Capacity-Building Training for Human Rights Defenders Conclude

A provincial-level capacity-building training for the office-bearers of the Human Rights Defenders Network was held in Pokhara, organized by the Informal Sector Service Centre (INSEC), Gandaki Province Office.

The training emphasized the necessity for human rights defenders, who are continuously engaged in advocacy, to be knowledgeable about laws enacted by the state and various national and international human rights instruments. Participants were also oriented on the proper methods for investigating incidents in the community, documenting them, and developing skills for writing effective reports.

In the training’s opening session, Krishna Prasad Dhital, Speaker of the Gandaki Province Assembly, emphasized that civil society and human rights activists should become the voice for voiceless communities. During the training, Nitu Gartoula, Chief of the National Human Rights Commission, Gandaki Province Office, Pokhara, and Ganesh Bhandari, Provincial Coordinator of INSEC Gandaki Province Office, facilitated sessions on the state of human rights, economic, social, and cultural rights, caste-based discrimination, and gender-based violence. Vishnu Prasad Baral, Coordinator of Citizen Forum Gandaki, delivered a presentation on reducing gender-based violence and addressing challenges related to social discrimination.

On the second day, journalist Dipendra Shrestha conducted training on leadership development, problem identification, and mapping stakeholders, focusing on the role of human rights defenders. Tanka Khanal, officer at the National Human Rights Commission, facilitated sessions and presentations on the role of human rights defenders and child rights groups in the protection of child rights. The session also included training on human rights data collection, documentation, advocacy strategy development, and action plan preparation, equipping participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to identify incidents, monitor them, and engage in effective advocacy.

Participant Gen-Z, Shubheg Pandey, thanked INSEC Gandaki Province for inviting him to the program and suggested that similar programs be organized regularly in the future. Participant Rajan Rimal shared that he gained detailed knowledge on human rights, caste-based discrimination, foreign employment, and gender-based discrimination, and recommended holding such programs from time to time. The program was concluded by Ramhari Dhungana, President of the Human Rights Defenders Network, Gandaki Province.

The two-day training provided participants with the knowledge and skills necessary for the protection of human rights, promotion of social justice, and strengthening advocacy at the community level.

The training included participation from human rights defenders, teachers, heads and representatives of various organizations, journalists, and leaders from civil society.