Profile

Profile

The Centre for the Study of Human Rights (CSHR) is a service oriented, non-profit making institution in the Faculty of Law, University of Colombo, with the twin mandates of education in human rights and research in the subject area. The CSHR is within the university system yet enjoys considerable autonomy, being funded exclusively by foreign donors.

The educational terms of reference of the CSHR are wide in scope, encompassing the university student, the school teacher, the school child, the person at grass root level, the law professional, and the general public. Education connotes familiarizing these target groups with their rights and by extension, the rights of all people; duties, obligations and violation of rights. University students, principally those in the Faculty of Law, University of Colombo, study the subject in depth and offer it as a partially compulsory subject for the Bachelor of Law Degree.

The education projects cover almost the entire island, barring the north, with more areas coming under the preview of the Centre.

The staff, 26 in number, projects a mix of ages, disciplines graduated in, special skills and abilities. They cooperate as a happy group to promote and sustain projects and achieve set goals. Prof. Ravindra Fernando, Acting Director is the Professor of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo.

The CSHR is fully cognizant of the role it has to play in academic and non-academic life; in educating and sensitizing persons to their rights and obligations; to researching and adding to the sum total of knowledge; to disseminating information and also gathering information for the use of those who are clients of its Information Unit.

The CSHR is well recognized as an important institution in the arena of human rights in the country, and to lesser degree, internationally. It has given excellent service, met expectations and increased its effectiveness and influence.

The CSHR moves forward with confidence and commitment, well grounded and firmly rooted, with competence and the determination to surpass its achievements in the years to come.