The Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (HFHR) has organized the first International Advanced Course in Human Rights Defence. On 18 May 35 participants were granted certificates for completing the Course. (28 May, 2003)

I International Advanced Course in Human Rights Defence was opened on 9 March 2002. Its program comprised two 14-day theoretical sessions, which were held in Warsaw, and two practical ones, which were held in Kiev. Besides, a study tour was organized to visit human rights institutions and organizations in Strasbourg, Amsterdam and The Hague. Currently, the II International Advanced Course in Human Rights Defence is being held. Soon HFHR will start the recruitment to the third Course. The Course is meant for the lawyers, leaders of the non-governmental organizations and scientific researchers from the Commonwealth of Independent States.

The exams of the participants of the I International Advanced Course in Human Rights Defence were held from 15 to 18 May.  The participants defended their course papers and demonstrated their knowledge in the area related to the program of the course, in particular, in the area covered by the subject of their papers.

The last meeting of the participants of the I International Advanced Course in Human Rights Defence was obviously different from all previous similar meetings. This time its participants arrived in Warsaw-Miedzeszyn not to study, but to defend their course papers – which had been prepared by them previously. The subject of their papers was one of the human rights listed in the catalogue of the most important international documents on human rights protection.                                                                                 

Thirty-five participants in the Course managed to defend their course papers. Four participants who were less lucky will have an opportunity to do so at a later date.                                                             

Late in the evening of 18 May, the official ceremony of presenting the certificates was held. Among the persons who participated in the ceremony were: the President and the Vice-President of the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights: Marek Nowicki and Danuta Przywara; the teachers who conducted the classes: Professor Andrzej Rzeplinski, Professor Teresa Romer, and Supreme Court Judge Andrzej Wróbel; and the key organizers of the program, HFHR staff members: program coordinator Agnieszka Klosowska as well as Zuza Fialova, Bogna Chmielewska and Marzena Rafalska.    

The farewell dinner was the final touch of the meeting. It also turned out to be an opportunity for the organizers and the Course participants to deliver brief speeches, express sincere words of gratitude, and talk about the future. All were unanimous in one thing: the end of the Course should not imply the end of the mutual contacts.                                         

Source: http://www.hfhrpol.waw.pl/