While civil society organizations certainly hold a critical role in the advancement of human rights around the world, it is important also to highlight the work of the national human rights institutions who uphold and defend them. In 2011, the government of Kenya established a watchdog body, called the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights […]

National Child Day is celebrated in Canada on November 20th in order to recognize our commitment to protecting the rights of children. This day celebrates the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989 and this year, 2019, marks the 30th anniversary! The Convention on the Rights of the Child […]

  In late 2014, Rosnida Sari, a lecturer at the Ar-Raniry State Islamic University in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, took a group of her students on a voluntary tour of a Protestant church in order to better understand the concept of gender as perceived in the Christian faith and to promote interreligious harmony. After a report […]

In 2005, a small group of local Burkinabé women decide to create an association aimed at fighting for the rights of women in their country. Among them, Julienne Dembele Sanon is the only one who knows how to both read and write. Little by little, by saving up small amounts of money each month and […]

While Kasun Pathiraja came back as a co-facilitator to the International Human Rights Training Program (IHRTP) in search of an experience different from his work at home, he never expected to learn so much from the participants he helped train for three weeks. As a past participant, his knowledge of the Program allowed him to […]

For over seven years now, Hadeel Abu Soufeh has been hard at work in the fight for the rights of people living with disabilities. At only 29 years old, the young woman has already brought a great deal of breakthrough changes to Jordanian institutions and helped make the country a more accessible place. As a […]

As we celebrate the 40th anniversary of our International Human Rights Training Program (IHRTP), we feel it is important to highlight the milestones not only of the program, but also of human rights education in the world. Here are four timelines representing each decade the Program has been operative as a way to illustrate the […]

In 1979, John Humphrey, co-founder of Equitas and co-author of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, was working on a small project to teach human rights law from his cottage in Prince Edward’s Island. Forty years later, the International Human Rights Training Program (IHRTP) has grown to welcome almost 100 participants a year, building an […]

Starting June 9, Equitas will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of its International Human Rights Training Program, bringing together to Montreal 100 human rights defenders from across the globe.   Aimed at better promoting and empowering human rights through education around the world, the International Human Rights Training Program (IHRTP) offers practical workshops to human […]

To mark the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia held every May 17, Equitas and Kouraj – a Haitian organization fighting for the rights of LGBTI people – invite all Haitians to support the Together for Equality national campaign. Thirty civil society organizations and government institutions have joined this national campaign to denounce all forms […]