As part of the 56th Session of the Human Rights Council (HRC), the International Office of Catholic Education (OIEC), a member of CCIG, organized a side event entitled Paralysis in the Education System: The Case of Haiti. The event took place on 11 July 2024 in Geneva at Palais des Nations, Room XXV and was attended by over 70 participants including members of the diplomatic community, UN agencies, civil society, and members of the Haitian community. Among co-sponsoring NGOs, there were several CCIG members including APG XXIII, Company of the daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, Dominicans for Justice and Peace, IIMA and VIDES.

In recent years, Haiti has experienced a resurgence of violence by armed militia and gangs, leaving the vast majority of schools in the metropolitan region of Port-au-Prince damaged, unsafe, and non-functional. The goal of the side event was to raise awareness about the state of schools in Haiti and advocate for measures to address the education crisis.

The event brought together a panel of six experts on Haiti and Catholic education to provide an overview of the situation, raise ongoing challenges, and produce a list of recommended actions to be taken at the local and international levels to improve access to education in the country. Among the recommendations made were the promotion of human rights education and civic education, the development of sensitization campaigns on violence, the promotion of a comprehensive security policy to address violence in the country, and the mobilization of international solidarity and expertise.

Overall, the side event not only provided an opportunity for learning and awareness raising, but also brought together a large audience for discussion and knowledge sharing, generating ideas for future action to protect the right to education.

The video recording of the event can be watched here.