8th Conference on Human Rights Date: 12-13 August 2025, Indonesia
Protecting human rights in Asia amid energy transition, technological disruption and democratic regression. As opportunities in the energy sector arise to enhance environmental and economic well-being, this transition also risks marginalizing vulnerable communities through land dispossession, loss of livelihoods, and inequitable access to energy resources.
This conference will highlight the following issues as key discussions:
1) Human rights-based approach to construct inclusive policy development ensuring fair access, equitable distribution and environmental justice;
2) Balancing innovation with ethical consideration to navigate the complex relationship between technology and human rights;
3) Prevent setbacks in human rights protection by defending democratic institutions, enhancing transparency and protecting fundamental freedom;
4) Promote human rights education among policymakers, business and the public to build a culture of respect and accountability.
Venue: Faculty of Law, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia
2025 IAHRE Conference – 12-13 June, London
Human Rights Education and Youth Empowerment
The International Association for Human Rights Education (IAHRE) was established in 2023 at the 15th International Conference for Education and Democratic Citizenship (ICEDC). IAHRE’s goal is to support the development of human rights education research, scholarship and practice. IAHRE’s scholarly journal is the award-winning Human Rights Education Review* founded in 2018 and published by Taylor and Francis from January 2025. The IAHRE Conference a meeting place for scholars, researchers, graduate students, education policymakers, and civil society activists from across Europe and internationally. It builds on the work of the WERA International Research Network on Human Rights Education. It provides a unique opportunity to present and discuss current research and policy relating to human rights education and questions of human rights within education.
May 2025: Diplomacy Training Program Meetings
Building Resilience for Human Rights and Democracy Movements Workshop on Sharing Lessons and Building Collaboration in Capacity and Movement Building Concept Note for Workshop – Bangkok, (TBC)
Proposal: The Diplomacy Training Program (DTP) and its partners are proposing to organise an Asia regional workshop on Sharing Lessons and Building Collaboration in Human Rights Capacity and Movement Building. The workshop will provide a space to reflect on lessons learned from over three decades of capacity building on advocacy for human rights in Asia, to facilitate more strategic collaboration on human rights education and advocacy training and to minimise duplication in our collective efforts to support human rights in the region. The workshop is a timely response to the closing civil society spaces and the rise in authoritarianism globally, and the suspension of much US funding support for human rights and democracy programs. The workshop will bring together 20-25 representatives of human rights and democracy organisations and movements in Asia, including DTP alumni and trainers from the last 30 years.
| Diplomacy Training Program Meetings |
| INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, HUMAN RIGHTS AND BUSINESS in partnership with Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP), Chiang Mai, Thailand, 9-13 June. A regional capacity building program for Indigenous Peoples advocates. Shortlisting of applicants is in progress READ MORE HUMAN RIGHTS, CLIMATE CHANGE AND BUSINESS IN THE PACIFIC in partnership with PIANGO, Fiji Council of Social Services and OHCHR-PRO, 23-27 June, Fiji. A regional capacity building program for human rights and climate advocates and civil society organisations. Shortlisting of applicants is in progress READ MORE WORKSHOP ON ENGAGING WITH UN ANTI-TORTURE MECHANISMS Sydney, June 26 in partnership with NSW STARTTS. A capacity building workshop at NSW Parliament for community leaders and members of diaspora communities on the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, application deadline June 15 READ MORE 33rd ANNUAL HUMAN RIGHTS AND PEOPLES’ DIPLOMACY TRAINING PROGRAM Timor-Leste, August 25 – September 5, 2025 – at the invitation of President José Ramos-Horta and in partnership with Global Campus of Human Rights, Justice System Monitoring Project and Human Rights Centre, UNTL – AIPP, FORUM-ASIA, PIANGO and MFA. Shortlisting of over 170 applicants is in progress READ MORE |
2023-24 HRER & WERA IRN Human Rights Education Seminar Series
| Human Rights Education Review in collaboration with the WERA IRN in Human Rights Education has been running a series of international webinars since 2020. A new series of WERA HRER webinars is running from October 2023- March 2024. The webinars are planned on Wednesdays 17.30-18.30 (Berlin/Oslo CET); 16.30 – 17.30 (London/Dublin). Past webinars can be found on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@humanrightseducationreview7611 |
