outstanding participants from past Leadership Training Programmes and new leaders to launch a global intergenerational leadership organization, if not movement. Young leaders with demonstrated commitment to human rights are strongly urged to attend.

2042-Uconn

View of Table Mountain and the Cape Town Skyline — Courtesy of Marita McComiskey

The program seeks to

• Provide a platform to launch a Global Intergenerational Leadership Association

• Provide tools and resources to continue to build upon knowledge from the International Leadership Training Programme: A Global Intergenerational Forum and effect real change

The registration fee is $800 (USD) and includes: dormitory housing for 10 days, meals, ground transportation in Cape Town, cultural excursions, resource materials and a certificate of participation. Participants will be responsible for providing their own airfare to Cape Town, South Africa. The UNESCO Chair & Institute of Comparative Human Rights is unable to provide scholarships or grant fee waivers.  Upon acceptance to the Forum, participants will receive instructions for submitting program fees directly to the University of Cape Town Conference Management Centre to cover the following:

• Shared dormitory accommodation at UCT residence halls for 10 days (check-in June 18, 2015 and check-out June 28, 2015)

• Bath Towels and soap

• Meals (Dinner on Day 1; Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner for Days 2-9; and Breakfast on Day 10), a Cocktail function, and a Gala dinner

• Conference program space

• Ground transportation from airport to conference facilities

• Registration materials (programme book, conference bags, t-shirt)
• Museum passes and transportation to the District Six Museum and Robben Island

The International Leadership Training Programme: A Global Intergenerational Forum, originally organized as an Intergenerational Global Forum seeks to empower young leaders by involving them in finding solutions to emerging human rights problems, and by nurturing individuals to be effective leaders in the field of human rights. To this end, the Forum has sought to introduce participants to the United Nations Development Agenda and Universal Declaration of Human Rights, build a network of solidarity among human rights leaders, expand knowledge relevant to human rights practice, provide tools and a platform for open debate, develop human rights leadership, and promote sharing of experiences and understanding. The Forum has showcased speakers on such topics as: health, education, the environment, the plight of child soldiers, the use of media, fundraising, conflict resolution and transformation, litigation, advocacy, and other emerging human rights issues to name a few.

Latest Discussion

Is there a new international generation of human rights activism?

Latest reader comment:

CPNN has been enriched over the years by the young human rights activists who take part in the Annual UNESCO International Leadership Forum. This is truly the hope for our future!

Africa, HUMAN RIGHTS

Amnesty International: A Devastating Year

… HUMAN RIGHTS …

an article by Salil Shetty, Secretary General at Amnesty International (abridged)

Video: Amnesty: A devastating year for human rights

[As we have shown in our Annual Report,] this has been a devastating year for those seeking to stand up for human rights and for those caught up in the suffering of war zones.

Governments pay lip service to the importance of protecting civilians. And yet the world’s politicians have miserably failed to protect those in greatest need. Amnesty International believes that this can and must finally change.

International humanitarian law – the law that governs the conduct of armed conflict – could not be clearer. Attacks must never be directed against civilians. The principle of distinguishing between civilians and combatants is a fundamental safeguard for people caught up in the horrors of war.

And yet, time and again, civilians bore the brunt in conflict. In the year marking the 20th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, politicians repeatedly trampled on the rules protecting civilians – or looked away from the deadly violations of these rules committed by others. . . .

2014 marked 30 years since the adoption of the UN Convention against Torture – another Convention for which Amnesty International campaigned for many years, and one reason why the organization was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1977.

This anniversary was in one respect a moment to celebrate – but also a moment to note that torture remains rife around the world, a reason why Amnesty International launched its global Stop Torture campaign this year.

This anti-torture message gained special resonance following the publication of a US Senate report in December, which demonstrated a readiness to condone torture in the years after the 11 September 2001 attacks on the USA. It was striking that some of those responsible for the criminal acts of torture seemed still to believe that they had nothing to be ashamed of.

From Washington to Damascus, from Abuja to Colombo, government leaders have justified horrific human rights violations by talking of the need to keep the country “safe”. In reality, the opposite is the case. Such violations are one important reason why we live in such a dangerous world today. There can be no security without human rights.

We have repeatedly seen that, even at times that seem bleak for human rights – and perhaps especially at such times – it is possible to create remarkable change.

We must hope that, looking backward to 2014 in the years to come, what we lived through in 2014 will be seen as a nadir – an ultimate low point – from which we rose up and created a better future.

(Click here for a Spanish version of this article or here for a French version.)

Question(s) related to this article:


What is the state of human rights in the world today?,

Latest reader comment:

Each year we get overviews of the state of human rights in the world from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

global, HUMAN RIGHTS

The Caribbean Union of Teachers promotes LGBT Rights

… HUMAN RIGHTS …

an article by Education International

Teacher union leaders have made an important step in their journey to develop a better understanding of LGBT issues from a human rights perspective, as the region shifts its tolerance and acceptance toward sexual diversity.


Lisa Shoman

In an effort to bring an end to the discrimination of LGBT students and teachers in Caribbean schools, teachers’ unions took small steps to find solutions to create acceptance of sexual diversity.

Human rights were at the core of the argument led by one of the Caribbean’s leading politicians and former Foreign Minister of Belize, Lisa Shoman, as she facilitated a discussion on “LGBT rights of students and teachers” at the Caribbean Union of Teachers’ (CUT) 6th Education Conference in Belize City, Central America in December.

Shoman, who is also a human rights lawyer, had the challenge of helping teachers move beyond what has been a contentious issue throughout the region’s history, which has been greatly influenced by religious and cultural beliefs and values. She worked to highlight human rights to separate them from issue of beliefs. However, one major roadblock in many countries has been the law.

“There are still antiquated laws on the statute books” that see people penalised for their sexual preferences, said Davanand Sinanan, President of the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA), and Education International (EI) Executive Board Member. “In fact, in Trinidad and Tobago we have not been able to finalize a national gender policy for over three years because of opposition from religious bodies to clauses that speak to LGBT rights.”

Sinanan made it clear that wants his schools and society to change perspective, to recognise that all people deserve equal rights in order to stop discrimination.

Following the discussion, many agreed that there is a need for extensive education on the issue within the region to ensure that teachers are able to face varied lifestyle choices professionally and without judgement, especially youth friendly educational services that are delivered with the full respect of their rights and dignity for all, and the diversity of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Currently, 11 of the 12 Commonwealth countries of the Caribbean criminalise homosexuality under laws introduced by British colonialism. Many of these laws are reported to be indirectly enforced through police extortion and other state-sanctioned abuses, social stigma and direct discrimination. Criminal enforcement emerges as a barrier, which amounts to the denial of access and rights to education, employment, housing, health and other public services.

[Thank you to the Good News Agency for bringing this article to our attention.]

(Click here for a Spanish version of this article and here for a version in French.

 

Question related to this article:

The struggle against homophobia, Is progress being made in your community?

It would seem from articles on CPNN that progress is being made in some communities. In particular this is true in the United States according to the article by Danny B and in Bulgaria according to the article by Diana Tashkova.

HUMAN RIGHTS, Latin America