First Human Rights Schools Held in Kosovo

These schools taught the concepts of human rights and means of their effective advocacy to over 100 high school and university students from Kosovo.

Description

From 4th to 11th of August 2007, in Veremice, near Prizren, Youth Initiative for Human Rights’ office organised two human rights schools for over 100 high school and university students. These schools aimed to introduce basic concepts of human rights and the means of active advocacy to the youth of Kosovo. For 6 days, participants had the opportunity to attend lectures and to participate in conversations with lecturers involved in human rights and transitional justice.

The subject of the lectures were human rights; identity; stereotypes; gender and sexual differences; non-violent communication; resolving conflicts; activism; and transitional justice. Beside that, participants had a chance to watch documentaries produced in regional countries and discuss them. New Human Rights schools will be held during the autumn, and the participants of the first schools will join the My Initiative (Nisma Ime) movement.

Aims / Objectives

• Informing youth about human rights; and
• Increasing the level of tolerance between youth in Kosovo.

Through this initiative we taught young people about their own and their neighbours’ rights to live, and to be informed and tolerant of different people.

How it is Articulated

Through workshops, peer-to-peer education on themes like youth policy, gender, non-violent communication etc, and information sharing through street campaigns.

Achievements / Learning points

“I believe that we succeeded in making one step forward beyond a theoretical approach to the protection and violation of human rights, and managed to mobilise the youth to become aware of human rights violations, which sometimes are not very visible, or are not condemned by wider public, and to make them fight against such cases”, said Sara Maliqi the Director of Youth Initiative for Human Rights (YIHR) at the conclusion of the schools.

Geographical Area of Operation

Prizren, Kosovo.

Organisations Involved

Youth Initiative for Human Rights (YIHR)