Human Rights Education Workshop

Basra
October 28 - 29, 2006

Summary:

On October 28-29, the Iraq Foundation held a two-day human rights education workshop in the Southern Iraqi City of Basra . The 21 participants who attended the workshop included employees of the Basra Department of the Ministry of Displacement and Migration, the Southern Bureau of the Ministry of Human Rights, and the Department for Distribution of Electricity, as well as representatives form various human rights organizations. Three participants were from the Bureau of Human Rights at the Basra Police Station.

Trainers:

Sukaina Jameel – Iraq Foundation – Basra Office

Ali Shadaad al Faris– The Cultural Legal Society for Human Rights

Lecturer:

Wasfi Hashim al Shar’aa – Professor of Law, Basra University

On the first day of the workshop, Mr. al Shar’aa discussed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, highlighting articles that stress all humans’ equality in dignity and rights, the right to a nationality, and the right to own property, among other freedoms and rights. This discussion was followed by recommendations on mechanisms of implementation of the declaration and how Iraqis could best benefit from the rights and freedoms the document guarantees to human beings. Such recommendations included: 1) incorporating rights included in the Declaration into the Iraqi constitution 2) including education of freedoms and rights in the school curriculums, and 2) including international human rights principles and standards in local legislation, provided it does not challenge the Abrahamic religions, among other ideas.

A number of participants inquired about ways in which Iraqis could best ensure that they benefit from and enjoy the rights that were included in the Iraqi constitution. Suggestions included, creating an independent Human Rights Commission, strengthening the independence of the security and judicial apparatuses, and separating the judicial, legislative, and executive authorities, among other things. Finally, participants inquired about how best to address the ongoing human rights violations in the country. The lecturer stressed that Iraqis should respect the rule of law, ensure independence of the judiciary, committees, and commissions, and spread public awareness on such issues.

The workshop’s second day discussed international agreements, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), as well as stressed the importance of citizenship. Participants inquired about women in war zones, the personal status law of 1959 and how it could better protect women’s rights in Iraq , the right of women to pass their citizenship to their children, and the current acts of forced dislocation and migration of people based on their ethnicities and religion in Iraq . The workshop concluded with a play that portrayed human rights abuses in Iraq .

The participants’ recommendations to help protect human rights in Iraq included increasing civil society’s advocacy initiatives aimed at strengthening the legal and judicial frameworks for the protection of citizens, spreading public awareness on human rights issues, and supporting the independence of the Iraqi Human Rights Commission.

The workshop in Iraqi News:

Al Iraqiya TV broadcast a news report on the workshop on the 29 th of October, 2006 . The report included a three minute interview with IF’s Sukaina Jameel.

Al Fayhaa TV reported on the workshop

Al Manar Newspaper published a report, describing the activities of the workshop on October 31 st, 2006

www.almannarah.com/paper.php?source=akbar&mlf=interpage&sid=15297

Radio al Morbid helped publicize the workshop through announcing it on
October 28.