30 August 2005

COMMONWEALTH HUMAN RIGHTS NETWORK SEEKS MEMBERS


Networking for human rights will be the theme of the 2nd annual Commonwealth Human Rights Forum, which takes place in Malta from 20 to 21 November 2005. The forum gives civil society activists an opportunity to raise the profile of human rights on the agenda of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Commonwealth countries are invited to participate in the forum, which will include discussions on barriers to human rights networking such as restrictions on freedom of association and expression, anti-terrorism measures and regulations on the registering of NGOs.

There will also be case studies from around the Commonwealth and opportunities to share advocacy strategies and success stories. A limited number of spaces are available for interested NGOs.

One of the initiatives of the Forum is the Commonwealth Human Rights Network (CHRN), which aims to strengthen human rights advocacy, enhance information exchange and build the capacity of civil society organisations in Commonwealth countries.

Initiated by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, the Association of Commonwealth Amnesty International Sections and the Commonwealth Policy Studies Unit, the network seeks to harness the collective resources of civil society organisations to effect change, including facilitating joint campaigns to monitor human rights violations in Commonwealth countries and pressure governments to improve their rights records.

The network also aims to act as an information gateway to keep member organisations informed of Commonwealth events, using a web-based database and regular e-mail updates. Capacity-building support for human rights campaigning is also envisioned.

For more information on the Commonwealth Human Rights Forum, visit:
http://www.humanrightsinitiative.org/advocacy/chogm/chrf2005.htm
For details on the Commonwealth Human Rights Network, contact andrewgd@humanrightsinitiative.org or clare@humanrightsinitiative.org



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