During the week of August 6 – 8, the UNPO hosted the 5th annual SpeakOut! 2013 training workshop in Leiden, the Netherlands.  The goal in hosting this workshop was to bring together young UNPO Members and human rights activists to give them the necessary means and skills to be effective in human rights lobbying and advocacy. The program was hosted at Webster University in Leiden, with a trip to Leidschendam for a presentation on the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. During this special three-day workshop, youths from Member nations and individuals interested in the field and study of human rights listened to informative lectures and participated in workshop simulations. There were many representatives from several Member nations, including the Khmer Krom and the Ahwazi. We were also happy to welcome guests from other unrepresented nations like the Aceh, Kashmir, and West Papua.

                On the first day, we started with an icebreaking activity that helped the UNPO staff and participants get acquainted with one another. We then broke into a lecture by UNPO Program Coordinator on the human rights mechanisms within the UN, which provided information on the main treaty bodies and the Universal Periodic Review mechanism. After lunch, the group traveled to Leidchendam for a presentation on the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, which is currently investigating the death of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and several members of his party. This is only one of several tribunals being carried out on an international level in The Hague.

On the second day, the representative of the European Association of History Educators (Euroclio), Steven Stegers, conducted a workshop about writing a concept note. During this workshop, the participants had to review existing concept notes that were being reviewed to receive monetary grants. After a brief break, the participants who were attending on behalf of a Member organization were given the opportunity to present a piece about the current situation in their region. Afterwards, a workshop was conducted on negotiation strategies pursuant to a lecture on the same subject.  The final presentation of the day was presented by Jochem de Groot, from the D66 Liberal Party on Human Rights online and internet freedom. This was a particularly informative lecture which taught participants the importance of the internet, specifically in the context of human rights. 

On the third and final day, the participants listened to a lecture on communication led by the UNPO staff. The second workshop focused on website creation and management by UNPO Treasurer Jeroen Zandberg. The final workshop of SpeakOut 2013 focused on policy advocacy tactics and was led by the United Network of Young Peacebuilders (UNOY). Their representative, Ms. Matilda Flemming, presented on the organization and conducted a workshop that simulated a meeting between policymakers and advocates. This workshop showed the participants which advocacy tactics they can employ in order to achieve their goals within an organization.

The ultimate goal of this year’s SpeakOut! training was to open up the participants to the world of human rights and advocacy. During this three-day event, participants got to meet new people and partake in simulations that were both entertaining and informative. The UNPO looks forward to planning next year’s SpeakOut! training session and welcomes Member nations and interested youth to join us. You can follow regular updates of our activities on our Facebook page amd you can download the report on the training from the right column.