The policy dialogue, organized by Equitas and the collective Partners for Engaged Citizenship, between Government authorities and representatives from four communities in Haiti ended on May 14, 2016. Nearly 70 participants representing various government institutions and ministries, human rights defenders, and community representatives met to discuss very concrete and practical actions that can be taken towards the effective implementations of existing laws that favour non-discrimination, equality and the respect of human rights.
During the next 6 months, Haitians communities and authorities will work together to set up a number of working groups to promote and monitor measures aimed at: 1) ending corporal punishment and abuse of children in schools; 2) supporting greater respect, visibility and accessibility of people with disabilities in the public institutions; 3) creating the necessary conditions to insure that at least 30% of jobs in public institutions as well as named or elected decision-making positions are held by women; and 4) protecting the rights to non-discrimination and insuring the respect for equality of LGBT people. Members of the four communities will use the JE m’engage, ensemble NOUS bâtissons toolkit to set in motion awareness building activities and practical measures to move these issues forward. This dialogue was the achievement of long multi-year process in human rights education in Haiti. I’m very proud of what has been achieved over the past two days as well as over the last 9 years. I’m also very proud of our friends and partners in Haiti from twenty organizations and institutions for their commitment and their unwavering perseverance to work together to transform Haiti into a republic founded on the respect of human rights as well as my colleagues at Equitas, particularly Gail Dalgleish and Valérie Féquière with whom I’ve been working very closely on the project.
News from the field by Daniel Roy, Senior Education Specialist, Equitas.
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The Citoyenneté engagée Project is part of the Strengthening Human Rights Education Globally program, funded by the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada, with the financial support of the Ministère des relations internationales et de la francophonie du Québec, of AJWS – American Jewish World Service, of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and the Office du haut-commissariat aux droits de l’homme en Haïti. We thank them for their support.