Coalition for Civil Society - Seminar in Trincomalee
Centre for Human Rights and Development (CHRD) held yet another public seminar under the theme 'Coalition of Civil Society' in Trincomalee on November 17, 2007 at the Town Council Auditorium. A total of 40 participants representing all three communities participated in programme. Participants comprised representatives of NGOs and CBOs, teachers, members of civil society and activists and enthusiasts.
Main topics covered at the seminar were Human Rights, Fundamental Rights, Rule of Law and Civil Society’s participation and contribution.
N. Kandasamy, Secretary CHRD and H. Samarasinghe, Programme Manager, CHRD were the resource persons at the seminar. The programme commenced at 9 am and ended at 4 pm.
Since May 2007, CHRD, under the programme Empowerment & capacity building of the civil society to promote justice and good governance through human rights based intervention (Coalition for Civil Society) held public seminars in Kantale, Mannar, Hatton, Nuwaraeliya, Ampara and Vavuniya, Batticaloa, Kalmunai and in many parts of the Jaffna district. Nearly than 500 participants were represented at these seminars.
The objective of the Coalition for Civil Society programme is to eradicate discriminative laws from the legal system & develop confidence of ethnic minorities over the legal system.
The seminar is sponsored HELVITAS, an organization based in Switzerland.
Coalition of Civil Society – Nuwaraeliya
Public seminar titled ' Coalition for Civil Society was held at the Cooperative Holiday Home of Nuwaraeliya on November 25, 2007. The seminar commnced at 9.30 am and ended at 4.30pm
A total of 46 participated at the programme.Teachers, plantation field and office staff, health sectors employees, senior school students, Ceylon Transport Board Staff members, trade union Leaders, NGO Aid workers, representatives from Rural Women Network and few activists from Community Based Organization were amongst the participants.
Resource persons were Thambu, a prominent human rights lawyer (Colombo), Trini Hordon Rayen, Attorney-at-Law, active human rights & labour lawyer (Nuwaraeliya), N.Kandasamy, secretary, CHRD and Sam Samarasinghe.
Mr. Tambu, discussed Human Rights, Fundamental Rights and Human Rights mechanism in Sri Lanka and Mr. Trini Hordon Rayen, touched on Judiciary System in Sri Lanka, Rule of Law, Law related to land disputes and Labour Laws.
Mr. N. Kandasamy explained “Evolution of Human rights” and Human duties and Mr. Sam Samarasinghe spoke on Role of the Civil Society and its responsibilities towards a peaceful society.
Participants requesting more literature on Human Rights, volunteering to form a District Coordinating Committee (which was formed) and creating link between people of Nuwareliya District and CHRD were some of the outcomes of this programme.
Coalition of Civil Society - Kalmunai
Seminars held in the Jaffna
District
Muslims in the East - Discussion
Coalition of Civil Society - Batticaloa