2003 Child Rights Interdisciplinary Course on Children’s Rights

5 - 18 May 2003

St. Lucia Park Conference and Training Centre, Harare, Zimbabwe

Background
The Human Rights Trust of Southern Africa (SAHRIT) was established in October 1996. SAHRIT’s focus is to promote human rights in southern Africa. In this regard, SAHRIT focuses on mainstreaming human rights within public institutions in its quest to fulfil the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education (1993 – 2004) and the Vienna Declaration of Human Rights (1993), which call upon States to introduce human rights education in all their institutions.

SAHRIT implements national and regional programmes for the promotion and protection of human rights, democracy and good governance. SAHRIT’s aim is to facilitate the development of a society in southern Africa that respects human rights, democracy and good governance. This will be achieved by mainstreaming human rights, democracy and good governance in public institutions; advocacy and training and through fostering a culture that promotes and protects human rights through community based initiatives. In this regard, SAHRIT has been offering short courses on human rights since 2002. The Interdisciplinary Course on Children’s Rights focuses on the rights of the child. The course will run from the 5th to the 18th of May 2003.

For more information on other courses offered by SAHRIT please visit our website: www.sahrit.org

Cost
SAHRIT will cover airfares, accommodation, meals and course materials. Participants and their organisations will have to provide for personal day to day expenses.

The Regional Interdisciplinary Course on Children’s Rights
The course is multidisciplinary and endeavours to bring pertinent child rights issues to the fore. It will be an opportunity for participants from the different disciplines to share information and experiences and at the same time learn from the presentations and panel discussions by different regional and international experts. Study visits will also be carried out on how some of the issues affecting the rights of children are being addressed in Zimbabwe.

Duration and venue
The course will be held from the 5th to the 18th of May 2003 at St. Lucia Conference and Training Centre, Harare, Zimbabwe.

Course content
· Civil and Political Rights
· Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
· The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
· African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC)
· Child Rights Monitoring Mechanism
· Children’s Rights and HIV/AIDS
· Child Participation
· Children and Law Enforcement
· Human Rights Approach to Programming (HRAP)
· Study Visits to Children’s Homes, and Community Coping Projects and Strategies

Working and Presentation Methodologies
Different working and presentation methodologies will be employed during the course depending on the subject; such as lectures, thematic feature films, panel discussions, working groups and workshops. Informal sessions for sharing of experiences, getting to know more about each other and each other’s organisations including displays and exhibitions.

SAHRIT acknowledges and appreciates the financial assistance by the undermentioned organisations which made the Regional Interdisciplinary Course possible.

The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA)
The Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA)
The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
The Norwegian Agency for Development (NORAD)
The Royal Netherlands Embassy