Day one of the Geneva Excursion

On the first day of the Geneva excursion, the currents batch students of the Master programme started their excursion by visiting the OHCHR, where they were given a presentation by Mr Morse Caoagas (Human Rights Officer from the branch of Indigenous People’s and Minorities section). The meeting was very informative, and the group received tips about applying for an internship, or jobs in the future in the UN. After that meeting students went on a UN guided tour. During the tour, students visited the Human Rights Council and the Councils chamber. The class has studied these chambers and functions of these bodies in theory, and the tour provided them with the practical understanding of the theories learnt.

Post the UN guided tour, the group visited the International Service for Human Rights(ISHR). The briefing was provided by Mr. Vincent Ploton, Director of development and treaty body advocacy. It was interesting for the group to learn about the work of ISHR. Mr Ploton took up various questions from the group and provided us with information regarding human rights defenders and the challenges they face, the role of GONGOs, insight on various human rights issues and political hurdles that come while working in the NGO sector through the medium of real-life stories.

All the programmes attended by the students were elucidative and illuminating along with being motivational to work in the field of Human Rights.