Donor: Olof Palmes Internationella Centrum
Duration of the project: January – December 2004
Training for Trainers – the Human Rights School for the Future Lecturers
The main goal of the Training for Trainers – School for Human Rights was to improve the awareness rising with regard to the rule of law and human rights among young people in Serbia and Montenegro. This was achieved by targeting the specific group of young people who could spread the received knowledge in the future by delivering lectures themselves or by raising the rule of law issues in the ordinary course of their work. After selection procedure was completed 20 participants were selected (10 from Belgrade, 10 from other parts of Serbia). Most of the participants were students of law, political and social sciences, but also post-graduate students and NGO activists.Experts from the Centre, university professors, activists from other non-governmental organisations and government institutions were called to teach and discuss different human rights issues. Besides local lecturers the Belgrade Centre welcomed various experts from abroad (inter alia, Prof. William Schabas, director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights from Galway, Prof. Brian Simpson from the University Michigan, Prof. A.J.R. Groom from the University Kent in Canterbury, Ms. Nuala Mole, director of the AIRE Centre from London and Mr. Navtej Ahluwalia, attorney at law from London).
In addition to the lectures, the programme was mainly comprised of the panel discussions. The panelists were the most prominent experts in particular areas, as well as those who were able to present and observe a particular topic from rather different points. All panel discussions were followed by the active involvement of the participants where they had an opportunity to express their attitudes and exchange opinions on particular subject.
Seminars for Journalists and Parliamentarians/Municipal council representatives
Among other considerations the aim of this project was to educate two specific target groups in the field of human rights (journalists and parliamentarians/municipal council representatives), to establish and promote links among them and to provide for the affirmation and protection of human rights and strengthen the respect for the rule of law.
During October and November 2004 two weekend seminars, with 20 participants each, were held in Belgrade for journalists and parliamentarians/municipal council representatives. Within each of these groups participants were brought together for three days in order to exchange the experiences and views in particular field under expert guidance, as well as to help them to better understand their role in the society in transition. As far as the seminar for parliamentarians is concerned, most of the participants were representatives of the local councils but also members of the Parliament of the AP of Vojvodina. As for the seminar for journalists, the majority of them were coming from the local media (particularly local TV stations and newspapers).
