SOUTH ASIA: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL LAUNCHES HUMAN RIGHTS CLUBS PROGRAMMES

Amnesty International is launching its first ever “Human Rights Clubs” in South Asia, starting with programmes for young people in Afghanistan and Bangladesh, the human rights organization announced today.

The Amnesty International Human Rights Clubs are a space for young people to join the world’s largest movement for human rights. They offer a platform for young people, where like-minded individuals can connect on issues across the region, share opinions, learn and collectively take action on pertinent human rights issues.

The launch comes after the popularity of Human Rights Education during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The first phase of the programme will be implemented in Afghanistan, Bangladesh followed by Sri Lanka and Pakistan. The programme provides an immersive learning experience for the region that combines offline approaches with online tools for university students and educators.

“South Asia region has a youth demographic of over 300 million and in this crisis the universities, educational institutes, parents and youth themselves are struggling to find an engaging digital learning platform. This programme will facilitate youth in deeper, collaborative and connected learning. The Amnesty International clubs’ programmes are a tool to bridge this gap” said Somya Dimri, Human Rights Education Coordinator for Asia.

Amnesty International’s South Asia Regional Office will facilitate regular online capacity building sessions coupled with participatory resources for club members and educators. The sessions and activity resources are self-paced and aim to equip young people with knowledge and skills about human rights and human rights mechanisms and to apply them in a practical way in daily life.

The first round of capacity building session will be initiated for universities and youth groups in Afghanistan in June 2020.

“We are inviting South Asian universities and students to set up Amnesty clubs in their own educational institutions. The registration process to set up clubs in universities is open. It is a simple three steps process to kick start the programme,” said Somya Dimri.

1. Write to amnestyclub@amnesty.org 
2. Register your club
3. Receive starter guide from Amnesty and get started with human rights warm up activities

You can access the Human Rights Club Starter Guide in English and Dari.

Background
Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning global movement of more than 7 million people who campaign for a world where human rights are enjoyed by all. The Human Rights Education programme at Amnesty International is aimed at developing an understanding of our common responsibility to make human rights a reality in every community and in society at large. The Human Rights Club programme is a step in this direction. For the programme the participatory learning approaches are particularly vital for equipping and enabling action for human rights change.

Useful Links

Contact: amnestyclub@amnesty.org

Amnesty International South Asia Human Rights Club - Starter guide in English

Amnesty International South Asia Human Rights Club - Starter guide in Dari