Moldova
Non-State Actors and Local Authorities in Development
The International Society for Human Rights - Moldavian Section (ISHR-MS) is an independent non-governmental non-profit public organization set up in 1998. On 12 February 1999, the ISHR-MS was registered with the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Moldova, position No. 0874.
The organization is a national section of the International Society for Human Rights that was founded in 1972 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
The ISHR-MS carries out its activity independently and in compliance with legislation of the Republic of Moldova. At present the ISHR-MS unites 115 members.
The ISHR-MS mission is to promote respect for human rights in democratic society in the Republic of Moldova.
The ISHR-MS defends human rights, using legal means and carrying out activities of promoting greater awareness of human rights, of monitoring the way human rights are ensured, of civic education, of legal consulting and humanitarian actions for socially disadvantaged categories of population.
The organisation's principles are transparency, free access to information and mutual cooperation with all NGOs, state and international organizations, as well as tolerance, which provides equal involvement of everyone; respect for beneficiaries and their human dignity, responsibility for the quality of the assistance rendered; mutual support and professional growth.
The main areas of work of the ISHR-MS are: :
- Support to democratic processes in the Republic of Moldova
- Provision of a coherent package of services for socially excluded individuals and families (detainees and former detainees, unemployed women, children left without parental care)
- Contribution to poverty reduction
- Education (human rights, social reintegration trainings) for different categories of population
- Strengthening capacity and management skills of NGOs, local administrations
The ISHR-MS implemented more than 15 projects, among them "Raising awareness about the International Criminal Court in East European Countries", "Promoting the Implementation of European Standards of Rule of Law, Human Rights and Human Conditions in Places of Detention of the Republic of Moldova", "Strengthening Capacity and Management Skills of Moldovan NGOs", "Strengthening the Reform of the Penal Justice System in Moldova".
To improve the work and performance of Moldovan NGOs and enable them to fully use their potential, training seminars were designed and implemented across Moldova.
The ISHR-MS is the first NGO in Moldova to systematically provide social, psychological and juridical assistance to detainees and former detainees and their families. Individual counselling and group training for prisoners are carried out.
Human rights training for penitentiary personnel was carried out in prisons in the country.
Monitoring of the rights of women prisoners contributed to improvement of their situation.
Humanitarian assistance is provided to children without parental care and orphans.
The organization contributes to the improvement of Moldovan legislation, participates in drafting laws and national human rights plans, maintains direct dialogue with the authorities.
Website of the organization: www.ishr.md