As part of the implementation of its Legal Empowerment Program (LEP), APAP published how-to manuals with the aim of acquainting legal and moral-duty bearers with the guiding principles of the International Covenant for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights—in particular, the rights to food, health, education and housing and how they could be upheld and realized.

The manuals were prepared in Amharic, in two separate copies. One of them is meant exclusively for government officials and CSOs engaged in ensuring the respect of the said rights, whereas the other is meant for CBOs that need to know about the nature and essence of the rights and how they could apply them in their day-to-day activities. The manuals are prepared in simple Amharic, with pictorial reviews and exemplary cases from other countries. Having gotten them published, APAP held half-day launching workshops in all the areas where it operates to acquaint the end users with the manuals. The workshops were, of course, attended by the representatives of the various idirs, youth and women’s associations as well as the officials of the government agencies and CSOs engaged in activities that have to do with food, health, education and housing. The participants of the launching workshops ranged from around 100 in Addis Ababa to about 50 in the other areas where APAP operates. The launching of the manuals began with the workshop held in Addis Ababa on May 20, 2008 and ended in Awassa on June 06, 2008.

A number of the participants of the workshops told APAP’s staffs that they were delighted that the manuals were finally out and gave them their pledge to put them to proper use.