So, You Want To Be The Next High Commissioner? 2012 – Results and Follow up

From 17-20 July 2012, WFUNA held its annual human rights training for young UNA members at the Palais des Nations. 21 participants representing 15 different United Nations Associations around the world attended four days of sessions, which included presentations from various diplomats, UN and NGO staff as well as two days of training in project management. The main objective of the training was to empower UNA youth and equip them with the necessary skills to design and plan their own human rights project, to be implemented in coordination with their UNA and in line with national priorities.

Participants had six months in order to develop and implement a human rights project in collaboration with their UNA and submitted their final reports in January 2013. Based on WFUNA’s assessment of their projects against a list of criteria – feasibility; sustainability; coordination with UNAs; relevance; impact; and application of tools acquired during the training – one of the projects educating youth on UN human rights mechanisms and the international human rights system in Asia has been selected as the best action.

Congratulations to all participants for their commitment to the promotion of human rights worldwide! You have reached over 370 beneficiaries through your projects!

UNA Italy, Lebanon, Spain: Sustainable Peace, Human Rights and Youth Leadership in the Mediterranean

This project has been developed by Pau, Anna-Katharina, Renato, Edoardo and Alissar from UNA Italy, Lebanon and Spain. The main objective of their project is to lay out the foundation for a sustainable network consisting of UNAs and their affiliated youth organizations in the Mediterranean focusing on protecting and promoting human rights in the region. Drawing on the joint work of the network each country will issue national activities and awareness raising campaigns on human rights. 

The project is currently in the planning phase and has a potential to reach out to hundreds of youth.

UNA Norway: Awareness raising activities on Syria

In October, Karolina from UNA Norway implemented a debate session about the historical development in the Middle East. A month later they hosted a panel discussion as the second part of the project. The objective of the two activities was to raise awareness amongst young people of the situation in Syria and neighbouring countries.   

Her project reached an estimated total of 20 beneficiaries.

UNA Sri Lanka: The right to know

The main objective of Kithmina’s project is to provide high school students with a comprehensive understanding of UN human rights mechanisms and the international human rights system as well as to establish a stronger relationship between the UNA and schools. 25 schools have volunteered to participate in “The right to know”, initiating human rights advocacy projects with students in their institutes.

The project reached a total of 180 beneficiaries.

UNA Denmark: Awareness raising activities on discrimination

Through interactive lectures on discrimination implemented in primary schools, the objective of projects led by Mikkel and Simone from UNA Denmark is to raise awareness of everyday discrimination that migrants and minorities may encounter in Denmark. The projects include several lectures on how racial discrimination violates fundamental human rights.

Their projects have reached a total of 175 beneficiaries.

UNA Venezuela: Education as a mean to tackle poverty

Marli, from UNA Venezuela has developed a project with the objective to highlight the importance of education as a way to tackle poverty in the community of La Milagrosa in Merida, Venezuela. The project acknowledges that it is important to involve parents so that they can encourage their children to go to school. It is planned that four panel discussions will be held with community members, teachers, parents and UNA representatives.

The project is currently in the planning phase.