Ateneo Human Rights Center organizes business and human rights foundational course

The Ateneo Human Rights Center (AHRC) concluded its Foundational Course on business and human rights. The course aimed to capacitate participants with basic knowledge of Business and Human Rights (BHR) principles using a multi-sectoral approach. It also discussed and explored how human rights principles such as gender equality, sustainable development and environmental protection, among other issues can be integrated in business.
 
A total of 23 participants, representing different sectors, received scholarships to undergo the program. It was held from October 20-23, 2015 at the Ateneo Professional Schools in Makati City.

AHRC partnered with the Ateneo Law School, the Ateneo Graduate Legal Studies Institute and the ASEAN CSR Network for the course.

Participants were able to share their knowledge, insights and experiences during their sessions throughout the course.  It also allowed them to know and understand the positions and perspectives of other sectors when it comes to human rights issues. 

Ateneo Human Rights Center Executive Director Atty. Ray Paolo Santiago (Photo from AHRC Facebook)

Part of the course was a workshop on the drafting of a National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights.  It served as a learning exercise for participants to exchange ideas on the application of what they learned and relate them to their current field of work.

Ms. Anna Meloto- Wilk talks about human rights and entrepreneurship (Photo from AHRC Facebook)

The Foundational Course on Business and Human Rights was conducted as a preparatory coursework before integrating it into the curriculum as course elective for Ateneo Law School. 

The course speakers were: Atty. Ryan Jeremiah D. Quan (Ateneo Graduate Legal Studies Institute); Atty. Julito Sarmiento (Puno & Puno Law Offices); Atty. Millette Asuncion-Arnedo (Pfizer Asia-Pacific-China); Atty. Teodoro Y. Kalaw, IV (Ateneo Law School); Atty. Mark R. Enojo;  Ms. Giancarla Espinosa-Aritao (The Paper Project Inc. ); Ms. Anna Meloto-Wilk (Human Heart Nature); Mr. Rafael C. Lopa (Philippine Business for Social Progress); Atty. Jing T. Corpuz (Indigenous Peoples’ International Centre for Policy Research and Education); Mr. Peter Angelo V. Perfecto ( Makati Business Club); Ms. Rosemarie R. Trajano  (Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates); Mr. Moncini Hinay ( World Wide Fund for Nature);  Engr. Roland Romeo R. Pacis ( Visayan Forum Foundation Inc.); Mr. Julius H. Cainglet, (Federation of Free Workers (FFW); Hon. Sherielysse Reyes-Bonifacio (Department of Transportation and Communication); and Dir. Nerissa N. Piamonte (Commission on Human Rights).