The ASEAN Civil Society Conference/ASEAN People's Forum 2014 was held on 21-23 March 2014 in Yangon. This year's conference has the theme: Advancing ASEAN Peoples' Solidarity toward sustainable peace, development, justice and democratization. It has the following objectives: 1) To strengthen diverse regional and national voices to advance ASEAN peoples' solidarity for sustainable peace, development, justice and democratization; 2) To support the role of Myanmar/Burma civil society in the country's democratization, development, peace and national reconciliation; 3) To accelerate inclusive ASEAN people-to- people processes to achieve peace, security, and economic, social, environmental and climate justice for all, including migrant workers and the stateless and marginalized communities; 4) To expand learning and understanding of the different processes and political developments of ASEAN and its members, including peoples' struggles for human rights and self- determination in Myanmar; 5) To assert civil society's role in ASEAN community-building and key processes including the upcoming review of the ASEAN Charter and Community Blueprints and Terms of Reference (TOR) of the ASEAN Inter-Governmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR). The conference was attended by more than two thousand participants.
For further information, contact: ACSC/APF Secretariat, e-mail: apfsecretariat2014@gmail.com;banya7881@gmail.com; http://aseanpeople.org.
The Women and Girls at Risk Working Group (WAGAR) of the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN) is hosting a workshop on 31 March - 4 April 2014 in Chiang Mai for representatives of groups working on refugee rights for them to consider how their work addresses the particular rights violations that happen to refugees due to their sex/gender, and how these needs are being met; and for them to consider what resources are needed to effectively address the obstacles that are preventing groups from addressing the rights and needs of refugees and displaced women.
For further information, please contact: APRRN Secretariat, 888/12, 3rd Floor, Mahatun Plaza, Ploenchit Road, Lumpini, Pratumwan, Bangkok, Thailand 10330; ph (66 2) 252 6654; mobile (66 8) 91125761; www.aprrn.org; Skype: thazin810.
The Diplomacy Training Program (DTP) will hold its “Human Rights Advocacy, Business and Development: a Training Program for Community Advocates from the Asia-Pacific Region” for ten days in May-June 2014 in Yangon, Myanmar. This program will build the capacity of human rights defenders and community advocates to promote and protect their human rights in the context of rapid economic development, and the impact of the private sector on the lands and livelihoods of vulnerable groups including indigenous and ethnic minorities/nationalities. The program will explore how existing and emerging international human rights standards and mechanisms can be applied, and integrated into effective advocacy strategies. The training will build practical skills for engaging in effective advocacy with governments and business.
For further information, please contact: Diplomacy Training Program Ltd., The University of New South Wales, UNSW SYDNEY NSW 2052, ABN 31 003 925 148 Australia; ph (612) 9385 2277; fax (612) 9385 1778; e-mail : dt p@unsw. edu. au; www.dtp.unsw.edu.au.