Background:The World Health Organisation identifies that “promoting and protecting health and respecting, protecting and fulfilling human rights are inextricably linked” (WHO, 2002). A large and growing population of migrant and refugee communities in Melbourne’s west with experience of human rights violations prompted WHW to develop Our Community, Our Rights (OCOR). OCOR seeks to build the knowledge, skills and confidence of women from disadvantaged population groups – refugees from South Sudan and Burma, and migrants from India (to date) – to understand and assert human rights and other legal protections, and work together towards structural change.

Methods: The workshop will explain OCOR and engage participants in activities to build their skills and confidence to engage with refugee and migrant communities on human rights. It will include: short film exploring the impact of OCOR; activities to enable participants to make links between human rights and social determinants of health; guided exercise in small groups where participants design activities for particular refugee or migrant population groups based on their needs and characteristics; and distribution of ‘how to’ fact sheets.

Results/Discussions:

Extensive evaluation demonstrates OCOR facilitated marked improvements in women’s levels of confidence, skills and knowledge to take action on human rights and undertake advocacy, increased levels of civic participation, and an improved sense of social inclusion. Workshop participants will explore the theoretical basis of OCOR via planned interactive learning activities.  The workshop will facilitate participant learning outcomes of: understanding linkages between human rights and health; and skill development in designing culturally specific, responsive community development activities.

Conclusions/implications: Using skills developed in this workshop, together with the fact sheets, participants will be able to design culturally specific and responsive health promotion projects in a human rights framework.