The Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone (HRCSL) with support from UNDP and Irish Aid on the 5th and 6th of June 2024 engaged school club members in Kabala and Kambia respectively on Strengthening Human Rights and Peace Clubs.
The Commission provided refresher training for members and helped in the formation of interim executives for effective operations. The thrust was to strengthen the existing Peace Clubs so as to make them effectively functional.
School club members were taken through presentations on the mandate and functions of the Commission, Human Rights Fundamental and Climate Change, Leadership and Management of Human Rights and Peace Clubs and Human Rights and Advocacy Skills, among others.
Ten schools participated in the engagement namely; Kabala Secondary School, Kabala Christian Secondary School, Ahmadiyya Muslim Agricultural Senior Secondary School, Loma Senior Secondary School, Kabala Secondary School for Girls, Kolenten Senior Secondary School, Sunday Foundation Secondary School Kambia, Kambia Islamic Secondary School, Paul Jenkins Secondary School and Ahmadiyya Muslim Secondary School.
Each school coordinator was given an office box file, containing a compendium of presentations, stationery and brochures, among others to support the clubs to keep records of their activities.
Abass B. Daramy, a pupil of Ahmadiyya Muslim Secondary School in Kambia said from the presentations, he was able to learn about advocacy skills and how climate change affects human rights.
He promised to use the knowledge gained to educate his colleagues on the importance of planting more trees to curtail global warming and also mobilize them to support advocacy on rights issues.
Similarly, Isatu Tarawallie from Kabala Secondary School for Girls said; “Today I learned a lot about what the Human Rights Commission does and the dangers climate change pose to our communities.”
She promised to sensitize pupils about the significance of the Human Rights and Peace Clubs so as to persuade them to become part of the club.
Vice Chairperson of HRCSL, Victor Idrissa Lansana Esq. said the Commission is graduating from establishing Human Rights and Peace Clubs to strengthening these clubs so as to ensure that they go back to their schools and translate what they have learned over the years to their colleagues.
“We believe that there is no way you could advocate for human rights if you do not know your rights,” he said and expressed hope that the knowledge gained by the pupils will be translated into running the clubs effectively.
He stated that the Commission has successfully established 76 Human Rights and Peace Clubs in Schools as a result of a recommendation made by the African Union in 2015
Credit – HRCSL Communications Team
Copyright –Published in print in Expo Times Newspaper on Monday, June 10th , 2024 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)