Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09LJUBLJANA223
2009-07-30 08:23:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Ljubljana
Cable title:
SLOVENIA FOCUSES ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND CHILDREN
how-toVZCZCXRO9908 RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSL RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHLJ #0223 2110823 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 300823Z JUL 09 FM AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7419 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS LJUBLJANA 000223
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL COE BK KV SI
SUBJECT: SLOVENIA FOCUSES ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND CHILDREN
DURING COE CHAIRMANSHIP
Summary: "Our Rights" Program
------------------------------
UNCLAS LJUBLJANA 000223
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL COE BK KV SI
SUBJECT: SLOVENIA FOCUSES ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND CHILDREN
DURING COE CHAIRMANSHIP
Summary: "Our Rights" Program
--------------
1. (U) After the successful launch of the "Our Rights"
program in 2005 under Slovenia's Chairmanship of the OSCE, it
is continuing the program on human rights education in Bosnia
and Herzegovina, Kosovo and North Ossetia, during its
chairmanship of the Council of Europe. In a July 16 meeting
with Emboffs, Blanka Jamnisek, the MFA's coordinator for the
program under both the OSCE and the COE chairmanships,
highlighted the empowerment of children, both to educate them
on their rights as well as to ensure them access to justice,
as one of the key priorities of Slovenia's COE chairmanship.
Due to the popularity and continued demand for training,
Slovenia is organizing three teacher training events, in
Kosovo on August 19, in Bosnia and Herzegovina on August 27
and 28, and in North Ossetia on September 26. These seminars
will train teachers how to use the program materials to teach
children about their rights. Jamnisek expects that
approximately 50,000 children will receive human rights
education. Slovenia also plans to hold an international
conference on children's rights and protection against
violence at the National Assembly in Ljubljana on October 6
to 7. End Summary.
Human Rights and the Council of Europe
--------------
2. (U) As Chair of the Council of Europe until November 2009,
Slovenia has decided to support those countries that have
shown an interest in continuing the "Our Rights" education
project. Jamnisek told us that, due to time and resource
constraints, Slovenia decided to use the human rights
education project "Our Rights," which was originally
implemented as a pilot project during Slovenia's OSCE
chairmanship in 2005. Designed by Slovene education experts
and printed in Slovenia, the project materials are ready for
distribution; the MFA plans to provide materials for about
50,000 children in the age group of 10 to 12 years in Bosnia
and Herzegovina, Kosovo and North Ossetia in their native
language. The program in Kosovo will train 1,000 teachers
who will eventually reach 32,000 students. Booklet materials
will be in the Albanian, Bosniak, and Serbian languages.
Jamnisek noted, however, that the program would not extend to
Mitrovica. COE experts will lead the training exercises in
Kosovo. Booklet materials in the same three languages will
be sent to Bosnia and Herzegovina where a NGO will train
2,000 teachers from all three Bosnian entities. In North
Ossetia, Russian language materials will be provided for
approximately 16,000 students. Jamnisek explained that the
MFA would have needed more donors to expand the project in
North Ossetia but there was not enough time. All three
projects will target both majority and minority groups.
3. (U) Slovenia will host the international conference on
children's rights and protection against violence to increase
awareness and to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the
Convention on the Rights of Children. Jamnisek noted that
President Turk will give the opening remarks. She also
envisages wide participation by children - as speakers and
participants at the conference and as observers via DVC.
"Our Rights" OSCE 2005 Pilot Project
--------------
4. (U) In 2005, Slovenia distributed teaching cards for
pupils between 10-12 years, an album for pupils to collect
the cards, and teacher information to schools in Albania,
Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Ireland, Macedonia,
Russian Federation, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovenia, Turkey,
and Ukraine. The material was initially printed in 14
different languages and has since been expanded to 17
languages. Each card represented one of the thirteen human
rights with the right written out and represented by a
picture. The pictures were carefully illustrated to avoid
all stereotypes, including police as being a protecting
authority, and to include all races and genders equally.
