Human rights staff get professional trainings

Emerita Mutuyemariya, the Secretary general of the National Commission on Human Rights, a trainee as well. (photo Jean-Christophe Nsanzimana)

On Wednesday, the National Commission for Human Rights started a-3 day workshop for 22 of its employees on promotion of human rights, the penal code in relation to human rights and their duties at the level of investigation.

“As an independent commission working in a country governed by the rule of law, our duty is to promote the human rights. Therefore we have to be skilled enough to achieve this crucial task,” said Madeleine Nirere, the chairwoman of the National Commission of Human Rights.

Commenting on the reason for this capacity building workshop, Nirere specified that one of the main challenges the commission has faced in the past, is unskilled labor. “We have had new commissioners and other new staff members who didn’t have the skills needed for a human rights activist,” she said.

To remedy this, the sessions will shape knowledge of participants in matters of laws regarding particular cases each filed staff meets.

According to Aloys Nsengiyumva, a lawyer at the Commission, the outcome is that human rights promoters will be fully-fit for their job. “Fighting human rights violations requires careful treatment; so we explained the participants how they can address confusion on the law to apply in their respective field and tipping them on who the person to refer to, in what circumstances, etc.” Nsengiyumva explained.

The training is also meant to help participants understand another responsibility of a human right activist, which is promoting awareness among people about their rights, besides their interventions where human rights are menaced.

“Citizens have to know the laws and their rights, you cannot explain such things to them without you knowing yourself clearly what it means and how is the law applied,” Nsengiyumva said. “We want our commissioners and human rights promoters to have that ability of explaining truly and convincingly to citizens what their rights as human beings mean.”

“I am new in this commission, I wanted this workshop, indeed” said Emerita Mutuyemariya the general secretary of the commission who is also being trained. “As human right activists, we have the power to reach whoever needs our intervention and to take technical responsibilities. I wanted to know more about this and the training will certainly help me.”

Posted by Jean-Christophe Nsanzimana on Jun 21 2012. Filed under Daily News, National. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.