In the framework of its project to support Bahrain’s democratic transition through justice and accountability, No Peace Without Justice is organising, in coordination with its local partners in Bahrain , a “Strategic Colloquium on Challenges and Opportunities for Bahraini Civil Society”, to be held in Istanbul, Turkey, on 17-19 June 2013.
The purpose of the Colloquium is to foster productive dialogue and synergies between Bahraini civil society organisations in their efforts to promote political reform and contribute to anchoring their country’s future on democracy, rule of law and respect of fundamental human rights. The Colloquium also aims, specifically, to enhance local civil society and democracy activists capacity to effectively monitor, report and document past and present violations and abuses.
By enabling local civil society and democracy activists to build on the work developed since the inception of mass demonstrations in Bahrain, the Colloquium will aim at reinforcing local actors’ capacity to approach their work strategically by effectively documenting on-going and future violations, identifying root causes and build strong linkages and cooperation among themselves also through the development of operational, mutual and shared information management processes to develop their own recommendations to redress past and future human rights violations as well to seek political reform.
The meeting will strengthen a coordinated approach by local civil society organisations and networks and ensure that needs, priorities and methodologies, as perceived by local actors, will be prioritised. The main objective will be to create a system where the quality of their respective documentation capacity is enhanced by greater cooperation also within the wider human rights community, and enhance the level of synergies and trust among a diverse group of people who share main policy priorities.
Participation to the Colloquium will ensure a mixture of established civil society actors from across Bahrain’s social, confessional and political spectrum, and the participation of underrepresented groups such as women and young people, and actors who command respect within their communities.
For further information, contact Gianluca Eramo on geramo@npwj.org or +32-2-548-3912 or Nicola Giovannini on ngiovannini@npwj.org or +32-2-548-3915. Check also the special section on NPWJ Bahrain Project
