MANILA, Philippines  — The Ateneo Human Rights Center (AHRC) and the Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP) Exchange Program recently conducted a two-day Paralegal Training program for Indigenous People (IP) youth leaders. 

Focused on empowering IP youth leaders by raising awareness on IP rights and laws, developing their capacity to access legal remedies, and strengthening leadership skills, the program saw members of various IP youth groups from across the Philippines participate in the two-day event. Moreover, the training provided an avenue for the IP youth leaders to determine the proper forum for the protection and enforcement of their rights.

Three learning sessions were conducted over the two-day training to enhance the skills and knowledge of the participants when it comes to IP rights, laws, and mechanisms. By the end of these sessions, participants were also provided with modules that were intended to aid members of IP youth in understanding their status and roles in their respective communities and inspire them to brainstorm solutions for challenges that IP communities face. In addition, the participants were provided with a voter’s education module that sought to aid them in understanding the right to vote, the concept of responsible voting, and the voter registration process. 

This paralegal training program is part of the AHRC’s continuous thrust to aid in addressing various human rights and access to justice challenges in the Philippines. In particular, the program is a reflection of the AHRC’s commitment to promoting and protecting the rights of vulnerable communities – in this case, IP communities. 

Supervising lawyers and interns from the AHRC conducted the learning sessions for the IP youth participants during this two-day training program. 

The training program was done in collaboration with the Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP) Exchange Program and the ABA Rule of Law Initiative (ABAROLI) Philippines.