The Executive Director of IHRDA Visits the GPU

Sheila Beedwantee Keetharuth, the Executive Director of the Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA), visited the Gambia Press Union on Monday 11th May 2009. Madam Sheila made a presentation about the promotion and protection of human rights before selected media personnel from different media houses who were on a training program on Journalism and human rights at the GPU center.
She revealed that when IHRDA was formed in 1998, it was intended to be a Pan-African Non Governmental Organisation with international standards of professionalism that would work to strengthen the African Human Rights system. "IHRDA works to create awareness about African regional human rights mechanisms and to increase their accessibility, usage and effectiveness. IHRDA's principal focus is on ensuring that the enforcement mechanisms of African human right's treaties are an effective instrument for redress of human rights violations on the continent," she said.  She further revealed that IHRDA believes that this can be achieved if these mechanisms are independent, accessible, efficient, dynamic, and better utilized by all, including African civil society.  
She later donated the GPU some books and other materials on human rights and related topics in Africa for the benefit of its members.