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Human Rights Education
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[Artwork
by Octavio Roth, UN Photo] |
NGOs working
with the United Nations held a public meeting in Geneva on
March 28 to discuss NGO coordination on human rights
education and the UN's World Programme for Human Rights
Education. The meeting was organized by the Conference of
NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the UN (CONGO) in
partnership with the Soka Gakkai International (SGI) and
other organizations.
In the opening session, Kazunari Fujii from the SGI, as
moderator, explained that the meeting provided an
opportunity to look at the transition to the new Human
Rights Council and to consider what is missing in global
policy regarding human rights education.
Elena Ippoliti, an official of the UN High Commissioner for
Human Rights, outlined the World Programme's main goals and
noted that its adoption by governments was mostly due to the
advocacy work of NGOs.
Renate Bloem, president of CONGO, stressed the importance of
NGO cooperation and said that the meeting provided an
opportunity to expand the network of NGOs working in the
field of human rights education. Future meetings will
negotiate an NGO platform for cooperation and for ensuring
consolidated input into the newly created Human Rights
Council.
The SGI has created a traveling exhibition supporting the
UN's World Programme. "Human Rights in the 21st
Century--Treasuring the Individual" has recently been on
show in Kita Kyushu and Oita in Kyushu, Japan. The
exhibition, which appeals for human rights and peace, is
supported by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for
Human Rights and the UN Information Center.
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