Posts Tagged ‘Advocacy’
May 27, 2017
ISHR‘s Human Rights Defenders Advocacy Programme begins on Monday 29 May, with 17 human rights defenders from around the globe travelling to Geneva to learn about strategic engagement with the UN mechanisms.
The programme equips defenders with the knowledge and skills to make strategic use of the international human rights system. It also provides an opportunity for participants to directly engage in lobbying and advocacy activities at the UN level to effect change on the ground back home. ISHR’s Training and Advocacy Support Manager, Helen Nolan, explains that this year’s HRDAP participants were selected from a pool of 380 applicants – the highest number yet.
‘We’re incredibly excited to be collaborating with 17 committed human rights defenders working on women’s rights, business and human rights, the rights of LGBTI persons, and human rights defender protection,’ said Nolan. ‘These defenders are travelling from around the globe – including Argentina, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ecuador, Egypt, Fiji, India, Nigeria, Peru, Russia and Sierra Leone – to spend two highly intense weeks gaining practical advocacy experience in Geneva.’
HRDAP coincides with the 35th Session of the Human Rights Council, and well as receiving training modules on all the UN human rights mechanisms from a range of experts, participants will have the opportunity to build networks in Geneva and around the world, carry out lobbying of UN member States and UN staff, and learn from peers from a range of regions working on a range of human rights issues.
‘Crucially, we know the programme works,’ said Nolan. ‘Last year, 100% of our participants were either very satisfied or satisfied with the programme, with 96% of them having at least partially achieved their key advocacy and learning objectives.’ In 2016, HRDAP enabled:
- corporate accountability activist Alexandra Montgomery to provide frst hand testimony to state representatives and experts about the violence faced by land rights defenders in Brazil
- Tehmina Zafar to sound the alarm in the UN Human Rights Council about proposed laws which could dramatically restrict the operation and independence of NGOs in Pakistan
- Karen Mejía to inform a UN expert body about the need to defend women’s rights activists and decriminalise abortion in Honduras.
- several participants to contribute substantially to the historic campaign to appoint the first ever UN expert on LGBTI rights
https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2016/11/12/ishr-2017-training-course-for-human-rights-defenders-now-open-for-applications/
http://www.ishr.ch/news/supporting-defenders-ishrs-human-rights-defender-advocacy-programme-kicks
Posted in Human Rights Council, Human Rights Defenders, ISHR | 3 Comments »
Tags: Advocacy, Geneva, Human Rights Defenders Advocacy Programme, International Service for Human Rights, ISHR, lobbying, training courses, UN Human Rights Council
March 30, 2015
After the successes of the first course in December 2014, Justice and Peace Netherlands will host the second edition of the The Hague Training Course for Human Rights Defenders on Security from 16-25 June 2015.
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20 Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) from around the world will be invited to The Hague where Justice and Peace will facilitate the strengthening of their knowledge and skills on security issues and the building of their international networks. This training aims to reduce the vulnerabilities of the participants, thereby improving their security as well as the security of their families and the organisations they work for in their home countries.
The themes of the course include:
- physical and digital security,
- international guidelines and protection mechanisms,
- functioning of the International Criminal Court (including a visit),
- social media activism,
- advocacy and policy influencing, and
- working within repressive regimes.
Justice and Peace will also conduct a ‘Training of Trainers’ and a network event which will enable the HRDs to develop 1-to-1 relationships with parliamentarians, lawyers, journalists and scientists who might be able to advocate and support their cause in the future.
Entry requirements:
- The participants should work as a Human Rights Defender (HRD) and work for a human rights organisation or an organisation promoting peace or social justice.
- The HRD should implement a non-violent approach in his or her work.
- The HRD should have adequate skills to communicate in English.
- The HRD will organise a training for at least 5 colleagues and/or partners to share the knowledge that was gained during the training within three months of the ‘The Hague Training Course.’
