A new generation of human rights defenders, trained during the summer camp "YOUthAct - Youth for Justice"

July 5, 2021

28 school pupils from four districts of the country spend their summer holidays learning about human rights and justice during the summer camp "YOUthAct - Youth for Justice", which takes place during 5 - 9 July, in Vadul lui Voda. Participants will find out what human rights are, which institutions are responsible for their protection, and what tools there are at national and international level for the protection of human rights.

At the same time, the participants will be trained in an interactive manner about the organisation and functioning of the judicial system in our country. The initiative is part of the "Strengthening efficiency and access to justice in Moldova» Project, implemented by UNDP Moldova with the support of Sweden.

The young people participating in the summer camp are from Criuleni, Cimișlia, Soroca and Comrat (project’s intervention regions), and were selected following a competition.

They will learn from mentors - human rights defenders, judges, lawyers, representatives of the civil society organizations why it is important to respect human rights, but also how they can get involved in promoting these rights at local and national level.

During training sessions, which will be organized at the National Institute of Justice, participants will participate in a mock trial, to better understand the roles of each participant in a trial. At the same time, students will have the opportunity to visit the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Moldova to better understand its role in a democratic society and how the constitutional mechanism works.

Adam Amberg, Head of the Development Cooperation, Embassy of Sweden in Moldova, said during the opening ceremony of the summer camp: “Respect for human rights is the basic principle of any society. But they just do not come that easily, in every community an effort is needed to ensure compliance with the law, the rule of law and secure the space in which we all live. Each of us is responsible for protecting and ensuring respect for the core freedoms of a democracy. This summer camp will help you promote everything that means respecting human rights, ensuring gender equality, fighting corruption, ensuring access to justice, and eliminating gender-based violence, so that we can transform our society into a better place for each of us. I am sure that here you will find answers and tools for promoting human rights in your communities”.

Andrea Cuzyova, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative, said: “Young people have always been major drivers of change whereas youth participation is essential to achieve sustainable development for all, which includes respect of human rights and equality. Empowering youth to better know and claim their rights generates global benefits and I hope that the activities within this a camp will contribute to your empowerment and thus you will become advocates in strengthening the rule of law and access to justice in Moldova.”

Gheorghe Spânu from Măgdăcești, Criuleni, is convinced that participating in this event will open new opportunities for him to participate in civic life: "Sometimes, in our society, people who express their views freely are discriminated against if these views do not coincide with that of others. I believe that everyone should have the right to express their opinion and that everyone deserves to be heard. If something is different, it does not necessarily mean that it is something bad, sometimes a different mindset can have a good impact."

Another participant in the summer camp, Ionela Ciobanu from Gura Galbenei, Cimișlia, says that training in the field of respecting human rights should start in school. "I believe that information and participation should start in school. Students are the future of the country, which means that the solution to certain problems is a better developed education system, that encourages students to work as a team, learn new things and discourage unhealthy competition or discrimination among students.

The "YOUthAct - Youth for Justice" summer camp will end on 9 July.

The project "Strengthening efficiency and access to justice in Moldova" was launched in 2019 with the aim of improving access to justice for men and women in the Republic of Moldova, especially for those from vulnerable and marginalized groups. The project will be implemented by 2022, in partnership with two non-governmental organizations: The Institute for Penal Reforms and Invento.