A distance learning course on "Human Rights Advocacy" (21 February - 15 May 2005)

November 12, 2004.

    *** A distance learning course on "Human Rights Advocacy" will be held on 21 February - 15 May 2005.
    
    Instructor: Dr. Valerie Miller
    
    This distance learning course provides human rights activists with a range of proven human rights advocacy methods and critical concepts as a means for them to reflect on and deepen their own work. The course will look at the theoretical foundations and critical issues of human rights advocacy, elements of advocacy planning, and strategies for action.
    
    In this course, participants should deepen their knowledge about advocacy and its relationship to: Politics and Democracy; Citizenship and Rights; Power, Empowerment and Citizen Education and Action. Participants will gain basic skills and knowledge in: visioning; contextual analysis; problem/issue identification; analysis and prioritisation; power mapping; goal/objective setting; analysis of advocacy arenas and strategies; message development, reports and media; public outreach and mobilization; lobbying and negotiation; advocacy leadership and coalition building; and assessment of success.
    
    The course involves approximately 60 hours of reading, on-line working groups, interaction with students and instructors/facilitators and assignments, and is offered over a 12-week period, beginning on 21 February 2005. E-mail will be the main medium for the course, although participants will need to have periodic access to the Web (part of the readings/assignment will be distributed via CD-ROM). The course is based on a participatory, active learning approach, with an emphasis on peer-to-peer learning. Participants will do the required readings, prepare interim and final assignments and participate in group discussions. The main course text will be A New Weave of Power, People, and Politics: An Action Guide for Advocacy and Citizen Participation (World Neighbors, 2002), by Lisa VeneKlaasen and Valerie Miller. The maximum number of course participants is 25. It is also possible to be an auditor of the course. Students who successfully complete the course will receive a Certificate of Participation.
    
    Course outline
    
    Weeks 1-3: Conceptual Foundations and Critical Issues
    
    Week 1. Politics, Advocacy, Democracy, Rights and Citizenship
    Week 2. Power, Empowerment and Citizen Education and Engagement
    Week 3. Advocacy Effectiveness: Factors and Measures of Success
    
    Weeks 4-7: Elements of Advocacy Planning
    
    Week 4. Overview of Planning; Analysis of Political and Social Context
    Week 5. Identification, Analysis and Definition of Problems; Selection of Priority Issues
    Week 6. Analysis of Political Arenas and Advocacy Strategies; Selection of Policy Hooks and Angles
    Week 7. Analysis of Forces, Friends and Foes; Review and Readjustment of Strategies
    
    Weeks 8-12: Doing Advocacy: Strategies for Action
    
    Week 8. "Catch up" week
    Week 9. Messages, Reports and Media
    Week 10. Messages, Reports and Media
    Week 11. Public Outreach and Mobilization
    Week 12. Lobbying and Negotiation; Advocacy Leadership and Coalitions
    
    About the instructor/facilitator
    
    Valerie Miller has worked in advocacy, international development, gender and human rights for more than 30 years. She has collaborated with grassroots organisations, NGOs, and international agencies in many capacities -- as an organiser, trainer, advocate, evaluator, and researcher. Over the past 15 years, she has been policy advocacy director at Oxfam America, director of policy and exchange programs at the Institute for Development Research, and advisor and associate of a wide variety of organisations including the Global Women in Politics Program; Women, Law and Development International; and the Highlander Center. She has taught courses on advocacy under the auspices of the University of Brasilia and New Hampshire University. Dr. Miller holds a doctorate in adult education and she has published numerous articles and books on issues of advocacy, development, education, and politics.
    
    Who should apply
    
    The course is intended for staff members of human rights/social justice organisations. Candidates should have a good written command of English and have high competence and comfort with computer and Internet use. HREA aims to ensure equal gender and geographical distribution across the selected participants.
    
    Costs
    
    The course tuition fee is ? 545 (tuition for auditors is ? 200). A limited number of scholarships is available for applicants from Africa, Middle East, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America/Caribbean.
    
    Application
    
    The deadline for applications is 15 November 2004. Applications received after that day unfortunately cannot be accepted. Successful applicants will be notified by 1 December 2004. Full tuition payment is due on 15 January 2005.
    
    Application forms
    
    http://www.hrea.org/courses/application2E05.doc (in Word)
    http://www.hrea.org/courses/application2E05.pdf (in PDF format)
    Актуально до 15.11.2004
    Контакт Inquiries about the course can be sent to applications@hrea.org
    
    http://www.hrea.org/courses/