The Rosebank Hotel, Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg
The aim of the conference was to raise debate around the following issues:
This conference brought together regional role-players from institutions, structures and organisations, government departments, and statutory bodies to share ideas, experiences and progress on these issues.
The last decade has been a significant time of challenge and change for countries in the SADC region. Several countries have begun journeys of transformation and moved away from dictatorship, oppressive regimes and violent conflict to participatory democracy, regular free and fair elections and human rights.
Many of these changes are driven from the top via policies and do not necessarily translate directly or easily into meaningful change in real life experience of citizens, be it social, economical or even political.
For many of these countries, education is seen to be on way of reshaping society and developing the skills, values, attitudes and knowledge that contribute to the consolidation and sustainability of freedom, equality and justice. On a number of levels, human rights activists would support any initiative to engage with Human Rights at an institutional level.
How should societies in transition engage with Human Rights at an institutional level? What are the roles of the State, the Department of Education and Civil Society?
