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APF facilitators bolster human rights skills

Graphic: Staff from the Oman Human Rights Commission take part in a workshop

Participants from a recent APF course on adult learning have led a series of engaging training programs for staff within their NHRIs.

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Representatives of racial and ethnic minority groups have been invited to share their concerns and aspirations with staff of Kazakhstan's national human rights institution (NHRI).

The roundtable discussion – documented in this short video – was organised by Azhara Suleimenova and was one of a series of follow up activities to the APF Facilitators Course, held in December 2017.

As part of the course, each participant has designed an activity that will strengthen the knowledge and skills of staff within their respective NHRIs and respond to a specific area of need.

For example, in Malaysia, Siti Zaihan Zulkarnain led a workshop for SUHAKAM staff to practice their skills in 'translating' and communicating complex human rights issues on social media, with a focus on learning the basics of graphic design to produce engaging visual content.

In Oman, Abdulaziz Alsaadi developed a program to build foundational knowledge of human rights standards among NHRI staff, while in India, Dushyant Singh Tyagi led a program to train and empower female staff working in the Commission's investigation team.


Graphic: Staff of the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives


Other activities have focused on:

  • Increasing knowledge on the International Criminal Court (Afghanistan)
  • Building foundational knowledge on monitoring (Bahrain)
  • Engaging on human rights issues with religious groups (Bangladesh)
  • Understanding the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (Maldives and Samoa)
  • Building skills and confidence to facilitate human rights training activities (Mongolia and Thailand)
  • Building Pasifika engagement with UN human rights mechanisms (New Zealand)
  • Strengthening the NHRI's efforts on torture prevention (Palestine)
  • Building understanding of disability and access issues (Sri Lanka).

In planning their activity, each participant drew on the knowledge and skills they developed at the APF Facilitators Course to create an inclusive and stimulating environment for adult learners.

They will bring these new experiences with them when they take part in the first meeting of the APF Facilitators' Network, to be held in Bangkok in September 2018.

Regular meetings of APF Facilitators' Network will allow members to share their experiences, learn from each other and develop good practice approaches.

Along with supporting the delivery of the APF training program, members of the APF Facilitators' Network will play a leading role to bolster their NHRI's education and outreach work.

Date: 22 June 2018


Image credits

  1. Staff from the Oman Human Rights Commission take part in a workshop - Oman Human Rights Commission
  2. Staff of the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives - HRCM