Human Rights Advocacy Initiative:
Advocacy Workshop and Coalition Building Meeting

November 2009

From November 14-17 2009, IF implemented the 4th HRAI advocacy workshop and held the 5th coalition building meeting in Beirut, Lebanon.
The workshop aimed at training HRAI coalition members on shadow reports writing and was conducted by Dr. Mohammed Mattar, Executive Director of the Protection Project at Johns Hopkins University. 20 coalition members atteneded the workshop, where participants discussed the shadow reporting system and the reporting mechanisms of the seven conventions that require reporting with a greater emphasis on the conventions on the Rights of the Child and Civil and Political Rights. Dr. Mattar also provided participants with sample shadow reports from regional countries and conducted an analytical review of these reports.

Following the training, HRAI coalition members wrote a shadow report on children’s rights and another one on political and civil rights. Dr. Mattar is providing detailed reviews of the shadow reports that the coalition members will be writing.

During November, IF also held HRAI’s 6th the coalition building meeting aimed at reviewing the HRAI project activities and planning for the upcoming International Human Rights Day activities after the advocacy workshop. Coalition members agreed to hold activities in the provinces during human rights weeks to raise awareness about and advocate for human rights. IF also informed coalition members that it will be launching an intensive TV campaign from December 7 to 12 on four major TV stations.