A new “Local Changemakers Course” is being released by the Freedom of Religion or Belief Learning Platform to help empower local communities in their fight for human rights, particularly freedom of religion or belief.
Many people are worried about freedom of religion or belief violations in their communities but unsure of how to make a difference. The new learning materials are designed to empower local communities to make change.
The course will be publicly launched in English, Arabic and French during a digital event on 25 May.
The course focuses on developing knowledge, transforming attitudes and building skills for action, using a methodology that combines interfaith understanding and a rights-based approach. Easy to adapt to different contexts, the course has been tested by interfaith groups in Jordan, India, Nigeria and Tanzania.
The Local Changemakers Course is designed to help these principles be known and understood by the “ordinary people” of a nation. “The promotion and protection of all human rights starts in the home, within families, with neighbours, and in communities,” said Philpot-Nissen. “The Local Changemakers Course is aimed at such communities, who may have little or no prior knowledge of human rights and legal standards, and has been designed in such a way as to help challenge and change attitudes, and overcome the fear of those whose beliefs are different, through story-telling and visual methodologies.”
