Sport and Society
July 2006
Banner photo: Image Source/Getty Images
Human Rights Education
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.
