On Thursday, 18 April 2024 Lesley Foundation in partnership with the UN, Local Youth Corner and Youth on a Goal brought together youth led organizations around the southwest region working on the right to education. The objective of this event, was to promote the engagement of youths in participating in the implementation of the 75-Human Right pledges, engaging youth to promote peace building and to take active part in human right actions. Her Innovation Cameroon was represented by Cliford Chia.
Presentations were carried out by Mr. Kiven Fonyuy who gave an overview of the Human Right 75 initiative defining its goals, key objectives and pledges. This was specially done to generate pledges. Given the importance and relevance in promoting Human Rights Education (HRE), some challenges were highlighted in meeting up with expectations such as; lack of resources, lack of recognition of bilateral relationship between stakeholders, limited training and mentorship of human right defenders. Youths’ representatives were challenged not to just make HR a concept but a reality as youths need to start leading the way for human right consultation.
The workshop ended with a panel discussion where the three organizing organizations shared their experiences on how they have been working on the field to promote human right and participation, they shared their practices, challenges and how they were able to overcome.
Recommendations were made at the end of the workshop included;
- Monitoring and evaluation of activities implemented with regards to human rights education
- Collaborations amongst youth-led organizations
- Effective communication about youths’ results -lead talk about what we do more (including in
- the social media space)
- CSOs joining clusters
- Creation of a WhatsApp group to bring together CSOs
- Intensify advocacy on social media (Using more of storytelling)
- Managing content and tone in advocacy in passing out information.
It was a mind-blowing learning experience at the workshop, learning from shared experiences and having the fundamental human right article customise in a handbook which were shared to each and every one and encouraged to take it as part and parcel of us so as to intensify our human right actions.