Varied programme
Originally only one course had been planned, but due to a record number of applications (more than 4,750), it was decided to hold two courses.
The various sessions were:
- The History and Politics of Human Rights
- Freedom of Religion or Belief, Freedom of Expression
- International Law in a Nutshell – Introduction to Human Rights Law
- International and Regional Human Rights Mechanisms
- International Solidarity and Artificial Intelligence
- Introduction to Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR)
- Civil society advocacy on ESCR
- ESCR in practice
- Human Rights and the Environment
- International Human Rights in Domestic Jurisdictions
- The Rights to Fair Trial
- Investigative Interviewing
- Business and Human Rights
- Protection of Refugees, Internally Displaced and Stateless Persons
The course also included institutional visits to the Equality and Non-discrimination Ombud, Oslo District Court, and the Nobel Peace Institute.
Diverse participants
The course primarily targets professionals. In the selection of participants, most emphasis has been on assessing the likelihood that the participants will be able to gain new knowledge from the course that they can apply in their daily work, to the benefit of themselves and ideally also others.
One of the key characteristics of the course is the strong diversity of the participants, with a wide range of professional backgrounds and geographical regions represented. Among the participants were, for example, staff from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a Dean from a Law Faculty in Indonesia, a mediator from a women’s rights organisation in Uganda, a detective from the UK metropolitan police, staff from Georgia’s Ombudsman and a person working for ICRC in Iraq. The hope is that the participants will learn as much from each other as from the lecturers.
Participant testimony
Participants expressed satisfaction with the course and the learning outcomes:
“This experience was nothing short of transformative. The depth of knowledge, the quality of the materials, and the expertise of the facilitators were truly exceptional. The training has not only enriched my understanding of critical human rights principles but has also equipped me with practical tools that I am eager to apply in my work. Thank you for your dedication to fostering such a powerful learning environment and for investing in the development of professionals in this field. I feel both inspired and better prepared to contribute meaningfully to human rights advocacy.”
