Yes! Active participation on all days is crucial. The Academy is envisioned as a single overall workshop that brings together various perspectives on the topics and produces meaningful results. As a result, active participation in all strands, formats, and events is strongly encouraged.
Archives: FAQs
Are there additional events offered to members of the next generation?
On 3 February 2023, we are organizing a special networking event for members of the next generation. The online networking event seeks to establish a link between today’s stakeholders and tomorrow’s actors: Exchange practical knowledge of working in the broad field of human rights, discuss the realization of future perspectives and aspirations, and gain insights into professionalization opportunities at the local level – a sphere gaining ever-more importance in the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals and the international human rights agenda!
Find out how to register here.
What will my participation in the Academy look like?
The event’s focus is on engagement and interaction – think of the Academy as a giant round table discussion in which each participant speaks about their experiences in terms of “what works” in the realisation of human rights.
There are no formal presentations, only discussions and eye-level exchanges. Regardless of formal position, every participant is an expert in their own right.
The Academy is informal in nature, which means that we do not work with presentations or formal lectures. The main goal of the event is to bring practitioners together at the same table and produce feasible and useful outputs for local governments. We’d like to hear about your daily work experiences and exchange ideas about “what works”, so that we can co-create a tangible output in form of the Outcome Document.
What are the methods of the Academy?
Days 1, 2 and 4 of the Academy are designed in the same way methodically.
Each day consists of:
1. Plenary Sessions
These comprise the following components: 1) opening and welcome by UNESCO Chair and Centre; 2) 10 minutes impulse speeches by representatives of int./reg. organisations and local level authorities; 3) plenary discussion
2. Workshop sessions
The workshops aim at gathering the content for the Academy’s Outcome Document. The Outcome Document will be a step-by-step guidance on how implement human rights objectives in public management. It will base on practical experiences of local authorities all over the world.
Workshop methods: Two parallel workshops take place in breakout rooms with a randomized allocation of participants. The workshops are facilitated by two persons per workshop. The participants and the moderators/co-facilitators receive workshop guidelines in advance. This way, all actors can prepare for the discussion and exchange during the workshops. The co-facilitators take notes and prepare a concise summary of the core results. The co-facilitators present these results during the closing plenary session. This way, all Academy participants have access to all workshop results.
3. Closing
The participants come together in the plenary room to listen to the presentation of the workshop findings. The workshop findings are briefly analysed and discussed. The day is closed with the “Thoughts on the day”. This is a short input/commentary on the day’s topic given by a distinguished expert with the goal of rounding off the day on an inspirational note and setting the scene for the next day.
What happens during the networking events?
Day 3 and 5 facilitate networking and exchange.
Day 3 facilitates exchange among next generation human rights professionals and established experts in the field of human rights at the local level. As next generation experts, we understand people of all ages who are just starting out in the field of human rights. This networking event aims to show next generation human rights experts their potential job opportunities in the field of human rights.
Day 5 aims to strengthen (work) relationships among Academy participants. Previous academies have demonstrated that there is a clear need for this informal exchange. A special online tool is being considered for this purpose, which will allow participants to walk around a virtual room using avatars while also having private conversations.
