Course 2A05: Human Rights Advocacy (in Arabic)
9 February - 1 June 2005

Instructor: Abderrahim Sabir

This distance learning course provides human rights activists in the Middle East and North Africa 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; mapping of power; 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 16-week period, beginning on 9 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 maximum number of course participants is 25. Students who successfully complete the course will receive a Certificate of Participation.

About the instructor

Abderrahim Sabir is Senior Programme Associate for North Africa and the Middle East at HREA. He has 15 years experience as a human rights advocate, educator and human rights monitor for organisations like Amnesty International, the Arab Commission for Human Rights and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. He has conducted workshops and developed training materials on advocacy, techniques of monitoring and documentation of human rights violations in Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Sudan and Yemen.

Who should apply

The course is intended for staff members of human rights/social justice organisations in North Africa and the Middle East. Candidates should have a good written command of Arabic 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 US$ 300. Through the generosity of the Open Society Institute scholarships are available for applicants who can demonstrate a financial need. Deadline for applications is 31 December 2004. Selected participants will be notified by 16 January 2005.

Application forms

Application form (in Arabic)