Empowering multipliers to convey the relevance of human rights is an essential tool in the strive to leave no-one behind. Together with our partners ALGA of UCLG Africa and the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Sciences in the Arab States – Cairo, the International Centre for the Promotion of Human Rights at the Local and Regional Levels designed and implemented a capacity building event for African trainers and multipliers.
The training-of-trainers workshop series consists of two online workshops on topics of particular relevance to African cities, held over the course of two-days each. The first workshop (22 – 23 September) focused on sport for youth inclusion and citizenship, and human rights education; the second workshop (28-29 September) put access to information and public participation in the limelight.
Participants identified the education of local authority employees and inhabitants on citizenship and human rights is an essential entry point to achieve urban inclusion and sustainable development and identified young people as key partners in this endeavor. Access to information was highlighted as an essential enabler of urban inclusion and a prerequisite for effective public participation. Starting from their experiences, participants discussed concepts, arguments, and evidence backing programmes and policies on youth inclusion, human rights education, access to information, and public participation. They exchanged on identified challenges and solutions and were equipped to use the toolkit in trainings with their target group.
The workshops followed a human rights-based approach and used the Toolkit for Urban Inclusion in Arab Cities as a training tool. The Toolkit is created by cities for cities, highlighting transferable practices for local authorities on how to foster urban inclusion. It promotes a human rights-based approach to local policy making and can be used by multipliers at training events for various target audiences.
The workshops were interpreted in three languages and together attracted more than 60 participants from all African regions and beyond. One particular highlight was the celebration of the International Day for Universal Access to Information on 28 September, marked by a presentation of the UCLG Africa anthem, which draws attention to the unity and beauty of the continent.
