MINELRES: Fwd: MRG's Minority Rights Training, Bishkek, April 2006

[minelres@lists.microlink.lv]

Original sender: Emil Adelkhanov <emil-ade@cipdd.org>


Dear Sir/ Madam,

RE: PROJECT ON STRENGTHENING THE CAPACITY OF MINORITY AND INDIGENOUS
PEOPLE TO ADVOCATE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS

We are writing to invite you to nominate a candidate to participate in a
project aimed at strengthening the capacity of minority and indigenous
peoples to advocate for the implementation of International standards.
The project is a joint initiative of the Minority Rights Group
International (MRG), London and International Centre for Ethnic Studies
(ICES), Colombo. A background note on each of these organisations is
attached to this letter. 

 
Project Objectives
 
To protect and promote the rights of minorities and indigenous peoples
and address the marginalisation and poverty they are facing, by
contributing to the effective implementation of relevant international
human rights standards at a national level. To this end, the project
aims to improve the capacity of NGOs working with minorities and
indigenous peoples to effectively use the United Nations Treaty Bodies,
namely, the Committee on Human Rights and the Committee on the
Elimination of Racial Discrimination (responsible for overseeing
implementation of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the
Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination respectively) and
to improve NGO advocacy initiatives at a national level.  


Project activities

The holding of regional training workshops: Four regional training
workshops will be held, one in each of the following regions: West
Africa, Central America, Central Asia & Caucasus, and Asia. The Central
Asia workshop, to be held in Kyrgyzstan in April 2006, is the third of
the series. 

The workshops will focus on: the content and scope of the rights
contained in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
(ICCPR) and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms
of Racial Discrimination (ICERD); the monitoring process provided for by
the treaties; human rights fact-finding, drafting alternative reports to
those submitted by the state; submitting focused information and
questions to the relevant treaty bodies; lobbying the treaty bodies to
take up particular issues; designing strategies for the dissemination
and lobbying for implementation of the recommendations of the treaty
bodies; strategies for lobbying at a national level.

2. Follow up by participating NGOs: national networking, training,
advocacy and dissemination initiatives, and preparation of input into
treaty bodies 

3. Facilitating access to treaty bodies: Financial and logistical
support will be provided through the project to facilitate the
participation of one minority or indigenous peoples� representative from
each of the participating countries, up to 12 in total, in the sessions,
working groups and theme days of the treaty bodies in Geneva. 


Expected Results 

1. Increased capacity of minority and indigenous peoples� civil society
organisations to understand available mechanisms, to demand their rights
and to hold their governments accountable through the mechanisms of
treaty bodies and international human rights standards.

2. Civil society organisations engage in increased and improved advocacy
and lobbying activities at a national level, and governments respond
positively.  

3. National civil society networks are developed and strengthened. 

4. Minorities and indigenous peoples have a greater voice and increased
profile at national/international levels. 

Ultimately this initiative will contribute to improving the human rights
situation of minorities and indigenous peoples in the programme
countries, thereby increasing the social inclusion and consequent
economic and social well-being of these groups. 


About the Regional Training Workshop 

One five-day regional training workshop will be held in Kyrgyzstan. The
workshop will bring together up to 30 participants from Azerbaijan,
Georgia and Kyrgyzstan (10 from each country). The participants will be
composed of representatives of NGOs, including minority and indigenous
communities, and international and regional experts.  As well as
conveying information, the training workshops will function as a
planning and strategy meeting for the key players from the relevant
countries, and will have a multiplier effect as their lessons are later
disseminated at a national level.


Participant Selection Criteria 

Participation covers the regional training workshop in Kyrgyzstan, as
well as advocacy and follow-up projects after completion of the
workshop. The selection of participants will be based on the experience
of the organisation with which they work, as well as on criteria
specific to the individual applying. 

Candidates must meet the following requirements

- Have worked with NGOs promoting the rights of minorities and
indigenous communities for at least 2 years

- Preferably belong to a minority or indigenous community, although not
essential

- Have a detailed knowledge of both minority and indigenous experience
in the national context and have some knowledge/experience of national
legislation, politics, processes and advocacy opportunities

- Be committed to transmitting the acquired knowledge and skills to
others after returning to their own country or region

- Have capacity to work in English or Russian

- Be committed to consult members of their community before the training
and take part in follow-up advocacy and follow-up projects after the
regional training workshop.

Selection Process 

Those interested in participating in the project should ensure that a
completed application form is returned to MRG no later than 31 December
2005. If possible, please submit the application form in English;
otherwise please complete the Russian version of the form. All
applications received will be reviewed according to the selection
criteria and the best qualified candidates will be notified by 18
January 2006.

Furthermore, we would appreciate receiving your suggestions concerning
other organisations in Azerbaijan, Georgia and Kyrgyzstan that could
benefit from participating in this initiative.

Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. I look
forward to hearing from you.


Yours sincerely,

Kathryn Ramsay
Advocacy Officer
Minority Rights Group International
54 Commercial Street (floors 2-4)
London E1 6LT
United Kingdom
Tel. +44 20 7422 4220
Fax. +44 20 7422 4201
Email: Kathryn.ramsay@mrgmail.org and training@mrgmail.org
 

Enclosures [omitted, can be obtained from MRG by request - MINELRES
moderator]:
- Project summary
- Application Form
- Background of MRG and
ICES


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