(ANS – Shillong) – On 20 February the programme for education to human rights was officially inaugurated at a colourful function held at St Anthony`s Higher Secondary School, in Shillong north-east India Among those present was Mr . Manas Choudhuri, Minister of Education in the State of Meghalaya.
The key note address was delivered by Dr V. Vasanthi Devi, the Chairperson of Institute of Human Rights Education, Madurai. She highlighted the difficulties one encounters while making the world aware of human rights saying that one of the key solutions to these difficulties is to begin human rights education in classrooms.
Fr Joseph Almeida, Provincial of the Salesians in Guwahati, spoke about the various steps taken by the Province for initiating human rights education in the different schools of north-east. He thanked everyone present for their assistance in making this project a reality.
Mr Henry Tiphagne, the Executive Director, Peoples Watch, Madurai, the sponsoring body of the Institute of Human Rights Education, gave a >brief history of how human rights education evolved in schools.
The Students of St Anthony`s Higher Secondary entertained the guests with their singing of U-N-I-T-E-D, from an international music video from Youth for Human Rights.
Among people present at the event were officials from Meghalaya Board of School Education, priests and religious from various institutions of Shillong, Principals and Head-teachers from different schools, representatives from Martin Luther University, Shillong, local village elders, members from various NGOs, members of the press and the students from neighbouring schools.