In its efforts to meet its mandate of building an empowered citizenry, the National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE) Public Trust last week engaged skilled artisan community around Biwi Lightweight Industrial Site in Kawale.

The engagement, which had the police in attendance, centered on raising awareness on human and people’s rights in a democratic society.

NICE District Programmes Officer for Lilongwe Urban, Hajira Ali, speaking in an interview away from the venue of the interface meeting, said her organization believes that a workforce equipped with skills for promoting and protecting human rights is key to the development of every sector.

During the interface meeting with the skilled artisan community, a NICE volunteer, Monica Nomonde, took the participants through various rights such as women freedom, economic freedom, the right to access NEEF loans, Access to Information (ATI), among others.

Nomonde also highlighted some of the most common forms of violence occurring in communities.

A representative of the participants, Malani Gondwe, thanked NICE for organizing the meeting, saying the tips were quite crucial in advancing human rights and economic emancipation.

But Gondwe pleaded with NICE to consider inviting officials from the Anti-Corruption Bureau, National Economic Empowerment Fund and other government agencies to such meetings.