Online application form here or go to justiceandpeace.nl and follow the links to the THTC page. Deadline: 13 April 2015.
via Call for Applications The Hague Training Course for Human Rights Defenders on Security now OPEN!.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | 1 Comment »
Tags: Advocacy, digital security, Hague Training Course for Human Rights Defenders, Human Rights Defenders, International Criminal Court, Justice and Peace Netherlands, NGOs, physical security, security, social media, the Hague, training course
January 30, 2015
Under the title “Home and abroad: balancing Brazil’s human rights commitments”, Muriel Asseraf – in Open Democracy of 22 january 2015 – has written an interesting piece highlighting the role of the major NGO Conectas, whose strategy is based on “the conviction that human rights defenders and their organizations in the global south hold the key to an international order more diverse and committed to the respect of human rights”. A good read for the weekend! Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Advocacy, Brazil, BRICS, Conectas, emerging democracies, Human Rights Defenders, international solidarity, Muriel Asseraf, national ngos, Open Democracy
December 19, 2014
On 19 December 2014, Naomi Sharang wrote a long piece in the Nigerian Observer (News agency of Nigeria – NAN). After a short general introduction, the author zooms in on the Nigerian situation and the role of human rights defenders, interviewing a NGO representative as well as someone from the Nigerian Human Rights Commission (NHRC). Here follow the main excerpts: Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: access to justice, Advocacy, Aver Gavar, compensation, Emmanuel Onwubiko, Human Rights Defenders, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), internally displaced, Naomi Sharang, National Human Rights Commission, News agency of Nigeria, Nigeria, rape, rights of women, terrorism
September 3, 2014
Yvette Alberdingk Thijm, the Executive Director of WITNESS, posted an important piece in the Huffington Post of 2 September on how to make sure that the increase in human rights videos uploaded to Witness (and the same for other NGOs) make a real difference. After citing several examples of such footage of violence, conflict, and human rights abuses, she reflects as follows: “When I watch these videos with such potential to transform human rights advocacy, I am concerned about the gaps and the lost opportunities: the videos that cannot be authenticated; the stories that will be denied or thrown out of court — or worse, will never reach their intended audience; a survivor’s account lost in a visual sea of citizen media. Mostly, I worry about the safety of the person who filmed, about her privacy and security.”
…….
“When WITNESS was created, we talked about the power of video to “open the eyes of the world to human rights violations.” Today, our collective eyes have been opened to many of the conflicts and abuses that are going on around us. This creates, for all of us, a responsibility to engage. I am deeply convinced that citizen documentation has the power to transform human rights advocacy, change behaviors, and increase accountability. But let’s make sure that all of us filming have the right tools and capabilities, and that we apply and share the lessons we are learning from citizen witnesses around the world, so that more people filming truly equals more rights.”
How Do We Ensure That More People Using Video Equals More Rights? | Yvette Alberdingk Thijm.
Posted in films, human rights, Human Rights Defenders, Witness | 2 Comments »
Tags: Advocacy, archiving video, evidence, Huffington Post, Human Rights Defenders, human rights films, human rights news, human rights violations, images, protection, video, Witness (human rights group), Yvette Alberdingk Thijm
March 25, 2014
Protection International [PI] is recruiting an Advocacy Officer. The Advocacy Officer is part of a team of three, with a Media Production Officer and an Outreach and Communication Officer, and works from PI’s head office in Brussels with occasional overseas travel. PI uses advocacy, alongside research and capacity building, to achieve a three-fold mission: empower HRDs to protect themselves, bring authorities to fulfil their duty to protect and to make stakeholders do more and better for the protection of HRD.
The Advocacy Officer:
- supports PI’s field presence in bringing change where we operate: identification of issues, opportunities and elaboration, capacity building and implementation of influencing strategies
- analyses relevant developments and dynamics in the international context and elaborates the corresponding lobbying agenda for PI
- makes PI’s work and impact visible for selected audiences
Qualifications
- University degree in international relations, journalism, law, social sciences, or related studies
- Minimum three years of relevant experience in crafting and implementing influencing strategies in the field of human rights; specific experience in the field of the protection of human rights defenders is highly desirable.
