[hr-education] V International Human Rights Colloquium (Sao Paulo, 8-15 October 2005)

V INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COLLOQUIUM
SOUTH-SOUTH DIALOGUE TO STRENGTHEN HUMAN RIGHTS
Sao Paulo, Brazil October 8-15, 2005


Background

Organized by Conectas Human Rights and the Sur- Human Rights University
Network, the International Human Rights Colloquium is an annual capacity
building and peer-learning event designed for activists from the Global
South.

Since 2001, the Colloquium has gathered more than 510 activists and
academics, mainly from Latin American, African, and Asian countries. Many
of the participants maintain permanent contact with each other through
meetings or through two different networks: HR Dialogue and Sur (see
www.conectasur.org).

The V Colloquium is co-promoted by the Catholic University of Sao Paulo
(PUC-SP) and mainly supported by the Ford Foundation, United Nations
Foundation, United Nations Development Program (UNDP), among others.

V Colloquium: innovations to celebrate the fifth anniversary

To celebrate its fifth anniversary, the International Human Rights
Colloquium has chosen an ambitious topic: "South-South Dialogue to
Strengthen Human Rights". It is being approached from 5 different angles:

- Rule of Law: A Human Rights Approach;
- Strategies to Confront Violence;
- Transparency and Indicators: How to Measure the Impact of Our Action; -
Financial Sustainability: A Dialogue Between Donors and Human Rights
Movements and Organizations
- Universities and NGOs: Dialogue and Partnerships.

In today's "globalized" world, human rights issues have acquired new
dimensions and consequences. They need to be addressed from a wider
perspective which takes into account national and international security
and looks into the crucial role that the judiciary system plays within the
democratization process. To overcome these challenges, it is necessary to
search for collective strategies and responses, involving diverse social
actors and protagonists, which will serve as a basis for joint actions
aimed at a more just, equalitarian and peaceful world.


More Plural and Democratic Organization

Since its creation, Colloquium organizers believe that the event's success
is due to the involvement of diverse organizations and social sectors in
its implementation. Another innovation of this year's Colloquium is that
Conectas and Sur have invited new partners -civil society organizations
and international agencies- to participate in the design and organization
of the event. In this vein, the organizers expect that the Colloquium will
progressively become a stronger, more plural and more democratic space to
debate the main human rights issues in the Global South

This year, a special emphasis is being put on developing and enriching the
debate between academics and activists from civil society organizations
and social movements, with the hope of finding ways to mutually enrich
each other's work. It has also included a dialogue between them and the
donor organizations, to bring about new forms of understanding and
collaboration.


Profile of participants

In 2005, the Colloquium is directed to activists from the Global South who
speak Spanish, Portuguese or English. A limited numbers of vacancies are
being reserved for applications from participants in previous Colloquia.
Simultaneous translation is being provided for the lectures. Some of the
thematic working groups will be divided by language, while some will meet
in only one language. Assistance will be provided to participants to
ensure their integration and solve language problems.

The Colloquium aims at prioritizing the participation of professionals
with experience and commitment to human rights work, as well as a solid
understanding of how the United Nations works.

The Colloquium seeks to reinforce the participation of vulnerable groups,
as well as of those who have greater difficulties in accessing
information. Therefore, criteria like race, gender, and regional/social
origin will be taken into consideration during the selection process.

The Colloquium structure aims at promoting the inclusion of all
participants. In the mornings, participants will be required to attend a
symposium where three or four speakers will give short addresses on
relevant topics, followed by questions and debates. In the afternoons,
they will form working groups and take part in workshops, cultural
activities, and visits to human rights organizations.


Fees and Scholarships

In order to cover costs, each participant must pay a participation fee. A
limited number of scholarships will be granted to guarantee participation
of individuals. Candidates should submit a written request along with the
application to be considered for a scholarship.


Applications

Application forms are available at www.conectas.org/coloquio

Applications completed in MS Word should be submitted by e-mail or fax,
accompanied by a letter of recommendation and a Curriculum Vitae.

Applications will be accepted between July 1st and August 1st, 2005.

For more information, please write to: conectas@conectas.org




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