On-line training to deliver human rights message

Left to right: Dr Firoze Manji, Dr Andrew Shacknove, and Dr Angus Hawkins of the Department for Continuing Education

Human rights groups in southern Africa are set to benefit from an on-line training project developed by a team at the University's Department for Continuing Education. The International Programmes Division, based at the Department for Continuing Education, has received an award of 1 million ECUs (over £600,000) from the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights. Funding of CAD$350,000 (£140,000) has also been received from the International Development Research Centre. The money will be used to develop a programme aimed at combating human rights violations in southern Africa. The University team, associated with Dr Andrew Shacknove, Director of Legal Studies at the Department for Continuing Education, will be working with a pan-African network of human rights organisations on a three-year project in nine southern African states. They will train members of non-government organisations to act effectively as defenders of civil liberties. The project will develop effective methods of adult education with seminars, supplemented by on-line services. The aim is to instil the skills needed for fact-finding and investigation, advocacy and the organisation and funding of non-government organisations. While Internet access remains limited in many African states, the massive increase in telephone coverage during the last decade has led to most African capitals now having more than one Internet service provider. It is estimated that there are now more than a million account holders in Africa. Dr Firoze Manji, Associate Tutor in International Human Rights at the Department for Continuing Education, said: `The demand for training in human rights is reflected in the number of applicants for local and regional workshops, and for formal courses at universities and colleges. `Many human rights organisations in Africa are fragile. The absence of individuals attending training often has a devastating impact on the sustainability of their organisations. Clearly, the availability of distance learning in human rights would enable such people to participate in high quality training without absenting themselves from work. The Internet opens up an enormous potential for human rights organisations.'