State Advisory Committee and Curriculum Committee Meeting of HRE – Kerala

The State Advisory Committee (SAC) and Curriculum Committee (CC) of the Human Rights Education (HRE) program in Kerala had its meeting on 12 January 2012 at Pankaj Hotel Thiruvananthapuram. The meeting was chaired by Mr. R.V. Pillai, IAS, Member of SAC. 12 SAC Members, 2 HRE teachers, Dr. Devasahayam, Director-IHRE, Mr. Ashok Mathew Philip, Executive Director-SICHREM, Mr. Rahul, Ms. Jincy, Coordinators of IHRE in Kerala and Mr. Saji Thomas was present for the meeting. Mr. Rahul, Coordinator of HRE-Kerala presented the report of the last reporting period. The meeting resulted with number of suggestions and action plans for carrying forward the advocacy plans of the program. Identifying new implementing partners and SAC members was also one of the important agenda discussed. The Newsletter of HRE Kerala and Handbook on Right to Education was released at the meeting.  Dr. N. A. Kareem, Former Pro Vice Chancellor, member of SAC released the Newsletter and handed over the first copy to Dr. Usha John, Principal Loyola College.

Human Rights teacher training in Kerala

The inaugural function of the state level consultation on training for school teachers in Trivandrum, Kerala, was held on 15^th & 16^th July 2010. This aimed to help teachers understand human rights, so that they are able to take the concepts with them into the classroom.

Dr.K.C.Sunny,Head Department of Law,Kerala University speaking

from right to left Dr. vasanthi Devi, Chairperson IHRE,Dr.R.V.Pillai IAS (RTD) Mr. Gangadharan ,member Kerala State Human Rights Commission,Mr.Vinod Singh Cherian,Chairperson Bar Council, Kerala,Shri.P.Govinda Pillai,Dr.Sebastian Paul- back row Mr.Mathews Philip,Executive Director , SICHREM.

Invitation to attend State Level Consultation on Human Right Education

The importance of Human Rights Education became evident on 10th December 2004 when the United Nations’ General Assembly proclaimed the World Programme for Human Rights Education to advance the implementation of Human Rights Education in all sectors.

With this UN goal in mind SICHREM in collaboration with the Institute of Human Rights Education (IHRE) have had a Human Rights Education programme in Kerela schools for the past 5 years.  What started as a pilot project in 55 schools is now extended to over 200 schools in Kerela. It covers a total number of 27,842 students, and there are 284 trained teachers involved.

The NHRC have recognised the need to train teachers in understanding human rights issues and they have drafted a module for teacher training.  There is, however, a need to contextualise teacher training in Kerela so as to incorporate a Kerela specific socio-economic and political context.

It is with this in mind that SICHREM along with the Department of Law of Kerela University and IHRE have organised a 2-day consultation.

Date: 15th and 16th of July 2010  – The programme will begin at 10:00am on 15th July 2010.

Venue: Hotel Chaitram, Thiruvananthapuram.

 To read about the objectives of the consultation: Invitation for State level Consultation for Drafting TTM on HRE on 15th July 2010 at TVM[1]

Schedule for the 2 day consultation State level consultation Programme Schedule[1]

Nepali Supreme Court directs government to include human rights in school and college syllabi

SICHREM welcomes the decision by the Nepalese Supreme Court in directing Government to include human rights in the national syllabus. The reason behind the decison was ” to combat violence and discrimination against women,” a division bench of justices Bala Ram KC and Bharat Raj Upreti said in a verdict.

This reasoning is further vindication of SICHREM’s human rights education programmes in schools across Karnatka and Kerela.  These programmes hope  that education will lead to a better understanding of the pernicious nature of human rights violations. This awareness will then manifest itself into greater respect and acknowledgement of groups who have been historically persecuted.  

Educating children should also ensure that prejudices do not become hereditary and the chain of discriminatory attitudes being passed down is broken.

Human rights education in Kerela set to get State approval

Human rights education in Kerela is set to get a significant boost. The State is planning on introducing State-specific textbooks that deal with human rights issues this academic year.

This will build on the platform of over 200 schools in the state which already have human rights education, thanks to the programme implemented by the Institute for Human Rights Education (IHRE).

SICHREM is responsible for coordinating these existing programmes. Matthews Philip Executive Director of SICHREM says this education will help the students ” not only become capable of defending their own rights but also keep them from violating another person’s rights.”  

We hope that these developments in Kerela can be replicated across the country.

Report from Kerala

The Kerala State Advisory Committee of the National Programme for Human Rights Education in Schools met on February 28 2010 in Park Rajadhani, Ulloor.

The major objectives of the meeting were:

1)      To review the status of HRE programme in Kerala organised by the Institute of Human Rights Education (IHRE) and SICHREM.

2)     To discuss the problem of huge expense incurred in the production and distribution of modules in the schools

3)     To  discuss the option of roping in volunteers from the vicinity of the schools for the schools visits considering the number and geographical distribution of the schools (this is based on the presumption that it is very difficult manage the school visits by the coordinators alone).

4)     To discuss various ways to strengthen the HRE programme in Kerala.

5)     To discuss any other matter relevant to the HRE programme Kerala.

Click to read the Narrative report feb 2010.

Mr Ashok Mathews Philip, Executive Director of SICHREM, giving the welcome speech.