NCHR Kicks Off Another Year of Human Rights Training for Grassroots Activists

(also see Participants' Comments)

The National Coalition for Haitian Rights (NCHR) kicked off its first training session for Haitian NGOs, community groups and neighborhood associations on Thursday, Feb. 13. The five-day training course takes place at a retreat house operated by the Mères de la Sagesse high on a hill overlooking Carrefours. This is the third year that NCHR, through its Port-au-Prince office, has provided training in human rights. The program has received high marks from the participants and from interested governmental and international agencies working in the field. About 30 people, a third of which are women, attend; they come from every region of Haiti.

Combining presentations with group exercises and role playing, NCHR seeks to insure that the main points of an issue have been understood and their practical application underscored. Subjects covered include Haitian and international human rights law, conflict resolution through mediation, interacting with the new Haitian police, the role of elected official and how best to ensure that they work for the good of the community, prisons, children's rights, the medical aspects of human rights and the role of international organizations in promoting human rights. The Inspector General of the new Haitian National Police has participated in previous training sessions, along with Haitian lawyers, members of the Truth Commission, representatives from the UN/OAS International Civilian Mission in Haiti (MICIVIH), UNICEF and the Association of Haitian Journalists.

Through the training, NCHR seeks to create greater awareness of human rights, encourage participation and discussion by citizens with relevant government authorities (police, judges, prosecutors, elected officials, prison administrators) on human rights issues and create a network of Haitian monitors and human rights advocates. The course emphasizes the practical application of knowledge and the sharpening of skills while avoiding abstract theorizing.

Participants also receive human rights documentation to take home with them and share with their colleagues. NCHR, with the generous support of MICIVIH and UNICEF, distributes Creole copies of the Haitian Constitution, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, along with many colorful posters that illustrate various fundamental human rights, to each participant. NCHR thus hopes to reach thousands of Haitians through these training sessions. Hundreds have been trained already.

For more information about the training, please contact  Pierre Espérance.