The 6th Asia Human Rights Forum will take place on Feb. 22, followed by the 7th Workshop for Young Human Rights Activists from Feb. 23-25 at Korea University’s Graduate School of International Studies.

Several speakers will take part in the forum, which lasts from 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. in room 214. Following the forum’s opening 9:30-10:30 a.m. session, there will be another on the realities faced by ethnic minority refugees in Asia, followed by a session on how the governments of other countries and NGOs have worked to protect refugees, and a final session on how ethnic minority refugees can be better protected.

The workshop will take place in rooms 214 and 115. It will feature both lectures on the subject and hands-on training sessions useful for human rights workers, including on working with refugees and writing human rights reports.

The objectives of the workshop include cultivating young activists who will promote human rights across Asia, developing an international network of young human rights activists, and sharing established and successful strategies employed by human rights practitioners.

The cost for participation is 150,000 won. However, participants may receive a scholarship if they submit a one-page description explaining how they have been involved in human rights activism in the past or plans to become involved in future.

Those who participate will receive a certificate at the end of the workshop on Feb. 25.

A cutoff for participation in the workshop has not been set, but it is limited to 60 participants. Those seeking a scholarship should submit their essay by Feb. 16 to the center’s program officer Jooyea Lee at jooyea@achumanrights.org. Recipients will be notified on Feb. 18.

In addition to the center and KU’s Graduate School of International Studies, the workshop and forum have been organized by the Waseda University Global COE Program’s Global Institute for Asian Regional Integration, the regional office of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Southeast Asia, the Hwajeong Peace Foundation and the Institute 21 for Peace Studies.

The workshop is sponsored by the Jungam Foundation, and the forum is sponsored by the foundation and the National Human Rights Commission of Korea.

For more information, contact Lee via e-mail or at (02) 723-1673.

By Rob York (rjamesyork@heraldcorp.com)