DR. MARIVIC M. Alimbuyuguen, MMSU extension director and coordinator of the Ilocos Norte Center for Human Rights Education (INCHRE) based at MMSU, together with 20 other advocates of human rights in the region, attended a 15-day refresher course on ‘Mainstreaming Human Rights in Development and Governance Through a Rights-Based Approach’ which started Sept. 16.  The course is conducted in separate venues in Region I.

The activity was sponsored and organized by the Commission on Human Rights-Region I and the Institute of Social Studies.  The course sought to explore the content and implications of rights-based approaches to development and governance. The activity gave the center coordinators the chance to expose themselves to the wealth of theoretical and practical materials on the subject area provided by international- and country-based work and experiences. The organizers also intended to provide the participants space and time to reflect on what rights-based approaches to their organization’s work could mean for the organization and for them, which could even extend to drafting a first policy note on the matter. Also part of the refresher course were study visits to relevant local organizations.

Meanwhile, the INCHRE, established two years ago at MMSU, presented its activities and accomplishments in a forum Sept. 20 at the University Training Center. Twenty participants from human rights centers in the region as well as 20 accredited human rights educators and volunteers attended the activity.

Representing MMSU President Miriam E. Pascua, Vice President for Academic Affairs Nancy G. Balantac welcomed the participants particularly Dr. Karin Arts and Dr. Helen Hintjens, ISS faculty from Netherlands, and lawyer Anita M. Chauhan, regional human rights director.  Dr. Balantac expressed her appreciation to Chauhan for the establishment of the CHRE at MMSU and her gratitude to Arts and Hintjens for bringing of such activity to MMSU.  She mentioned Netherlands as model of equality, freedom, justice, and rule of law and highlighted the prevention of recurrence of human rights abuses and the building a universal human rights culture as two challenges on human rights.

In return, Dr. Karin Arts and Dr. Hintjens appreciated MMSU for supporting human rights activities in the region.