GWCC’s Skills Development ProgramTraining for human rights [Archives:2004/704/Community]

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January 19 2004

By Fahmia Al-Fotih
For the Yemen Times

Girls World Communication Center (GWCC) is using Endowment support to train 40 female activists in the promotion of human rights in Yemen with extended educational program that will give them skills in computer, internet, human rights training and networking. Thus, under the auspice of Human Rights Ministry, GWCC with the cooperation of NED (National Endowment for Democracy) and UNIFEM organized at the Media Center on Thursday 15 January the opening ceremony for Human Rights Skills Development Program.
Amat AL-Aleem AL-Sosowa, Minister of Human Rights, attended the ceremony along with host number represents various organizations and human rights activists. Al-Soswa delivered speech in which she thanked GWCC and its administration and expressed her happiness about the activities that GWCC has been adopting particularly the Youth Leader Program “Human rights become one of the important aspects that we have to concentrate on. The person has to know his own rights. So it comes the necessity of training the human rights employees and trying to make it tangible.”
She further said, “We in human right ministry have a plan also to train our employees. We also seek to make human rights a main subject taught in schools and universities”
She finally wished all the best and success for GWCC and trainees and to come with fruitful results in future.
Ms. Gabool AL-Mautawakel, GWCC managing Director, said ” Adopting the saying 'Don't give me the fish, teach me how to fish' Girls World Communication Center was established by voluntary and individual efforts that aimed to achieve three main goals namely: to train and qualify the Yemeni girls to enable them to work and depend on themselves, in order to help them improve their economic and social status.
Besides, to upgrade women's participation in developing the societies as well as to introduce more opportunities for the underprivileged girls.”
She added “We are so keen to deliver important messages that reflect strongly to our society, through the language. We focus at the present on three topics; health, water and environment and human rights that was recently added to our agenda. Through the five years we have been working, we have realized that a nation can never be developed as long as its rights are violated. The people cannot do anything, as they are not aware of these rights and the means by which these rights can be demanded. If want to reach the high principle of humanity as dignity, justice and freedom, then we should get the knowledge. With all the challenges we face in the globalization, we have to communicate with the other worlds, not only to learn but to interact and influence them too.”
She further said “Skills Development Program, the program that gathered us today aims to provide trainees with two kinds of knowledge. First to let trainees acquire the communication skills to enlarge and exchange the information and knowledge. Second to know skills in the form workshop courses about human rights which will last a year.”
She concluded “I'd like to assure that working on human rights field is an obligation from Almighty to all the people and it is not he responsibility of only the human right ministry and the organizations working on that field”
Mr. Shawki AL-Qadhi, the well-known parliamentary member and one of the trainers, said ” I am honored by being one of the trainers. This program comes to provide the dire need of the human rights activists. The trainees are provided with English language, computer and Internet through which have essay access to the glob and exchange information with others around the world. We nowadays witness a number of organizations work on the field of human rights and we ask them to work well and play their roles as it should be to have our support.”
Ms. Aisha Al-haimi, delivered speech on behalf of the trainees, ” The process of choosing the female trainees was highly successful since there were honesty and justice in choosing them. All trainees highly appreciate this opportunity to gain experience in the field of human rights. Looking through the training scheme we see that it provides us with a magnificent overview about the nature of this program and its aims.”
She further said, “After finishing this program we will be most grateful to GWCC and to the highly qualified trainers, like Dr. Mohammed Al-Mutwakel and Mr. Shawki Al-Qadhi and all the other teachers who have lightened our way and provided us with a great deal of information related to human rights.”
It is worthy mentioning that upon the completion of the project, GWCC will organize a monthly round-table meeting as a forum for course graduates to share their experience, coordinate human rights initiatives, and develop civic networking.
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