AUSTRALIA STRENGTHENS HUMAN RIGHTS TRAINING IN PACIFIC

26 February 2009

Australia has granted F$177,290 to the Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC) for a training program that will enhance community knowledge of human rights.

Australian High Commissioner to Fiji, Mr James Batley, and Mr Fe’iloakitau Tevi, of the PCC, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the funding in Suva today.

Mr Batley said the PCC will use the funding, from Australia’s Human Rights Small Grants Scheme, to hold human rights training workshops in countries across the region.

“The PCC will conduct workshops for church leaders and members in Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu,” Mr Batley said.

“The training workshops will enable the church leaders and members to promote awareness and knowledge in their communities of issues of human rights, good governance and the rule of law.

“It will increase knowledge and understanding of human rights in the Pacific region and help generate broader community acceptance, support and advocacy for human rights-based responses to social, political and economic challenges.”

The project will also develop a module of study on human rights for regional seminaries and theological colleges.

Mr Batley said it was the first time that Australia’s Human Rights Small Grants Scheme had awarded a Pacific faith-based organisation funds to implement a proposal for strengthening human rights.

The scheme aims to promote and protect human rights by providing small grants to locally based organisations in developing countries for activities that promote and protect human rights in a direct and tangible way.


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