Human Rights Education Associates

HREA Advocacy Institute 2016

Location: Nairobi (Kenya)
Date: 2-5 August 2016
Registration is closed

Aims of the HREA Advocacy Institute

The HREA Advocacy Institute is an annual advanced training program for human rights practitioners seeking to increase their skills and gain a practical understanding of participatory advocacy methods and tools. Participants come from across the globe and include staff members of NGOs and inter-governmental organizations, academics, educators and activists.

Hear more about the Institute from 2014 participant Gisa Dang (China/Germany):

Programme overview and methodology

The HREA Advocacy Institute consists of a series of intensive workshops on advocacy planning and implementation for human rights work. The training is based on a participatory, active learning approach and has an emphasis on peer-to-peer learning.

Workshops are held at the campus in Nairobi from 09h00-15h30 each day. In the afternoons and evenings, participants have the opportunity to meet with advocacy and program staff of local NGOs and universities and attend the evening program.

Programme format

09h00- 15h30 Advocacy training – Intensive workshops with Advocacy Institute trainers and resource persons on campus
Day 1: Key concepts of advocacy; links to politics, power, democracy and citizenship
Day 2: Case studies; challenges and possibilities of power; visions of change; the global context; introduction to planning
Day 3: Problem definitions and analysis; contextual analysis; strategy development
Day 4: Message development and delivery; use of social media; coalition building
16h00- 18h00 Off-campus visits – Meetings with advocacy and program staff of local NGOs in Nairobi 
20h00- 22h00 Evening program – Screening of human rights films; social program and networking opportunities; closing ceremony and reception

Please note that this is a tentative schedule. A final agenda will be available closer to the date of the training and will reflect the specific needs and experiences of the participants. Please click here to see the 2015 Advocacy Institute program.

The Advocacy Institute is intended for professionals seeking to increase their skills and gain a practical understanding of participatory advocacy methods and tools to reflect on and strengthen their work. Participants include staff members of NGOs and inter-governmental organizations, academics, educators and activists.

Advocacy Institute lead trainer

Valerie Miller has worked in advocacy, international development, gender, and human rights for more than thirty years. She has collaborated with grassroots organizations, NGOs, and international agencies in many capacities — as an organizer, trainer, advocate, evaluator, and researcher. Over the past thirty 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 organizations 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 has published numerous articles and books on issues of advocacy, development, education, and politics.

Participant profile

Human rights educators, activists and practitioners including staff of human rights, social justice, international development, and intergovernmental organizations are encouraged to apply.

2014 Advocacy Institute participants
Participants of the 2014 Advocacy Institute

Registration

Tuition cost: US$ 975 (non-residential). Early bird registration rate: US$ 775 (if payment is received by 1 February 2016). Tuition includes the 4-day training program, lunches and coffee breaks, a training pack with hard copies of the training materials, access to the 2016 Advocacy Institute virtual learning space, a course certificate upon successful completion of the program, and a reception on the final evening of the HREA Advocacy Institute.

The Advocacy Institute is limited to 30 participants; participants are accepted on a first-come-first-served basis and payment is due at the time of registration. Registration and payment does not include accommodation. Participants are expected to arrange their own accommodation as well as their own travel insurance and visas (as relevant) for travel to the U.S.

Registration is closed.

In 2016, a limited number of scholarships will be awarded to human rights defenders from low-income countries. Please refer to the Application Form HREA Advocacy Institute 2016 for instructions on how to apply. Scholarship funding is limited and will be awarded at HREA’s discretion according to need, merit and availability. Please note that scholarship funding is only available to support tuition costs. Funding is not available to support travel, visa or accommodation costs. For an overview of other possible funding/scholarship opportunities, please visit our scholarship opportunities page. Application deadline for scholarships: 1 February 2016.

Accessibility

HREA seeks to ensure its training programs are fully accessible for persons with disabilities and that everyone is able to participate on an equal basis with others. Please contact the HREA Training Coordinator (advocacy-institute@hrea.org) for additional information.

Accommodation

Participants are responsible for arranging their own accommodation.