During August 17 August 22, 2009 the Association Promo-LEX organized the summer school “Human Rights”.  The aim of the summer school was Transnistrain region youth preparation in the field of the human rights. In the frames of the summer school 23 people from Transnistrain region took part: Grigoriopol, Dubasari, Ribnita, Camenca districts, Tiraspol and Bender cities.

The program of the summer school was divided into 2 modules. The first module was theoretical, the following themes were presented: “Human rights – main conceptions. Why are the human rights needed?”, “Retrospective of the situation regarding the observance of the human rights in Moldova”, “What rights are guaranteed by the national legislation and the Constitution?”, “The international agreements to which the Republic of Moldova jointed”, “European Convention on Human Rights – main conceptions, brief history”, “Right to life”, “Right to assembly”, “Right to freedom of opinion and expression”, “Right to not be tortured”, “Means and mechanisms of the human rights protection: Internal means of the legal assistance given by the degrees of jurisdiction. European Court of Human Rights and its role in the human rights protection”. The participants have got acknowledged with the numerous examples from the national and international practice during the theoretical presentations.

Also, in the frames of the first module the talk show “The NGOs role in the promotion and the protection of human rights” was organized, the special guest was Ms.Doina Iona Straisteanu, the human rights lawyer, possessing the great experience both on the national and on the international levels. The talk-show was designed by one of the summer school participants. During the talk-show the participants had the possibility to ask many questions, mainly referring to the specifics of activity of a human rights lawyer, to the interesting cases from the juridical practice, situation of the human rights in Moldova.
Also in the frames of the first module the participants drafted a work plan on the promotion and the protection of the human rights on the local level.

The second module of the summer school program included 4 simulation games referring to the right to assembly, the right to not be tortured, the right to freedom of opinion and expression, and the right to freedom of movement.
By means of the simulation games the participants had the possibility to apply on practice the new knowledge, acquired at the summer school. The participants imitated the peaceful meeting and violent protest action, the examination of the case about the tortures use before the European Court of Human Rights; they crossed the customs station and played the role of journalists, conducting the probe, took as the basis – the right to freedom of the opinion expression.

This summer school is the third in succession, which was organized by Promo-LEX, and each time we become convinced that the education concerning the human rights is vital and actual for Moldova, in particular, for Transnistrian region. The majority of the population does not know that they have the rights; they are not informed about their rights and conduct very passively and with indifference when their rights are violated. At the beginning of the summer school none of the participants could explain what the term “human dignity” means. The regret causes the fact that the citizens of the Republic of Moldova judges about any powerless action from the part of the authorities as the necessity and moreover the reasonability not in the favor of the State obligation to secure and to observe the fundamental human rights.

We hope that young people, who took part in this summer school, will never forget what means “human dignity” and why it is so important to know, to protect and to promote the human rights.
The Summer School was organized in the frames of the Educational Program in the field of Human Rights and Civil Education of the Association Promo-LEX. The project was financially supported by the US Embassy in Moldova.

Olga Manole,
Project Director,
Association Promo-LEX