2006 Testimonials - Course 2E: Human Rights Advocacy

"Generally it was beyond my expectations. It was great! It also changed my view on on-line courses, which I have never expected would be effective as such."

"This has been my first online course, after previously rather attending summer schools. I have been pleasantly surprised, while also the inherent limitations of online courses, as I see them, have been vindicated."

"This course created a great opportunity for me to understand and plan advocacy work as well as analyzing the challenges facing it and plans to overcome challenges."

"My expectations were to learn how to analyze and strategize better and how to develop a better advocacy message. I think I learned a lot on all these issues and I am particularly happy with the tools the book and course provided on how to analyze and strategize better. Another expectation was to be able to apply what I learned directly to my area of work, which I think the course met and is still to meet very well."

"Considering the limitations of distance learning, [the course met my expectations] very well indeed."

"[Met my expectations] very well, as I learned a great deal (coming from zero background)."

"I was very happy with the course and I think the active participation of the all really make this distance course work. I learnt useful skills and got many case studies as an example of other's work."

"I thought the course met my expectations and I feel I have a better grasp of advocacy from it."

"Very well, say 75%. It could have been improved by myself if I had given more time to it but that is/was not easy."

"It met my expectations. I expected to learn to make advocacy plans, and this course provided that kind of training. I would however have liked to learn more about how to monitor and evaluate advocacy."

"The course fully met my expectations. I gained a better understanding on how to prepare a human rights advocacy campaign. Although I has a good understanding of many components of advocacy the learning in the course reinforced my knowledge, filled the gaps and ensured that I am more confident in my endeavours to protect human rights."

"My main goal in taking this course was to acquire a broader and more theoretical framework as to what is advocacy work. I wanted to learn if there were certain universal advocacy methods which could be applied in my work. In this sense I think I have learnt about a series of tools and methods which, when the time comes to prepare an advocacy plan, will come very much in handy. I also realized that I was already using some of the tools that were taught during the course without being aware of it."

"I think the course was well paced, but I found it hard to combine with work at time because a lot of field travel and unexpected circumstances at work."

"All relevant to my needs and quite helpful to apply in my work."

"Various parts of the training had special impact, such as the chapter on designing media messages and on friends and foes. They helped me to think about issues clearer and with a more structured approach for a better outcome in the issue at hand."

"The course readings were interesting and I liked the methodology used by the Manual."

"A lot of good and valuable materials which have given me critical perspective on my work and I have found very good tools to apply in my work. I had a bit difficulty with time but I have got the materials available with me which I can refer to during my work. "

"I liked the illustrations and the practical examples for teaching the knowledge to advocacy groups. They made it very easy to comprehend the meaning of the chapter."

"I liked the book very much."

"Again, nice book, and in particular the real- life examples were very helpful, and assisted in putting things in perspective. The illustrations relating to gender were occasionally a bit plain, maybe."

"The amount reading materials, for those who use English as a second language, is very big. In my case I have a full time job and therefore I was struggling with catching up with reading. The reading materials are excellent I did not want to miss anything. Now I am planning to go through them again just make sure that I will not have missed anything. Otherwise, the course was very good. The diverse mix of participants was excellent. I really enjoyed the course."

"Again, I think reading time is related to my working circumstances at the time. I don't think it was too much, but at times it could be because of my workload. It is of course difficult to provide relevant illustrations and examples for all."

"I felt that the course readings didn't help me see how I could create an advocacy plan for child rights…in that I would like to have had more recent and specific examples of what others have done. I felt like I got that information more from the chats and from [course instructor]."

"I felt the discussion boards was very interesting, in particular as a forum for persons with different backgrounds and perspectives to share their views. I found very interesting the regional-perspectives people brought into the course."

"I did not do well on the weekly discussion, it was mainly due to time and a lot of traveling in that duration."

"A pity that not everyone contributed! I don't really have any concrete suggestions. unfortunately (also this being my first online course), but creating a community should receive more thinking."

"These real life people made a difference in my learning experience!"

"The contributions of the other participants were invaluable and it made on-line course to come 'alive'. They also gave lots of useful and educational case studies on work Human rights advocacy works that's done in different countries and in different contexts, too. One learns a lot from other one's mistakes and successes, too."

