Rwanda Peace Academy (RPA) is conducting a two week training course on “Child protection in Peace Support Operations (PSO)”; the course officially opened on 1st September in Musanze, by the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Children in Rwanda, Madam Zaina Nyiramatama aims at equipping peace support operations personnel and actors with knowledge, attitudes and skills to protect children’s rights in Armed conflicts.
“The aim of the course is to equip potential peace support operations (PSO) personnel and actors with appropriate knowledge, attitudes and skills on the rights, protection, monitoring, reporting, and well-being of children in the prevention of and response to violation of children’s rights”, said Col Jill Rutaremara, Director of Rwanda Peace Academy in his welcome remarks at the official opening ceremony of the Course.
In her opening remarks, the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Children in Rwanda, Madam Zaina Nyiramatama noted that the training workshop is the great opportunity to raise awareness on the protection and advocacy of the children’s rights.
“Armed conflicts affect children in many ways; as an individual, family member or as member of the community”, said the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Children before underlining that the regional training workshop is powerful tool to raising awareness on children’s rights protection and advocacy.
She described the training as the occasion of sharing best practices and more beneficial to participants when back home, “this is not an academic course” in the children’s rights protection.
The course that kicks off today in Rwanda Peace Academy Premises in Nyakinama is attended by 30 Military, Police and Civilians from eight Eastern African Standby Force (EASF) Member States, namely Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda and Rwanda the Host nation as well as three officials from the EASF Secretariat in Nairobi, Kenya.
The Course that will end on 12 September 2014 is a result of collaborative efforts between the Rwanda Peace Academy, the EASF, and Save the Children International.
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