Four Bermudians have been chosen to work alongside counterparts from Switzerland in a human rights research project.

Zarah Siddiqi, Zayne Sinclair, Christopher Jackson and Gabriel Smith will welcome students from Geneva to the island in February before they, in turn, travel to the Swiss city next October.

The initiative stems from a partnership between the Human Rights Education Network — HuRen — which launched this year in Bermuda, and the Geneva Graduate Institute’s Applied Research Projects division.

The Bermudian students were selected after they completed a new human rights course developed by HuRen and delivered through the Bermuda College, which helped to build awareness and advocacy skills among young leaders.

A college spokesman said: “The Geneva-Bermuda baseline research forms part of HuRen’s wider human rights educational programmes, designed to connect local lived experience with global standards and strengthen Bermuda’s long-term rights protections for future generations.”

The four students were nominated by Mirrors, Bermuda Is Love and the National Youth Policy Working Group before they completed interviews with HuRen.

Françoise Palau-Wolffe, the executive director of HuRen, said that the students reflected the programme’s goals, which include providing global context, practical tools and a strong grounding in human rights principles for community-minded young Bermudians.

She added: “Our mission is to empower young people who want to make a difference.

“These four are stepping into global spaces with knowledge, confidence and a commitment to justice.”

The 12-hour course, which was offered through the college’s Athora Division of Professional and Career Education, combined global frameworks, Bermuda-specific examples and live sessions with the Human Rights Commission and Gender Affairs Council to build understanding of rights in everyday life.

Tawana Flood, the director of Apace, said that she was pleased to see the programme already opening international doors, describing the students’ selection for the Geneva collaboration as evidence of Bermuda’s growing pool of human rights talent.

Students praised the programme’s accessibility and impact.

Ms Siddiqi said that the course made human rights “real and meaningful”, and linked Bermuda’s experiences to global movements for dignity, equality and justice.

Speaking about personal growth, Mr Sinclair added that the programme helped him turn frustration into focused purpose, and offered tools to create “real, lasting impact” based in the needs of people and the community.

The HuRen Human Rights Course will be offered by the college again in its upcoming Apace spring term for those aged 17-plus who wish to strengthen and defend human rights.

• For more information about course registration, e-mail apace@college.bm or education@hurenbermuda.org