| 2023 Roundtable – Human Rights, Sustainability, and the Regional Challenge This roundtable with Professor David Cohen (Stanford University) explores how the intersection of human rights, security, economic development, and sustainability intersect in ASEAN. These intersections are evident in many issues troubling Southeast Asia today: the environmental and food security crisis on the Lower Mekong Subregion, the impact of rising seas and environmental degradation, tensions around the South China Sea, and continuing conflict on migration, labour exploitation, and human trafficking. Great power rivalry between the U.S. and China are complicating regional organisations such as ASEAN to adequately address these critical concerns. When: Monday, 23 October 2023 Time: 12 noon – 1.30 pm (Sydney time) Where: R.D. Watt Building (A04), room 200, Sydney University |
| 2023 Annual PEN Lecture: Behrouz Boochani “Writing Freedom” Perth Dear Friends of the Centre for Human Rights Education, Acclaimed writer, journalist, scholar and film maker, Behrouz Boochani, speaking in person at this year’s Annual PEN Lecture at the WA State Library on 15 November 2023. The title of the lecture is “Writing Freedom.” Full details below at this link: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/writing-freedom-behrouz-boochani-in-conversation-in-person-tickets-721062706967 |
2022 ACHRE SEMINARS
| September 14th 2022: Human Rights Education & International Humanitarian Law Seminar Perth Choosing Humanity: Human Rights Education Seminar (Perth), Whadjuk Noongar Boodja, Notre Dame University WA. Aims of this HRE seminar in discussion with panellists and attendees include: (i) to promote a broader understanding of the relevance of IHL in the protection of human rights, peace and justice; and more specifically, (ii) to raise awareness about the role of NGOs and IHL. In dialogue with the Australian Red Cross and in conversation with legal academics and human rights scholars & activists. Invited speakers included: Aunty Marie Taylor (Welcome to Noongar Country); Zoe Mitchell, IHL Advisor Australian Red Cross; Lara Pratt, Law School Notre Dame; Linda Briskman, ACHRE; Yirga Woldeyes, Centre for Human Rights Education Curtin University. In partnership with and hosted by Faculty of Arts, Sciences, Business and Law, University of Notre Dame, Australia Coordinators of the event Dr. Lynda Blanchard (ACHRE) & Dr. Sandra Nasr (Social Justice, University of Notre Dame). |
| December 8th 2022: Human Rights Education & International Humanitarian Law Seminar Melbourne Choosing Humanity: Human Rights Education Seminar (Melbourne) Wurundjeri Country, University of Melbourne. In discussion with panellists and attendees this seminar aimed to: (i) to promote a broader understanding of the relevance of IHL, judicial policy and practice in the protection of human rights; and (ii) to raise awareness about the UNTPNW and to explore the legal implications and humanitarian imperatives of the Treaty for Australia. Insightful commentators included: Uncle Bill Anderson (Welcome to Wurundjeri Country); Kokatha elder Aunty Sue Coleman-Haseldine (ICAN Ambassador); Former ICRC Director of International Law and Policy with the International Committee of the Red Cross Dr. Helen Durham; Monash University’s Dr. Monique Cormier and ICAN co-initiator Prof. Tilman Ruff; Noriko Tadano set the scene playing shamisen, a traditional Japanese lute. In partnership with ICAN and hosted by The Initiative for Peacebuilding University of Melbourne, Coordinators of the event Dr. Lynda Blanchard (ACHRE), Dr. Gem Romuld (ICAN) & Tania Miletic (University of Melbourne). |
| United Nations Association of Australia Conference,22 -2 23 July 2016
Presenters will cover many diverse topics such as the SDGs, human rights, climate change, nuclear disarmament, the Global Peace Index, peace operations, UN reform, global health, humanitarian operations, the Middle East, terrorism, and women, peace and security…more |  |
| Educating to Prevent Violence Against Women, 19 November 2015
The world’s first national framework to focus on preventing violence against women was launched this week. Change the Story: A shared framework for the primary prevention of violence against women and their children in Australia was developed by Our Watch, the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation and Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety. |  |
| Australian Community Cohesion Conference, 15-17 July 2015
The Australian Council for Human Rights Education (ACHRE) was a proud sponsor of the ‘The Advancing Community Cohesion – Towards a National Compact Conference’ (ACCC) held at University of Western Sydney (UWS)Parramatta Campus on 15-17 July. Dr Ozdowski, ACHRE President, was conference convenor and Ms Pera Wells, ACHRE Vice President and Assoc. Prof. Nina Burridge, member of ACHRE Executive chaired important sessions….more |  |
| Human Rights Education Forum for the ACT School Teachers and Principals, 4 April 2014
The aim of the forum was to assist schools to implement the Australian Curriculum and provide strategies to principals and teachers to lead human rights education in their schools….more |  |