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Momodou
Denmark
11828 Posts |
 Posted - 12 Sep 2007 : 23:10:57
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West and Central African Human Rights Institute
Amie Sillah Reporting
The West and Central African Human Right Institute (WACAHRI) held its 2nd Annual Human Rights Advocates Training Programme in Accra, Ghana from 27th August to 7th September 2007. It was done in collaboration with its partners, The Media Foundation for West Africa based in Accra, Ghana and the Columbia State University in New York, U.S.A.
Thirty (30) participants from West and Central Africa participated in the training programme. They came from thirty human rights organisations.
Professor Kwame Karikari, Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), opened the training programme. He said that it would be impossible to attain the Millennium Development Goals without seriously addressing issues of human rights abuse on the African continent.
Professor Karikari said “we have over the years witnessed violations, disrespect and trampling of human rights but it is now clear that with collaboration we can revise the trend”. The two weeks programme, has as its theme “Human Rights and Development. The United Nations Millennium Development Goals”.
Professor Karikari also said that with democracy taking shape on the continent, human right issues were now being used as the yardstick to measure the performance of every government. Professor Karikari also paid tribute to Dr. Paul Martin, Head of The Columbia Centre for the study of Human Rights for initiating and supporting WACAHRI.
According to him, the institute was making efforts to become autonomous. He urged participants to develop a network of activists to defend each other saying “human rights work is difficult anywhere in the world. I know it provokes criminals!”
Mrs. Jeannette Quarcoopome, Coordinator of the training programme, said the event was part of efforts to strengthen the capacity of human rights advocates to do their work more effectively so as to increase the impact on their environment. She said although lack of resources had hampered attempts by human rights activists to bring issues of abuses to bear, they had been able to make positive changes in their areas of operation.
Participants were divided into four thematic areas chosen according to their interest area. The thematic areas are
i. Health and Human Rights
ii. Environment and Human Rights
iii. Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment
iv. Rights of Children
Various distinguished sons and daughters of Africa presented Power Point Presentations on various pertinent topics. A prominent Pan Africanist, Professor Ernest Wamba-dia Wamba, said that Africa needed self recognition to promote accelerated growth of the various economies.
Justice Anna Bossman, Acting High Commissioner, Ghana Human Rights Commission made a brilliant presentation. She emphasized the independence of her commission. That even though the President of the Republic appoints her but he cannot dismiss her. She has a tenure of office. Their vote comes from the office of the Attorney Office. Now her commission is struggling to get direct funding from the consolidated fund, from the parliament to enable it to be totally independent of the Executive.
Mr. Femi Falana, President of the West African Bar Association, has said that the time had come for NGOs to shift focus from the enforcement of civil and political rights to mobilizing Africans to fight poverty, ignorance and preventable diseases.
Dr. Bess from Columbia University in New York did the training on strategic planning, Building Organisational Memory-Database and Fundraising Strategies.
Her University partnered with Media Foundation to make WACAHRI programme possible.
Topics dealt with were an overview of the MDGs; Conflict and Human Rights- Refugees and Advocacy Strategies for Promoting Implementation of the MDGs by Human Rights Organisations; UN Human Rights Instruments and Mechanisms;
Accessing UN Human Rights Institutions. African Human Rights Instruments and Mechanisms-How to use them; Effective use of International and Regional Mechanism; Organisational Development, Strategic Planning, Building
Organisational Memory-Database; Organisational Development-Fundraising Strategies, Financial Development-Financial Management, Budgeting, Financial Reporting; Campaign Development and Events Organization.
A lot of practical lessons were done to make the learning process easier.
The training session was closed by a representative of the UN system in Accra, Ghana.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issues
Issue No.107/2007, 12-13 September, 2007
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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