“We have a lot to do, there is a huge delay, but this is a starting point”, stated the rector Marcelo Knobel, when opening this Tuesday morning the workshop “Strategies for the culture of human rights at the University”, which brought together more than 30 representatives from the Unicamp community to discuss and define an agenda of initiatives, for the second half of the year, that contribute to making the institution a model of respect for the principles of freedom, equality and fraternity, the fundamental foundations of defense and application of human rights.
Marcelo Knobel highlighted that several fronts for valuing respect for human rights are already open at Unicamp, with working groups focused on issues such as the Chair for Refugees, the inclusion of people with disabilities and indigenous people, and the fight against violence, harassment and discrimination based on gender or sexual orientation. “The discussion of human rights in general – refugees, religious freedom and expression – appears in all corners of the world, but it is also important in our daily lives, which we do not do with due frequency and depth. We have to define how to act effectively at the University.”
The workshop held at the School of Corporate Education (Educorp/Unicamp) was organized by the Steering Committee of the University Pact for the Valuation of Respect for Diversity through the Culture of Peace and Human Rights (from the Rector's Office), Directorate of Culture of the Dean of Extension and Culture (ProEC) and Coordination of Interdisciplinary Research Centers and Nuclei (Cocen).
Néri de Barros Almeida, professor at IFCH and coordinator of the University Pact Management Committee, said that this initiative by the Ministries of Education and Culture and Justice was launched in 2016, with Unicamp joining in May 2017. “Since then many people came to us spontaneously, attracted by the theme of human rights; and with others we got in touch because they were developing similar work. Listening to them is essential for us to take the first, more consistent steps to meet the demands and an agenda of priorities suggested by the community.”
According to Néri de Barros, the University Pact campaign officially ends in December this year, when the Universal Declaration of Human Rights turns 70, but the Unicamp Management Committee decided on a permanent action with the community. “We proposed a short, medium and long-term project, with the creation of the Human Rights Observatory, which is still on paper, but, I believe, will be approved as it is a reference virtual environment, not impacting the University financially at this complicated time. ”
The Steering Committee's mission was to promote awareness and formal and informal education actions that open a debate on the need to pay attention to the practice of human rights (as teaching content and experience) at Unicamp. “Such purposes make it necessary to plan different transversal agendas of short, medium and long duration, preferably coordinated by a human rights policy in which common concepts, methods and objectives are discussed, duly known, supported and practiced by the university community”, defend the Committee members.