- Experience living and working in Asia, Africa and/or Latin-America is advantageous
- Ability to travel to other European countries and overseas, several times a year
- Fluency in English is required. Fluency in Spanish, French, Arabic and Russian are assets
- Knowledge of UN, European, Inter-American, Asian and/or African intergovernmental protection systems is an asset
It concerns a one-year, renewable contract with a four months’ probation period, governed by Belgian law. 30 hrs/week under flexible arrangement. Minimal relocation package. The applicant will need to obtain a Belgian work-permit. To apply send your résumé, cover letter and names and contact details of 3 references by 6 April 2014 to the following email: recruitment[at]protectioninternational.org, making mention of ‘Advocacy Officer’ in the subject line.
via Protection International PI is recruiting an Advocacy Officer Brussels, Belgium, 30hrs/week.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders, Protection International | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Advocacy, Brussels, communication officer, job opportunity, PI, Protection International, recruitment, vacancy
November 11, 2013
Tactical Technology Collective and the New Tactics community start their on-line conversation on Visualizing Information for Advocacy as from today November 11, until 15 November. People around the world are using digital tools and visualization techniques to expose injustice and abuse, creating narratives to challenge the status quo and mobilizing for action. In the words of the organisers: Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in films, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Advocacy, creative commons, digital security, Facilitator, films, images, Knowledge Management, New Tactics, on-line conversations, Open Knowledge Foundation, Tactical Technology collective, training, video, visualization techniques, Visualizing
October 22, 2013
Stockholm-based Civil Rights Defenders is organising a five-day working conference in Przno, Montenegro, from the 22 – 27 October. The conference is entitled “Empowering people – ideas worth spreading“ and will gather human rights activists from Albania, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. The goal of the conference is to increase the participants’ capacities in using new media and technology as well as art in their advocacy work.
“We want to truly empower activists in using new media and technology in their work as well as giving them the tools to be more effective. New media and social networks are used everywhere and therefore our advocacy efforts must follow the trend. Art is also a well-known tool for sending a powerful message and engage people in a debate. During the conference, the participants will share ideas, create new projects and be given a „communications upgrade“ to create online and offline communities, thus making them part of the human rights advocacy network“, said Goran Miletic, Programme Director for the Western Balkans at Civil Rights Defenders.
Through intensive training and workshops, 40 activists from the Western Balkans will learn how to use new media, create communication strategies, learn about video production and theatre as well as civic journalism in advocacy. The participants will exchange ideas and create new ones at the conference, which will provide the foundation for future joint efforts and regional partnerships.
Civil Rights Defenders – New media and art as tools for human rights advocacy.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: Advocacy, albania, art, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Civil Rights Defenders, films, human rights activists, Human rights defender, Human Rights Defenders, information technology, Kosovo, Montenegro, social media, training course, western balkans
October 14, 2013
You can Join the Center for Story-based Strategy CSS and the New Tactics community for an online conversation on Change the Story: Harnessing the power of narrative for social change from October 14 to 18.
People and communities use stories to understand the world and our place in it. These stories are embedded with power – the power to explain and justify the status quo as well as the power to make change imaginable and urgent. …This conversation is an opportunity for human rights defenders to learn more about story-based strategy and how to integrate it into campaign planning. This is also an opportunity for those practitioners using story-based strategy to share their experiences, questions, and ideas with each other. Practitioners to lead this conversation are:
Danielle Coates-Connor, Conversation Facilitator of the Center for Story-based Strategy
Nathan Schneider of Waging Nonviolence
Soriano of Lionswrite Communications
Kathleen Pequeño of the Progressive Communicators Network
Nadia Khastaqir of the Design Action Collective
Kristi Rendahl of the Center for Victims of Torture
Lama Sangye and Justin Von Bujdoss of the New York Tsurphu Goshir Dharma Center
Chris Cavanagh of the Catalyst Centre
Dr. Cara Lisa Berg Powers of Press Pass TV
Laura Revels, Digital Storytelling Trainer
Shreya Atrey, practitioner.
September’s Conversation on Media Tactics for Social Change now has a summary posted and in November there will be a Conversation on Visualizing Information for Advocacy, in partnership with Tactical Technology Collective.
via Join our conversation on the power of narrative, this week!.
Posted in human rights, Human Rights Defenders | Leave a Comment »
Tags: activism, Advocacy, audiovisual communication, conversation, Human Rights Defenders, internet, Mass media, Narrative, New Tactics in Human Rights, New Tactics online, on-line conversations, social change, Tactical Technology collective, television, Visualizing
