In the evening on July 23 in Vitebsk held a two-hour workshop for beginners “Human Rights "on the fingers"”. Participation in the educational outreach program adopted youth – representatives of various community organizations, students, and everyone who worried about the problem of human rights.
After the event the coaches Nasta Loika and Vladimir Andreenko commented on its results and aspects.
Representative of BelIHRM (International Human Rights Movement), Vladimir Andreenko:
– There are many approaches to human rights. Our "International School for Human Rights and Civil Action" promotes the vision of this aspect. However, we do not impose our vision of our students by force, so to speak, we do not beat the pointer on the fingers when they are mistaken in their statements. We give an opportunity to all to express, reflect, and in the course of the discussion we inform the audience that human rights – it is everyone's business. And if today you do not pay attention to the violation of these rights and walk past, tomorrow is sure to affect you.
Judging by the reaction of our audience today, we were able to convey their views. Casual visitors to the seminar did not get people interested came. Half of students attending universities of Viciebsk, the second half – the person who has to work somewhere. Today's sessions were introductory.
Generally, a course that we teach – is pretty big. There is a basic course, a universal. Today we brought the audience that human rights – rather fragile concept regarding each; that the minority must protect itself from the majority, and the majority affects the small community; that human rights on the one hand – it's values, ideas, concepts, and on the other hand – this is the institutions, mechanisms that should ensure their practical implementation. We also drew attention to the fact that human rights cannot be identified with the struggle against all good all bad. We talked about the fact that human rights are not necessarily given to us from birth, but is acquired in the course of relations between the state and civil society.
Nasta Loika:
– We've been engaged in educational activities on human rights. Often we visit various cities and for the second time come to Vitebsk to the curriculum for beginners. People come to us who are interested to hear what human rights are not an academic, but alive. And it is nice to feel that it is interesting and much needed. I hope that the participants got a lot of useful information. On their impressions it can be seen that due to the seminar they have strengthened their knowledge of human rights, learned a lot, and someone, and revised its outlook on human rights.
During our conversation we seek to break the stereotype: that human rights – something settled and natural. We say that it is an artificial construct that has emerged in a specific historical moment. And, really, you should always show a lot of effort to defend their rights and do not allow them to break.
Our students today were representatives of non-governmental organizations as "Christian Union to work with children and youth", was a member of an organization working with people with disabilities – that is, people who in their daily activities are closely in contact with representatives of some minorities, which discriminate whose rights are violated.
Today our classes – is the first step in the process of legal education, but it is expected its extension. Then you can get a few days for the seminar, which is a well-known Russian human rights activist Andrei Yurov. There is also a large school, a versatile course that lasts many days – for those who are already working specifically in the field of human rights. In other words, it is a multi-level school, with a large, extensive program.
Vitebsk Spring
