Amman Center for Human Rights Studies (ACHRS)

Amman Center for Human Rights Studies (ACHRS) is an independent, regional, scientific, advocacy center for studies, research and training on issues of human rights and democracy. In pursuit of contributing to the dissemination of a culture of human rights, our work and activities aim at strengthening civil society in Jordan and in the Arab World, and at inducing a change to the general level of awareness and sensibility towards human rights and democracy. The projects carried out by ACHRS mainly concentrate on training for democracy and human rights as they are closely related and highly complementary. Conducting studies and research to serve as an informational basis is a further means to achieve our aims.

Being a young organisation, founded in 1999 and registered in Jordan, the work of ACHRS strongly depends on the knowledge and skills of its staff and volunteers. Currently ACHRS has a personnel staff of 10 and counts 150 actively contributing volunteers.

The Center aims at helping in spreading and strengthening human rights culture in the Arab World. For this sake, the ACHRS is committed to all the criteria which are contained in the provisions of international and regional conventions and declarations on human rights, as issued by the United Nations or by regional, Arab, and Jordanian organizations. The ACHRS seeks to achieve its goals through educational, intellectual, and cultural activities, particularly through studies, research, and seminars. These activities are either organized by ACHRS alone, or in collaboration with other international, Arab and Jordanian organizations, active in the field of human rights. The ACHRS implements scientific and educational programs, such as theoretical and applied research and studies; carries out programs on general awareness and education on human rights; organizes training courses; convenes conferences, seminars, workshops and study sessions; offers consultations, technical and scientific services, and information to students and researchers, interested in human rights issues. The Center also publishes bulletins, reports, and specialized periodicals on human rights. In addition, ACHRS trains target groups of men and women activists from governmental and non-governmental human rights organizations on the skills of dialogue, collective work, critical thinking, and effective communication. In pursuit of its goals, the ACHRS cooperates with local, Arab, and international scientific institutions, whose activities are compatible with ACHRS activities. This cooperation is based on integration, truthfulness and commitment to the principles of the international legitimacy of human rights. Consequently, the ACHRS refrains from carrying out any political or religious activities, nor is it involved in any Jordanian, Arab or international political association which might negatively affect the neutrality or scientific objectivity of its activities.