Since its inception, the Centre for Democracy and Rule of Law (until 2016 – the Media Law Institute) has been holding certified distance learning courses on the online education platform for journalists, judges, community activists, NGOs and movements, or just for active citizens.

Since 2005, we have held 34 distance learning courses on a variety of topics for journalists, community activists, and other audiences. Over the years, more than 2,000 people have taken distance learning courses offered by CEDEM.

The field of distance learning covers a wide range of media issues, as well as the rights of citizens to access information, the peculiarities of the work of journalists with the courts, etc. In particular, we regularly conduct distance learning courses in media law, copyright, access to public information, interaction between courts and the media.

In 2017, CEDEM lawyers, with the support of the Council of Europe, developed three online courses on access to information based on the Prometeus educational platform in cooperation with the Office of the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights. Each of the courses is aimed at a specific audience, in particular, citizens who do not have special knowledge in the field of access to public information, but want to get it, as well as public activists, journalists, government officials and information managers. Also in 2020, in order to make citizens aware of the rules and features of local elections, CEDEM launched a distance learning course “Local Elections 2020”.

Distance learning is a tool available to a wider range of citizens. Thanks to the online platform, we have the opportunity to attract many more people than in case of offline events. During the course, participants can ask additional questions on the course topics. CEDEM experts advise participants and answer their questions online.