Funds to strengthen Pacific region's human rights knowledge

[Stacey King]

Fiji Times Online
Thursday, February 26, 2009

CHURCH leaders in Fiji will be among those who will benefit from the $177,290 Australia has donated to the Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC).

The donation, sealed in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Australian High Commissioner to Fiji James Batley and PCCs Fe'iloakitau Tevi in Suva today, is to fund human rights training workshops in Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu and Fiji.

"The training workshops will enable the church leaders and members to promote awareness and knowledge in their communities of issues of human rights, good governance and the rule of law," Mr Batley said.

The project will also develop a module of study on human rights for regional seminaries and theological colleges.