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The acronym “THRESHOLD” is an acronym for “Training on Human Rights for Effective, Sustainable and Holistic Outcomes in Law and Democracy”.  Consonant with this objective, the Human Rights Committee (HRC) conducted two training programmes on human rights (HR) in recent months under PROJECT THRESHOLD.   

The first, a three-day workshop on 16-18 Apr 2010, appropriately styled as a Training-of-Trainers, was conducted at Ikram Training and Infrastructure Development Institute (ITIDI), Ikram Park, Kajang Selangor, attracted the participation of 27 people, all members of HRC and two observers.

The second, a three-day national-level HR workshop, took place on 24-27 June at Pearl International Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, roped in 25 participants from the various states in the country, in particular Malacca, Terengganu, Negeri Sembilan and Selangor.


The difference between the two programmes lay in the fact that the first was aimed at upgrading skills and widening knowledge of existing HR trainers within the HRC, while the second focused on training a second set of pre-selected advocates and solicitors from all over the country to become trainers.  The similarity of the two programmes could be seen from the topics covered in both programmes, ranging from Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Human Rights Instruments to Women’s Rights, Abuse of Police Powers and Detention without Trial, Freedom of Religion, Children’s Rights, Data Protection and Privacy, Freedom of Expression, Persons with Disabilities, Indigenous People, and Refugees and Migrants.   

Added to this was the presence of a pool of interesting resource persons and facilitators whose credentials and involvement on the ground would ordinarily hold them as competent and expert in their respective department of HR endeavours, whose duties were to educate and train others in HR inasmuch as they train themselves.  In this project, lecture-style training plus attentive listening and note taking were the last things to expect.  Instead HR lessons were introduced in a variety of ways, which could perhaps be best described as problem-posing, experiential, participatory, analytical, as well as people-oriented (in this case the participants). 

This sums up my impression of PROJECT THRESHOLD that saw a changing trend in the methodology of empowering people in order to ensure that HR education is most effective and sustainable, measured by the very fact that more and more people are committed to it.  I surmise that this is only possible through a new dynamism in the pedagogy of HR, based upon principles that are inclusive and people-centric, so that no one loses steam and zest on a stage where the various rights of individuals, groups and people the world over are being played out everyday.  This dynamism would at least have to be the function of some basic indispensible principles, which I intend to explore a little further.   
 

The Principle of Democratisation of Knowledge as a Human Right

The traditional approach to learning human rights would be to read a book on it or listen to the pedantic and erudite in the field.  This approach is didactic, meaning to say the topic of HR is taught as a body of technical and scientific knowledge, to be taken in by what is constructed in the mind of the learner.  This is not an empowering pedagogy because the dynamics is one way, from the presenter to the listener.  Much development and discovery of knowledge of HR do not really take place because what really happens is rote learning.  Hegemony and control of knowledge lie in the hands of a few elite or become the exclusive domain of intellectuals and professionals.  Dogmatism sinks in and empowerment of people suffers.

Taking cognisance of these weaknesses, any training on HR must have built-in interactive and empowering features where participants are encouraged to talk about their own-lived HR experiences.

This would provide validation of prior knowledge of HR, in light of the resource person’s own observations and interpretations.  In the same breath, the resource person or expert’s knowledge would be validated in light of the participants’ experiences.


The Principle of Synthesis in the Dialectic Process of HR Discourse

The dialectic process is engaged when we place one version of a HR story against another different version, and try to seek the truth from there.  This process enables us to identify contradictions and detect inconsistencies, which will lead us to ask the right questions.

The principle of synthesis introduced and applied by a HR trainer completes this process by providing the clarifications to these contradictions, which are the entry points to the creation and discovery of HR knowledge.  Clarifications such as relating HR with human dignity, how HR protect human dignity and enhance human potentials, and the condition of human beings in our society are some of the examples of synthesising tools.

In this way no one will be in a position to assert dominance over another through the imposition of his or her values and beliefs on another.  Areas of concern can then be easily mapped out with the realisation on both sides that the enjoyment of HR preconditions a just and humane society. 


The Principle of an Activity-Centred Approach in Respecting, Protecting and Promoting of HR    

An activity-centred approach enables all participants to express their experiences and share their HR knowledge with each other.  The interactive components of this approach take the form of group dynamics, group discussions, practical exercises and short films on HR to be followed by discussions and assessment of the inputs in question.

It raises the “why” and “how” questions, deepening our understanding along the way.  But more importantly an activity-centred  approach prepares the channels to justify the need to improve on HR situations; to identify which persons, institutions, or organisations are promoting HR and which ones are violating them; what measures and strategies to take at individual, collective and institutional level  to address these violations; emphatise with the victims of rights violation; and develop solidarity, commitment and perseverance in advocacy for HR.


Conclusion

The foregoing sets the tone of HR training under the HRC in future.  It would be good if members who came for the two trainings take it further, to as many Members of the Bar as possible, for more holistic outcomes as the acronym THRESHOLD suggests. 

Meanwhile, the third and final part of PROJECT THRESHOLD is getting underway so as to reduce the principles, upon which the project was founded, to actual practice and realisation.  Members of the HRC will be taking time out of their very busy schedules so as to engage and discuss with HR lawyers at the state level about their endeavours in pushing the HR agenda and the problems they face in this regard. Somebody once said HR is a journey.  I agree, but it is one with no destination.


Roger is the Co-Deputy Chairperson of HRC.