From 1 to 5 February, the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) supported the organization of a training for 15 elementary school teachers of civic education from five municipalities across Kosovo by the Youth Initiative for Human Rights – Kosovo (YIHR) under the project “Youth Empowerment – Enhancing Human Rights and Rule of Law Education in Schools”

The intensive, 5-day training aimed at equipping civic education teachers with the knowledge and skills necessary to teach the principle of human rights, justice, and rule-of-law to children of different ages. The content of the training was based on a Human Rights Education Programme for Youth developed by YIHR, which was recently accredited by Kosovo’s Ministry of Education.

“Through this training, which alternates theory to practice by engaging the participants in presentations, interactive group works and simulations, we expect the participants to be able to integrate our new human rights programme into the current curricula,” explains YIHR Executive Director, Marigona Shabiu. “Our idea is to educate Kosovo’s kids from an early age, teaching not only the foundations but also the key instruments and mechanisms of human rights and rule-of-law, so that the children could become empowered citizens, able not only to claim and protect their own rights but also to protect and promote the rights of the others,” Shabiu points out.

Opening the workshop’s first day, EULEX Justice Monitor Diana Mocilnik-Draghina recalled how teachers play an essential role in ensuring that children grow up as informed citizens, familiar with the fundamental principles of justice and human rights.

Valon Mejzinolli, a civic education teacher of 11 to 14-age children in Shtime/Štimlje, welcomed the training as a very useful opportunity to strengthen the current curricula. “This new programme presents elements that are not yet integrated in the current curricula, such as the concept of freedom of media, or a detailed explanation of the functioning of justice institutions,” Mejzinolli explains.   

EULEX’s project “Youth Empowerment – Enhancing Human Rights and Rule of Law Education in Schools” started on 13 of January with a training for law students. In the next weeks, justice lectures for elementary school pupils will be delivered.