Human Rights Course for Church Members in Fiji

Seventy participants from church denominations all over Vanua Levu are in Labasa this week undertaking a workshop on basic education and awareness on human rights.

The Pacific Conference of Churches is facilitating the four-day awareness and education on human rights which started yesterday at the St Mary’s Girls Hostel.

PCC Human Rights programme co-ordinator Raju Fong said the aim of the workshop was to explore human rights in the context of the church and cultural traditions.

This is part of PCC’s role in creating awareness of Christian responsibilit-ies towards the protection and promotion of human rights.

Participants include youths, clergies and lay preachers who travelled from all over Cakaudrove, Bua and Macuata to attend the workshop.

Mr Fong said the workshop was requested by senior church leaders in the North for education awareness purposes at grassroots level.

“We are now reaching out to the grassroots community where we use local examples such as case studies to enhance learning on human rights in the Biblical context.

“The focus is to educate them about family values according to how Jesus lived his life on earth,” he said.

“This is the first time for PCC to conduct education awareness on human rights in the Northern Division.”

“One of the objectives of the workshop is to deepen understanding on human dignity and human rights and to increase the scope for social action on human rights issues by churches and their members,” Mr Fong said.

Focus of the workshop was placed on the UN Declaration of Human Rights and other important conventions on human rights.

Mr Fong said the workshop in Vanua Levu is the seventh conducted by PCC in the Pacific region.

Issues of discussions through the four days include human rights, good governance, leadership and family values.

The workshop ends on Friday with an ecumenical mass scheduled to be held at St Thomas Anglican Church to coincide with the World Human Rights Day celebrations.