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IN THIS ISSUE
 From the HREA staff: Human Rights Day 2005
Gender bias in Moroccan schoolbooks Annual Appeal 2006 HREA starts innovative training programme for human rights defenders in the Middle East and North Africa Online Learning Centre officially launched
FROM THE HREA STAFF: HUMAN RIGHTS DAY 2005
Dear Colleagues and Friends,
Today, 10 December 2005, it is 57 years ago that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted. This year Human Rights Day will be celebrated in the midst of a global debate on torture. For background, news, and learning materials about this year's theme, "End Torture Now!", please visit our Human Rights Day 2005 webpage.
This Human Rights Day, HREA would like to recognise the many volunteers who have contributed to our activities throughout the year. Without the dedication and tireless work of those volunteers much of HREA's efforts in promoting a human rights culture would not be possible:
Diana, Acacia, Martha, Tatiana, Cristina, Luc, Tatiana, Rudy, Rosa, Minnie, Donna, Nastassia, Carlos, Ana, Anna-Maria, Judy, Angelika, Djomo, Armielle, Neal, Garance, Carmen, Annie, Svetlana, Paul, Fiona, Larry, Jeff, Gaëlle, Sulemankhan, Masha, Elaine, Larisa, Dorothée, Anne-Marie, Hassan, Gina, Nancy, Eldar, Eva, Mirakma, Robin, Séverine, Yahaira, Pedro, Allison, Théophile, Carlos, Natallia, Rhonda, Youssef, Dina, Hector, Zuhair, José and Martin -- thank you very much for all your efforts throughout the year!
Season's greetings from the HREA Board and staff,
Felisa Tibbitts
Executive Director
GENDER BIAS IN MOROCCAN SCHOOLBOOKS
On 9 December, HREA announced in Rabat the conclusion of its study on gender bias in schoolbooks in Morocco. The study was part of a year-long programme to review textbooks in Morocco for human rights and gender equality. Fifty primary school textbooks were reviewed. Says HREA project coordinator Mustapha Kak: "The list of suggested books covered most subject matters, especially those subjects thought to contain concepts and principles related to human rights and gender equality", explains Mustapha. Textbooks for Arabic, Art, French, Family Education, Geography and National Education, History, and Islamic Education were analysed.
Teams consisting of teachers, inspectors, parents, and human rights and women's rights activists in the cities of Tétouan, Fez, Rabat, Casablanca, and Marrakech reviewed textbooks for stereotypes and negative prejudices about women. The study was conducted in cooperation and coordination with the Ministry of Education. Read further.
ANNUAL APPEAL 2006
HREA needs your support! Each year HREA offers over 100 scholarships (tuition waivers) to human rights defenders from Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America who participate in our highly valued training programmes. We cannot do this without your financial contributions. Please donate today.
Learn more about our courses and the amazing human rights activists and educators that participate in them, and make a financial contribution!
HREA STARTS INNOVATIVE TRAINING PROGRAMME FOR HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA
In January 2006 HREA will start an intensive training programme for young human rights defenders in the Middle East and North Africa, in cooperation with the Arab Institute for Human Rights (Tunisia) and the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (Egypt).
"This project will strengthen the Arab human rights movement by training young human rights defenders using a distributed learning approach", says Frank Elbers, HREA's Deputy Director. The 'distributed learning approach' is a training model that includes both on-site training as well as Internet-based, distance learning training. Trainees will enhance their skills in monitoring, advocacy and project development and management through a combination of introductory e-learning courses, self-study and intensive follow-up workshops.
During the two-year training programme each trainee will design and carry out an advocacy or monitoring project, under the mentorship of an experienced human rights defender associated with a local or regional human rights organisation. "The project will be a concrete step in strengthening the Arab network of human rights defenders and cross-border collaboration", concludes HREA's Deputy Director.
ONLINE LEARNING CENTRE OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED
On Human Rights Day HREA will officially launch its online Human Rights Learning Centre. It is the result of many years of labour by HREA staff and volunteers in making our large collection of learning tools available in an interactive format. The Human Rights Learning Centre provides activists, educators, students and interested citizens with introductions to hundreds of human rights topics. Visitors can read daily human rights news, find human rights documents, take quizzes, complete opinion polls, or find suggestions for further action or how to teach about a specific human rights issue.
Visit www.hrea.org/learn/ and learn everything you want to know about human rights (but were perhaps afraid to ask?)!
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