On 29 April 2011, the IIMA Human Rights Office welcomed 46 Salesian Sisters coming from India, South Africa, Ethiopia and Japan among other countries.

All sisters, who were pilgrimaging to Annecy, scheduled the Human Rights Office in Geneva in their plan.

After the presentation of all Sisters, Sr. MariaGrazia Caputo, Director of the Office, and her young collaborators, illustrated the mission of the office: promote and defend human rights worldwide, and in particular the Right to Education for all.

During the presentation, Sr MariaGrazia and her collaborators explained the work and projects carried out by the office, underling the importance of the collaboration with Sisters working on the ground, who are the only one who can provide a precious help.

In fact, only thanks the information received from all sisters the office can effectively promote and defend human rights through advocacy activities and positive denunciations to the Human Rights Council.

In addition to this, being the IIMA Human Rights Office in consultative status with ECOSOC, it can attend the Human Rights Council and Treaty Bodies’ sessions, and present detailed reports about the situations of children, women, and especially of those living in difficult situations to the competent organisms.

During the meeting the sisters were informed about the training courses organized by the office every year, aimed at making sisters and VIDES volunteers aware of human rights language and defence mechanisms.

Finally, sisters were informed about the instruments created by the office to publicize United Nations and Human Rights Office’s activities like the blog, in English and Italian, synthesis and reports sent to all local FMA communities, and reports submitted on the occasion of the Universal Periodic Review.

In conclusion, the meeting was really interesting and an important moment of sharing both for visiting sisters and for Human Rights officers.