University extension diploma in Human Rights of Indigenous Peoples

In collaboration with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

This programme has been running since 2000. It is the result of a collaboration between the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Pedro Arrupe Human Rights Institute at the University of Deusto.
In the more than twenty years that it has been running, more than 150 people from different indigenous peoples and nationalities in Latin America have been trained to acquire tools to defend, protect and promote human rights. 

The programme is delivered with funding from the Basque Government through the Basque Agency for Cooperation and Solidarity (eLankidetza), which provides full grants to each of the selected participants each year.

Aims

This training programme is aimed exclusively at indigenous peoples in Latin America, and the central objective of the programme is to strengthen the work of indigenous organisations and communities in Latin America in the defence, protection and promotion of the human rights of their peoples. To achieve this goal, the programme is structured around several strategic pillars:

The programme offers comprehensive training covering both the theoretical and practical aspects of human rights, with a specific focus on the rights of Indigenous peoples. The programme includes the study of the functioning of international bodies and specific mechanisms for the protection of these rights.

The programme seeks to empower representatives of indigenous communities, preparing them to play an active role in the defence and promotion of human rights within their communities. It also promotes their ability to influence public policy formulation at both national and international levels.

The programme helps strengthen the institutional and organisational capacities of indigenous communities through the development of well-trained and committed leadership, and ensures that their structures are more effective in the defence of human rights.

The programmefacilitates the creation of networks and partnerships between participants and other organisations and agencies working in the field of human rights. This promotes collaboration and the sharing of knowledge and experience among various actors.