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To celebrate its 10th anniversary, KIOS organized a two-day seminar on promotion of democratic rights at the grassroot level. The seminar was held in Helsinki on 21-22 October 2008 at Allergiatalon kongressikeskus.
Realizing Democratic Rights at the Grassroots
- Experiences from Africa and Asia
The seminar focused on the experiences and practices of promoting grassroots democracy, with special emphasis on the participation of women and youth in democratic and electoral processes. The seminar discussed the topic from the human rights based approach to development (HRBA) and looked for solutions into the question of realization of the HRBA principle of participation in the democratic structures. The seminar also shed light into the added value of the Finnish development cooperation in supporting the development of democratic rights. Topics under discussion included women’s participation in the constitution building in Uganda and Nepal, empowerment of the poor in local decision-making in Kenya, grassroots view to election observation in Asia and opportunities of the youth to influence political structures and election processes in Kenya and Nepal.
Key facilitators of the seminar included:
- Ms. Peace T. Kyamureku, Secretary General, National Association of Women Organisations in Uganda NAWOU, Uganda
- Dr. Renu Rajbhandari, Chairperson, Women’s Rehabilitation Center Nepal WOREC, Nepal
- Mr. George Kogolla, Executive Director, Youth Alive! Kenya
- Ms. Somsri Hananuntasuk, Executive Director, Asian Network for Free Elections ANFREL, Thailand
- Mr. James Odindo Opiata, Executive Director, Economic and Social Rights Centre Hakijamii, Kenya
- Mr. Herbert Schultz, Councillor, City of Windhoek, Namibia
- Ms. Sofie From-Emmesberger, Head of Unit, Unit for Human Rights Policy, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland
- Ms. Pirkko Mäkinen, Ombudsman for Equality, Office of the Ombudsman for Equality, Finland
- Ms. Sari Varpama, Executive Director, Political Parties of Finland for Democracy (DEMO Finland)
- Ms. Elisabeth Tigerstedt-Tähtelä, Member of KIOS Executive Board, Finnish League for Human Rights
- Mr. Esa Ylikoski, Chairperson of KIOS Executive Board, Finnish Peace Committee
- Mr. Kim Remitz, Member of KIOS Executive Board, Finnish Refugee Council
- Ms. Tuija Halmari, Member of KIOS Executive Board, FIDIDA
- Ms. Eekku Aromaa, Member of KIOS Executive Board, Committee of 100 in Finland
- Ms. Elisa Mikkola, Executive Director, KIOS
See the detailed programme of the seminar here!
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Download
publication of the seminar presentations (pdf).
Download
the programme of the seminar (pdf).
Download
venue information and
the map to the venue (pdf).
Download
the leaflet of the seminar (pdf).
Download
the leaflet of the seminar
in Finnish (pdf).
Collaborating partners:
Asian Network for Free Elections
City of Vantaa
City of Windhoek
Economic and Social Rights Centre Hakijamii
Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland
National Association of Women Organisations in Uganda
Office of the Ombudsman for Equality
Political Parties of Finland for Democracy
Women’s Rehabilitation Center Nepal
Youth Alive! Kenya
KIOS founder organisations
Fair Trade Coffee Break
Our seminar takes part in the Fair
Trade Coffee Break campaign.
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