"Human Rights in Action": empowering youth to become agents of change

WFUNA’s 8th edition of this program will bring participants from 18 countries

13 August 2018

From 27 -31 August, participants from 18 countries will gather at the United Nations, in Geneva, Switzerland on the occasion of the 8th edition of the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA)’s Human Rights in Action program.

This is a capacity building experience for youth designed to help them become human rights agents of change within their communities. The program has run continuously since 2011, reaching more than 175 young leaders and impacting thousands of beneficiaries through the participants’ locally implemented projects. It draws its strength from the thorough intake and screening of participants, the high-quality intensive training in Geneva, the support provided on the ground by the dense network of WFUNA’s national United Nations Associations, as well as the monitoring of the projects from Geneva.

Diversity is a key element of the program as the group is composed of participants from at least 18 different countries. This gives participants an opportunity to learn from each other’s experiences and perspectives. WFUNA pays special attention to having as many human rights issues addressed as possible in each edition of HRA, thus contributing to a holistic approach to human rights as universal, inalienable, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated.

Implementing learning

The Human Rights in Action program aims to empower young individuals by creating a space where they can master the variety of tools that can be used by citizens or local civil society organizations for efficient project implementation on the ground. During the entire week of training, various speakers are chosen to reflect the diversity of the Human Rights stakeholders that the participants will interact with during the implementation of their future projects. Specific sessions of the training focus on Project Cycle Management and teach participants how to achieve results-based project implementation with realistic objectives, identified direct and indirect beneficiaries as well as specific indicators.

Celebrating 70 years of the UDHR

This year’s edition will include a special session celebrating the 70th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Throughout the year, participants will post updates of their implemented project via the hashtags #HRAction and #StandUp4HumanRights. Their projects will also be highlighted on WFUNA’s Human Rights in Action web.

The World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA) is a global nonprofit organization representing and coordinating a membership of over 100 national United Nations Associations (UNAs) and their thousands of constituents. Guided by its vision of a United Nations that is a powerful force in meeting common global challenges and opportunities, WFUNA works to strengthen and improve the United Nations through the engagement of people who share a global mindset and support international cooperation.

Watch last year’s edition of WFUNA's Human Rights in Action

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