Australian High Commission
Colombo
Colombo
MEDIA RELEASE
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01 April 2008
Australia supports human rights training for Sri Lankan media
The Australian High Commissioner, Ms Kathy Klugman, today presented approximately six million rupees to the Centre for the Study of Human Rights at the University of Colombo for its project “Training and capacity building on human rights for media personnel.” The support was provided as part of the Australian Government’s Human Rights Small Grants Scheme.
The key objectives of the project are to enhance the skills of media personnel to be unbiased and responsible in their reporting and to strengthen civil society by creating wider awareness of human rights through the media.
As a part of the program, the Centre for the Study of Human Rights will prepare a training manual in all three languages, conduct workshops on human rights for over 300 media personnel, promote responsible reporting and establish an island wide network of media personnel who can work in partnership to promote human rights awareness and combat human rights abuses against media personnel and society at large.
Australia’s Human Rights Small Grants Scheme is awarded annually to in-country organisations, primarily in the Asia Pacific, for activities aimed at promoting and protecting human rights in a direct and tangible way.
Media contact : Nazreen Marikkar on 011 2463243.