UNPO Congratulates Participants on the Successful Completion of the 2011 SpeakOut! International Human Rights Training Programme
SpeakOut! 2011 participants receive targeted training in media outreach and networking and in human rights advocacy to empower new generations of youth activists from unrepresented nations.
The Hague – June 22, 2011
SpeakOut! 2011 was attended by many youth representatives of UNPO Member groups including Crimean Tatars, Assyria, Afrikaners, Batwa and Khmer Khrom. Dutch youth and young professionals from the Netherlands with a deep interest in human rights also participated. During the three day conference (June 15-17, 2011) hosted by the International Institute for Social Studies, participants were engaged in interactive lectures and workshops designed to address the challenges faced by our Members and all marginalized peoples. Participants were also offered a guided tour of the Peace Palace and a discussion on state polices towards youth with H.E. Mr. Peter Goosen, Ambassador of the Republic of South Africa to the Netherlands.
The SpeakOut! Programme remains unique because workshops aim to identify and address the needs of UNPO’s Members; this year, workshops were focused on strengthening the participants’ knowledge of human rights, advocacy skills and networking skills. During the “Advocacy at the UN” workshop, participants were provided with a working knowledge of how organizations can make meaningful contributions at international forums such as the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review, allowing them to gain valuable access to support networks. This workshop was developed due to the fact that Members rarely have the opportunity to have the international community as an audience for their concerns and sometimes struggle with the complexity of the United Nations mechanisms and institutions for human rights, indigenous issues and minority rights.
UNPO looks forward to building on the success of SpeakOut! to further support the future representatives of Member communities. Through SpeakOut, UNPO helps these representatives claim their economic, social, cultural and civil-political rights through youth-centered involvement and interaction, providing them with platforms to think, decide and develop their knowledge of human rights.
Media Coverage:
Press Release here
To see interviews with participants from the KKFY (FR), click on the link below:
To download the report, please click on the link in the right column.
