Programs
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Capacity Building Programme for Protecting Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms in Nepal
National Peace Campaign (NPC) has recently began implementing the initiative for “Protecting Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms in Nepal” in partnership with Creative International Forum (CIF). The three-year initiative, funded by European Union covers the period from January 2009 to December 2011. The activities of the initiative are being implemented in 30 selected districts of the Terai and the eastern hill which are being currently unrest due to emerging conflicts and violence.
Overall objectives of the project are to protect and to promote human rights and fundamental freedoms and to develop culture of non-violence by strengthening civil society actors and sensitizing concerned stakeholders. Specific objectives are as follows:
The target groups of the program include civil society organizations, human rights and peace networks, journalists, lawyers, educators, members of Constituent Assembly, younger politicians, local government authorities, bureaucrats, judiciary personnel and other concerned change agent of society. The activities of the program include a number of workshops, trainings, media interventions and publications to capacitate the target groups specified and also to create awareness among common people on human rights, fundamental freedoms, non-violence means for conflict transformation and reconciliation.
The project/action covers five broad areas. The area wise activities are as follows:
A. Capacity Building of Civil Society Actors and Political Forces:
B. Awareness Raising of General People:
C. Alliance Building and Collective Engagement of CSOs and Political Forces:
D. Stakeholders Sensitization:
E. Research, Study Baseline Survey and publication
The Activities of the Project:
Orientation to the project team members
The orientation to the project team members was held at Hotel Ashoka in Kathmndu from 8 to 11 February 2009. The three day program was attended by altogether 15 team members of the project including regional coordinators and staffs of the central offices of NPC and CIF working under this program. During the program a number of resource persons conducted sessions on history of human rights, concept and issues of human rights, human rights treaties (especially big seven treaties), domestication of the international laws and monitoring and documenting human rights situations and human rights violations. Similarly, the orientation program also included the session on current dimension of conflict in Nepal especially focusing emerging conflicts in the Terai and the eastern hills and their effects on human rights.
In addition to these, the team members of the project were briefed about the overall project, its activities and implementation methodology. The team members were further orientated goals and objectives of the project and guidelines for implementing activities. At the end of the program, individual and overall action plan were developed by the team members for the one year period.
Master Training on Human Rights National Peace Campaign (NPC) conducted Training of Trainers (TOT) on Human Rights (HR) from 11-18 May, 2009 at Dhulikhel, Kavre, Nepal. The training was a part of the Capacity building programme implemented in partnership with Creative International Forum (CIF) under EC funded project.
Participants of the training There were a total of 28 participants coming from far west of Nepal, Kanchanpur to far east, Taplejung.
Selection process The selection of the participants was made considering a number of factors like gender, ethnicity, geography and previous training exposure of the participants on HR fields. In the same way, the CSO members, who previously participated in the regional trainings conducted by NPC, were also selected for the Master Training.
The selection process followed the collection of the CVs of the prospective participants, first. The regional strategic planning workshops, interactions/suggestions received from the baseline survey team helped to identify the prospective organizations/participants. Second, CVs and the letters of interest submitted by the prospective candidates were assessed and graded. Based on that, the final name list of the participants was prepared.
Facilitators of the training The training was facilitated by international resource persons: Liz Philipson and Ingrid Massage from the UK and Belgium respectively. Two sessions of the training i.e. Development of HR in Nepal and ESCR (Economic, Social and Cultural rights) were conducted by legal expert, Hari Phuyal and the resource person from OHCHR, Dip Thapa Magar respectively.
Major topics covered The training covered a number of contemporary issues/topics on human rights. The basic concepts of rights, human rights and features of human rights like universality and indivisibility, HR conventions and mechanisms, ESC rights, violence against women, equality and equity, self determination, impunity, transitional justice, HR advocacy, and training guidelines. At the end, the participants were asked to prepare for doing presentation on one of the topics covered in the training sessions.
Training method The training was highly practical. Group discussions, question-answer, case studies, role plays and short power point presentations were done. The key points related to the topics were highlighted in the Meta Cards and Flip Chart.
Training evaluation: The participants were given out forms to evaluate the training. The forms contained both the objective and subjective questions for assessing different aspects of the training. The responses of the participants were analyzed. The majority of the participants responded that the training met their expectations.
Certificate distribution: The participants were awarded with certificates of participations at the end of the training. The certificates were awarded to the participants involving themselves. On receiving the certificates, the participants thanked the organizers for providing them with the opportunity to take part in the TOT. They also expressed their thanks for trainers and translators. They expressed their commitments that they would use gained knowledge and skills in their professional fields.
Concluding of the Training: The chairperson of NPC, Mr. Komal Pokhrel concluded the progamme expressing his thanks to participants, resource persons and the project team members for making this training a success. Similarly, he expected that the participants would work as resource persons and HR defenders as per the objectives of the training.
Seminar with CA Committees National Peace Campaign (NPC) is closely working with the CA committees on Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles and Protection Rights of Minority and Marginalize Communities. These two committees basically related with the issues of human rights and fundamental freedoms including rights of the backward and the disadvantage communities. NPC is organizing a number of seminars and workshops with the committees inviting the concerned experts and resource persons on human rights and fundamental freedom. In addition to these, the constitutional experts were also invited for technical support to the committees for incorporating the issues of human rights and fundamental freedoms on the constitutional term.
Beside, the concept paper and the draft bill prepared by the committees were also reviewed and provided feedback to the committees by the different experts. This provided opportunity to the committees to make better and to include the missing terms in the concept paper and the draft. NPC is also providing necessary resource materials to the committees. NPC further published a book entitled" Fundamental Rights" (Maulik Adhikar Ka Aayamharu) and distributed to the all members of the committees that NPC notices the book is very useful to the both committees
Some of the seminars/workshops were jointly organized with the committees and some of organized by NPC itself. Very short detail of the workshops/seminars is as follows:
Regional Human Rights Training
Under the capacity building program, National Peace Campaign (NPC) conducted Regional Level Human Rights Training in partnership with Creative International Forum (CIF). Altogether, there were five regional level trainings conducted different parts in the country. The trainings began from last week of June 2009 and completed in the second week of October 2009. The trainings mainly involved the members of civil society organizations implementing a wide range of programs on human rights and other rights based issues at the local levels. There were also representations of lawyers, journalists and teachers, who are a part of civil society and are directly and indirectly involved in promoting and advocating human rights and fundamental freedoms locally. A total of 125 participants advanced from the trainings
Objectives and Contents: The trainings were conducted with an objective to provide basic knowledge and skills to the participants on human rights. Meanwhile, it was also expected that the participants will engage in translating the acquired knowledge and skills on human rights in their respective organizations and districts by involving themselves in interaction, sharing and training facilitation activities. To achieve these objectives, the training covered a wide range of topics concerning HR issues, HR concept, HR standards, HR mechanisms and its advocacy.
Venues, Dates and Program districts covered: The trainings were organized in regional centers that covered all the program districts of the action. The venues, dates and details of the program districts covered are as follows:
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