Human Rights and Peace Centre (HURIPEC)
From TrustAfrica wiki - African Regional Organizations
Human Rights and Peace Centre (HURIPEC)
Faculty of Law
Makerere University
P.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda
Tel: +256-41-532954
Fax: +256-41-543110
E-mail: info@huripec.ac.ug
Website: http://www.huripec.ac.ug
Description
The Human Rights and Peace Center (HURIPEC) was established in 1993 by Makerere University in response to a sustained period of gross human rights violations in Uganda. Although several human rights-related subjects were already being taught at the Faculty of Law, HURIPEC was established solely to foster on teaching, research and activism on human rights and peace issues at the University.
The organization’s mission is to promote the understanding and respect for human rights, democratic governance and sustainable peace in the East Africa sub-region specifically and Africa generally through teaching, research, policy and advocacy.
Its main objectives focus on the provision of disciplinary and interdisciplinary teaching, cutting-edge research and policy analysis, debates and dialogue (Baraza), advisory and consultancy services to Government, civil society organizations, development partners and other stakeholders in the field of human rights, democratic governance and peace.
The Centre has the independent status of a Department under the supervision of the Human Rights Committee of the Makerere University Faculty of Law.
Track Record
Among its visible achievements is the expansion of human rights issues to the different faculties in the university (e.g. the departments of History and Sociology and Social Sciences). Since that time, not only has the number of subjects in the area expanded considerably, but so too have the range of activities being pursued. Six years ago, HURIPEC’s publications were distributed from locations abroad, such as the U.S. HURIPEC today runs a modern, well stocked and functional Resource Centre on human rights, good governance and peace.
Further, a wide range of publications grouped under the categories of rights and democratic governance, economic, social and cultural rights, decentralization and human rights and other general publications on Ugandan politics have been produced and are available. HURIPEC also offers tailored its courses to suit already employed staff working with human rights groups who possessed little or no training in human rights and often had only basic knowledge.
Since its inception, the East African Journal of Peace and Human Rights journal has been its flagship which is made available within the continent and beyond. This has contributed to drawing intellectuals and academics and is reflected also in its board members.
