Rights & Democracy Network International Retreat
Training & Capacity Building for Canadian and International Delegations

Context

The Rights & Democracy Network is organizing an international retreat in the greater Montreal area (about 45 minutes from downtown Montreal) on September 27, 28, 29 and 30, 2007. The objective of this retreat is to enable our active members and new members from across Canada and from Morocco to meet each other, share information and views, and participate in training workshops. Please note that students from all disciplines are invited to apply, and places will be reserved for members who are new to the Network.

Information / Training

Students selected to participate in this retreat will receive information and training intended to foster integration of the Network’s approaches into the activities of Delegations:

• Diversity and equality : why and how to take into consideration issues related to diversity and equality, for example gender issues, age, social and national origin, sexual orientation;
• Innovation : how to identify subjects rarely addressed or tackle them from a new, constructive angle; how to develop initiatives that have an innovative, accessible and interactive format;
• Connectivity: how to optimize the use of information technologies and communications including the tools and services made available by the Network to its members, such as the Delegation websites and Network Forum;
• Multidisciplinarity: everyone can contribute to advancing human rights and democracy: ways to promote participation by students from all disciplines in the Delegation executive committee and in project teams;
• Studies and career: how to take full advantage of the Network member experience and develop initiatives within which knowledge and capacity-building can be recognized as value-added for students’ academic and professional careers by governmental and non-governmental organizations and institutions in the international cooperation sector.

Format

The various sessions will take the form of interactive workshops, simulations or discussions and will help students build their capacity for promoting human rights and democracy through concrete, practical examples that can be applied within their respective Delegations.

Network Tool Kit

The Delegation Handbook will be presented to representatives from new Delegations, and updated for existing Delegations. The handbook contains tools designed to facilitate Delegation set-up, recruitment, operation, and planning projects and activities.

Participation Fees

Rights & Democracy will cover the travel, accommodation and meal costs of the selected students for the retreat period.

Selection criteria

To qualify for selection, candidates must be:

1. A student enrolled in a Canadian university during the fall 2007 and winter 2008 sessions;
2. A member of the Rights & Democracy Network as of September 13, 2007; http://www.rightsdemocracy.net/en/membres/
   devenez_membre.htm
3. An active member of his/her Delegation (executive committee member and/or project team member).
   1. For universities at which the Delegation is in the process of forming: prepared to dedicate the necessary efforts to building and coordinating the Delegation and its projects for the 2007-2008 academic year;
4. Willing to convey to the members of his/her Delegation the knowledge acquired at this retreat by organizing an information and recruiting session in the three weeks following the event, and to follow-up with the Network staff;
5. Committed to helping members of his/her Delegation and of the project teams to integrate the Network’s approaches, with the assistance of Network staff.

To submit your application, send your completedregistration form, by e-mail only to the attention of Elana Wright, Network Liaison Officer, at network@dd-rd.ca . Please be sure to identify your e-mail with the following title: RETREAT. Should you require any additional information, do not hesitate to contact Elana Wright, the Rights & Democracy Network’s Liaison Officer, at ewright@dd-rd.ca or by phone at 514-283-6073 ext.259 or toll-free at 1-888-736-3833.

Applications must be sent by Thursday, September 13, 2007. Rights & Democracy will select the students who will be sponsored based on the quality of their application. Selection will take into account both regional representation within Canada and a balance based on the following criteria: language (English, French, and bilingual), gender, representation of various fields of study, the ratio between new members and active members and potential contribution to discussions on the approaches mentioned above. The selected participants will be contacted September 17, 2007.