It is now two years since the Educational Human Rights House in Chernihiv (EHRHC) was founded. For those not so familiar with the House, this is an opportunity to get introduced. For others, it is an opportunity to read about the House’s work over the past two years and get some insight into its future plans.The Human Rights House logo lit the way to the opening in 2014.
EHRHC was founded by the human rights defender community in Ukraine, who truly believed that education is an action for human rights protection. Seven non-governmental organisations from different parts of the country joined the Union in order to develop an accessible - in all the meanings of this word– educational center, well-equipped and able to host different kinds of educational events, provide high-quality conference services, and comfortable living conditions for the participants.
In the program plan, the House, as an independent organization, takes actions to support activists and new non-governmental organisations (NGOs), which were created in the post-revolutionary period. Also, in 2016 in partnership with the Human Rights House in Voronezh (Russia), we started to work on building a dialogue between the youth of the two countries.A view of one of the rooms for meetings in the House.
During the first two years of existence, the House has strengthened its position as a great place for human rights schools and workshops. Every year, the House hosts more than 1,000 participants and 50 educational events of up to nine days’ duration. The topics and the target audience of the events are varied – from civic activists from the regions to professional jurists, lawyers and even judges.A meeting taking place in the library of the House.
In the upcoming year, the EHRHC team is planning to attract more civic organisations to use the resources of the educational center. To improve capacity-building of the educational center, landscaping will be done in the nearest future, and one big and two small pavilions for open-air workshops and working in groups will be placed by the House.
In 2017, the House, as a consolidating factor for the human rights community, will continue its work to enhance coherence and synergy for the promotion of values of human rights in Ukraine and the region.
The organisations of the House:
AHALAR (Based in Chernihiv)
A humanistic technologies centre, which develops and implements programs that allow people to change them situation, and the situation in their local communities. Its main goal is to contribute the formation of a harmonious, stable and democratic society in Ukraine.
ALMENDA (Based in Yalta, Kyiv)
A civic education centre. After moving from Crimea due to the annexation, ALMENDA is mainly focused on monitoring and analyzing the situation with forced migrants from Crimea, especially in the sphere of education; working on awareness raising, educational and methodical work for human rights promotion and protection.
Chernihiv public committee of human rights protection (Based in Chernihiv)
A human rights organisation focused on working with victims of torture and human trafficking, and conducting campaigns on these issues. They provide free legal aid, work on protection of vulnerable groups and victims of human rights abuse, monitoring of election process and places of repression, ensuring of transparency and accountability in the authorities’ activity, empowering legal abilities and legal education for people.
Postup (Based in Luhansk, Kyiv)
Postup focus on all-round human rights protection and the development of human rights culture in Ukraine. Following the beginning of the armed conflict in the eastern Ukraine, Postup has switched to a humanitarian centre “Vostok-SOS” in order to support the victims of the conflict.
The organisation's focus prior to the conflict was in the area of the rights, interests, and protection of children at risk.
Transcarpathian Public Center (Based in Uzhgorod)
A resources centre that works on human rights education and education for political activists. Its main goal is to develop civil society and support activists.
Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union (Based in Kyiv)
The Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union promotes the development of civil society based on respect to human life, dignity and harmonious relations between a person, state and nature through creation of a platform for cooperation between the members of the Union and other members of the human rights movement.
The main directions of the organisation’s activity are: ongoing monitoring of human rights situation in Ukraine, legal assistance for victims of human rights violations, protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms in courts, protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms in courts, human rights research and analysis, resisting the adoption of normative acts, which could worsen human rights safeguards, human rights education, developing and providing support for the network of human rights NGOs in Ukraine.
МАRТ (Based in Chernihiv)
MART focuses on the development of civil society, as well as human rights education, monitoring of human rights observance, and public interest advocacy through mechanisms of human rights protection.
MART supports and protects victims of human rights abuse and helps them to obtain justice. It spreads information on human rights observance and facilitates civil society organizations by means of expert and resource support, teaching and cooperates in public interests protection work.