On December 1-10, 2009, Armine Shiroyan, the Coordinator of the “Creation of healthy and peaceful communities in Shirak region” project, participated in the 8th Annual Global Linking and Learning Program in the Netherlands, organized by Dignity International (www.dignityinternational.org) in partnership with European Anti Poverty Network – Netherlands (www.eapn.org ), with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland (www.formin.fi), Oxfam NOVIB (www.oxfamnovib.nl) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands.
The theme of the program was human rights based development. 25 participants selected from over 400 applications from different corners of the world gathered for an intensive learning that aimed to equip them with the knowledge of the key elements of human rights based development, and enhance skills for its practical application. They represented a variety of organizations specialized in human rights and addressing poverty, health, discrimination, gender issues and education.
The goal of the program was to deepen the participants’ understanding of human rights and human rights in development, introduce to them new training methodology, create and develop relationships and networks while sharing experiences and acquiring understanding of diverse cultural experiences.
The program was a creative and participatory process. It was also a multicultural exchange, engaging both learners and facilitators to bring out and understand the human rights basis to development.