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Pre-Conference Capacity Building Day for the Voluntary
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and Community Sector -
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Conferences are a fantastic way to learn more
Executive Director of Amnesty International
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about a particular topic, gain practical tools, make
Puerto Rico, then spoke about the international
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useful contacts and inspire and motivate us when
human rights movement. A long-term LGBT
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we feel we have reached a dead end or run out of
rights activist, church minister and writer, Margarita
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solutions to everyday challenges.
outlined some of the ways in which a human
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rights framework had helped her and others to
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But what if you or your organisation cannot afford the
challenge policies in her home country, such as
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conference fee or do not have the means to travel
a national sodomy law which was overturned
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to the event? What if you cannot afford childcare or
through national human rights campaigns. She
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need special provisions because of a disability? Where

stressed the importance of rights as a collective
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is your voice in key debates when your participation is
blocked by these obstacles?
set of values that form part of the ‘heart’ of the A
community. She encouraged participants to be a P
part of that heart and not give up in their efforts
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On 27 January 2009, BIHR held a capacity-
building day to support 35 people from across
towards social justice and equality.
Four sessions followed the speeches:
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the UK to participate fully in the Changing the
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• Basic human rights training. BIHR staff
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Face of Human Rights conference the following
Roisin Cavanagh and Sonia Omar described

day. They were there because the usual obstacles
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blocking their attendance were removed through
the evolution and development of human U
forward planning and resource allocation –
rights, and the key principles and values.
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illustrating some of the key elements of a ‘human
Focussing on the UK context, they explained
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rights based approach’ in action.
how practical application of the Human
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Rights Act could strengthen the work of the
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BIHR was able to hold this event thanks to
voluntary and community sector. They used
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funding from the Equality and Human Rights
Commission and the National Council for
a variety of case studies to illustrate the
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Voluntary Organisations. The British Library kindly
relevance and impact of rights.
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provided the venue.
• Human rights and campaigning –
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Participants were drawn from a wide range
how can human rights add ‘bite’ to
of organisations: from disability arts to asylum
campaigns? Rosalind McKenna, Coordinator
seekers; from black and ethnic minority groups
of Amnesty International Ireland’s Human Rights
to mental health charities; from gypsy traveller
Based Approaches Project, led a workshop
groups to members of the deaf community.
encouraging participants to start using human
During the day they shared both their personal
rights based approaches in their work to
and professional experiences with one another,
improve the services they provide. Rosalind
contributing an enormous amount of knowledge
explored some of Amnesty Ireland’s campaigns
and value to each session.
and demonstrated how they were strengthened
by a human rights based approach.
Programme • Put your message across loud and clear.
The programme, which consisted of guest Nick Bird, who works in network development
speakers and four workshop sessions, was at Urban Forum, led the second workshop.
designed to help participants develop the This practical session took participants through
knowledge and skills that would enhance their a step-by-step approach to communicating
participation at the conference. campaign messages to a range of audiences.
Ceri Goddard, BIHR’s Acting Director, opened It encouraged participants to clarify their key
the day. In her speech she emphasised the messages and identify ways to increase the
relevance of human rights to the third sector and power of those messages.
the principle of participation as a key element of • Conference preparation. Jean Candler,
the ‘human rights based approach’ to which BIHR Head of Policy and Public Affairs at BIHR, led
is committed. The participant group’s involvement this session, giving an overview of the key
in and contribution towards the main conference, issues to be discussed at the conference. The
she noted, would be both novel and vital. session helped participants to identify the
5
Guest speaker Margarita Sanchez, former questions they wanted to ask, and advised
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