Teachers received outlines for presenting each card, and the
students "collected" their rights one by one throughout the
course. Approximately 10,810 children and 276 teachers
participated in the pilot project. The OSCE's evaluation
noted that the project "contributed significantly" to
improving awareness among the students and teaching capacity
among the teachers.
FREDEN
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL COE BK KV SI
SUBJECT: SLOVENIA FOCUSES ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND CHILDREN
DURING COE CHAIRMANSHIP
Summary: "Our Rights" Program
--------------
1. (U) After the successful launch of the "Our Rights"
program in 2005 under Slovenia's Chairmanship of the OSCE, it
is continuing the program on human rights education in Bosnia
and Herzegovina, Kosovo and North Ossetia, during its
chairmanship of the Council of Europe. In a July 16 meeting
with Emboffs, Blanka Jamnisek, the MFA's coordinator for the
program under both the OSCE and the COE chairmanships,
highlighted the empowerment of children, both to educate them
on their rights as well as to ensure them access to justice,
as one of the key priorities of Slovenia's COE chairmanship.
Due to the popularity and continued demand for training,
Slovenia is organizing three teacher training events, in
Kosovo on August 19, in Bosnia and Herzegovina on August 27
and 28, and in North Ossetia on September 26. These seminars
will train teachers how to use the program materials to teach
children about their rights. Jamnisek expects that
approximately 50,000 children will receive human rights
education. Slovenia also plans to hold an international
conference on children's rights and protection against
violence at the National Assembly in Ljubljana on October 6
to 7. End Summary.
Human Rights and the Council of Europe
--------------
2. (U) As Chair of the Council of Europe until November 2009,
Slovenia has decided to support those countries that have
shown an interest in continuing the "Our Rights" education
project. Jamnisek told us that, due to time and resource
constraints, Slovenia decided to use the human rights
education project "Our Rights," which was originally
implemented as a pilot project during Slovenia's OSCE
chairmanship in 2005. Designed by Slovene education experts
and printed in Slovenia, the project materials are ready for
distribution; the MFA plans to provide materials for about
50,000 children in the age group of 10 to 12 years in Bosnia
and Herzegovina, Kosovo and North Ossetia in their native
language. The program in Kosovo will train 1,000 teachers
who will eventually reach 32,000 students. Booklet materials
will be in the Albanian, Bosniak, and Serbian languages.
Jamnisek noted, however, that the program would not extend to
Mitrovica. COE experts will lead the training exercises in
Kosovo. Booklet materials in the same three languages will
be sent to Bosnia and Herzegovina where a NGO will train
2,000 teachers from all three Bosnian entities. In North
Ossetia, Russian language materials will be provided for
approximately 16,000 students. Jamnisek explained that the
MFA would have needed more donors to expand the project in
North Ossetia but there was not enough time. All three
projects will target both majority and minority groups.
3. (U) Slovenia will host the international conference on
children's rights and protection against violence to increase
awareness and to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the
Convention on the Rights of Children. Jamnisek noted that
President Turk will give the opening remarks. She also
envisages wide participation by children - as speakers and
participants at the conference and as observers via DVC.
"Our Rights" OSCE 2005 Pilot Project
--------------
4. (U) In 2005, Slovenia distributed teaching cards for
pupils between 10-12 years, an album for pupils to collect
the cards, and teacher information to schools in Albania,
Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Ireland, Macedonia,
Russian Federation, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovenia, Turkey,
and Ukraine. The material was initially printed in 14
different languages and has since been expanded to 17
languages. Each card represented one of the thirteen human
rights with the right written out and represented by a
picture. The pictures were carefully illustrated to avoid
all stereotypes, including police as being a protecting
authority, and to include all races and genders equally.
Teachers received outlines for presenting each card, and the
students "collected" their rights one by one throughout the
course. Approximately 10,810 children and 276 teachers
participated in the pilot project. The OSCE's evaluation
noted that the project "contributed significantly" to
improving awareness among the students and teaching capacity
among the teachers.
FREDEN