Prize for Excellence in Human Rights

The FEDE, International Non-Governmental Organisation (INGO), non-profit association, supranational institution endowed with participatory status with the Council of Europe, promotes human rights as part of its educational mission.

Drawing inspiration from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the FEDE is committed to raising awareness, ensuring respect for and implementation of human rights among member schools by transmitting ideals of peace, non-discrimination, equality, justice, non-violence, tolerance, openness and respect for human dignity.

The FEDE, through its mission and initiatives, provides a forum for debating issues, helps raise awareness and establishes a space for reflecting on the key issues of today and tomorrow.

“We place Human Rights defence and promotion at the heart of our commitment. All of our research work, all of our pedagogical materials, all of our actions and all of our courses are conceived around the issues of Citizenship, Democracy and Human Rights. It is our desire that these values enrich all of our learning experiences, as we are convinced that they enhance the quality of the education and contribute to better social cohesion. Spreading these values among our international community of almost 200,000 people, is ensuring we train a generation that will advocate for ideals of progress; who will protect, defend and promote these founding principles,” explains Claude Vivier Le Got – Chairwoman of the FEDE and Chairwoman of the Education and Culture Committee of the Conference of INGOs of the Council of Europe.

Firstly, at the Council of Europe, where FEDE actively participates and contributes to the work of the Human Rights Committee of the Conference of INGOs of the Council of Europe, the voice and image of civil society. The work aims to protect and promote human rights, and to guarantee social rights. Then, by awarding, every year, the FEDE Prize for Excellence in Human Rights.

This award recognises initiatives taken by FEDE students, faculty members and FEDE schools with regard to human rights. It highlights outstanding projects that contribute to effectively promoting its founding principles.

“Awarding this trophy is bearing a powerful message of how we defend these values within our international network. In light of our evolving societies, faced with challenges linked to poverty, violence and discrimination, promoting human rights has become absolutely necessary,” explains Farhang Ghassemi, Human Rights Representative, Member of the FEDE Committee.

Human rights are the inalienable rights of all human beings, without distinction of nationality, place of residence, gender, ethnic or national origin, colour, religion, language, or any other condition. They simultaneously entail rights and obligations, both in terms of individuals and states. They are:

• Universal and inalienable: International human rights law is based on the principle of universality, which implies that rights are inherent to all human beings. Therefore, human rights are inalienable. They cannot be repealed, except under special circumstances and in compliance with a specific procedure.
• Interdependent, indivisible and inseparable: All human rights are indivisible, in other words, interrelated and interdependent, insofar as the violation of one right will often affect respect for several other rights and improvement of one right facilitates advancement of the others. Therefore, they are of equal importance and are indispensable for the dignity and value of each human being.
• Equal and non-discriminatory: International human rights law grants universal value to the principle of non-discrimination. This principle is accompanied by the principle of equality, which is presented in the first Article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.”