Expanding the Human Rights Cities Movement:

KOICA Fellowship Program

The World Human Rights Cities Forum is furthering its efforts to expand international human rights education through its collaboration with KOICA on a fellowship training program that began on October 18.

Under the theme “Capacity Building for Local Governments on Human Rights Administration Enhancement Education in Asia,” the program has invited 15 government officials from five Asian countries: Bangladesh, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Turkmenistan. With this year’s participants comprising of working-level officials, the program focuses on developing each country’s human rights administration action plan and exploring strategies for putting it into practice. In doing so, it aims to build practical capacity that leads to real human rights-based policies and projects, and to deliver achievable results within the participants’ respective local governments.

Sharing “Gwangju’s Experience” as a Human Rights City

In the second week of the training, participants visited Gwangju to explore the city’s experience as a human rights city. They visited the May 18 Archives and the Former Jeonnam Provincial Office, where they reflected on the spirit of the May 18 Democratization Movement and its enduring significance for democracy and human rights.

Participants also visited the Gwangju Office of Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City to learn about the policies Gwangju has pursued as a human rights city and to discuss ways to put human rights administration into practice in their respective countries.

The World Human Rights Cities Forum Secretariat will continue its efforts, including linking the program with the Forum, enabling participants to build a pathway for expanding human rights cities.