"I found it was a great feeling to be connected to so many people from all around the world knowing that they are all very passionate about human rights and creating a better living environment for the people they work with. Very inspiring indeed. "

"My impression was that there was not so much of real discussion between the participants. Everyone posted his / her comments and got (very useful) feedback from [name of course instructor], but there wasn't really much discussion as such."

"It was unique opportunity for me to be introduced to different cultural contexts and perspectives, this was mainly due to the diverse mix of the group. Within the same group I was lucky to find people who were working on children rights in other contexts."

"It was sometimes a bit overwhelming to keep up with all contributions, due to their simple numbers. Often the connection with my personal project or my work was not clear, but it always helped me to look at the issue from a different perspective and improved my cross-cultural competence."

"It was very helpful that we were asked to reflect on certain aspects of our work in the written assignments, as this material could then be used for the final paper. To get the final project together was very helpful and I use the document - with only little changes made reflecting some comments of the facilitator for progressing our campaign. Really helpful and great. Without the duty to complete it by a certain time, this would have taken me years to get together. I now consider it as a work in progress and am collating stakeholder feedback to make it even better."

"I found the written assignments as a good opportunity to apply what I have learnt throughout the course and think about a real case."

"I found the personal feedback from the instructor to the written exercises very useful and thorough as it further emphasized and personalized the information contained in the Manual. I also found the weekly instructor messages to be a very good guidance tool which helped to put the course into a current context, by providing concrete examples and reactions to current events. I found the instructor very dedicated and was impressed with her vast experience with she shared with us, her encouragement was also very appreciated."

"Again, [name of course instructor]'s comments were truly elucidating. It feels she took time and effort to provide real, meaningful feedback. Apart from the book, her feedback made the course worthwhile."

"Big compliment and thanks to [name of course instructor]!"

"I simply loved the instructor - I think she made the course for me being so easy get on with, providing lots of advice and comments on the course work and facilitating everyone's needs. Heartfelt thanks for her for all the hard work!"

"Great person, great instructor. This course was my first experience of distance learning. I have always had a direct face to face contact with my instructors, I must say I have really learnt from [course instructor]'s feedback and encouragement much more than the direct instructors. This experience has encouraged me to seek more distance learning opportunities. Good luck to her."

"[Name of course instructor] did a great job. I liked the way how she compared and analysed the outcomes of our weekly assignments. This way she generated a feeling of community between the group. Very supporting and able to relate to me. Thank you!"

"It is very unique to have a very experienced and very responsive instructor. Keep it up!!"

"A great process and I got a lot out of it. Besides putting people into groups of three, people should be encouraged to review and make comments on any other subjects that they find interesting or can relate to. I was very grateful that my wish to review children related projects was accommodated. I learnt a lot through the peer- review and the contact with co-learners."

"Very good selection of the peer-review group. I had a very good feedback on my project from my colleagues in the peer-review. I was able to learn from Bangladesh and Africa experiences and very good questions."

"I am optimistic that it will help me in making workplans. As power mapping etc. was a new concept to me, I expect to benefit from it in many different contexts, also as staff representative within the UN system."

"Having the materials online was very good, including the additional reading material. Having the pictures online of the participants was also useful as it helped put a face on a name."

" Great E-support and great team. Thank you [name of course facilitator/technical support]!"

"Only in one or two occasions I was not able to download the reading materials for that week from the HREA web site, thankfully [name of course facilitator/technical support] immediately sent me the needed documents."

"In September I will organize a 2-day workshop/ strategic planning meeting for JRS project coordinators."

"I think the tools that I will be using the most are the skills learned regarding advocacy planning. Advocacy is a big part of our work and now I have conscience of the different layers of causes, objectives and strategies that have to be researched and developed before embarking on an action, so I count on using the different techniques for this purpose."

"Basically I will start implementing my final project and also planning to improve our advocacy strategy. I am also thinking of organizing training sessions for staff."

"I have been delivering on training on working in a cross-cultural society, as a -part-time business- before starting the course. I currently train new prison officers as part of their induction training for the new job. I insisted in basic Human Rights information to be part of that training and the Department for Corrective Services agreed to that more. My participation in an earlier course on human rights education assured me in demanding the inclusion in the training I provide."

"I've been rereading some of the chapters of the Manual recently as I needed to use them for work as I've realized that now, almost a year after having started work in my NGO, I grasp the contents much more than the first time I read them. I think this is due to the course, but also to having more experience with advocacy, than I did at the time of taking the course. I count on rereading the materials at some point this year as I think this second reading will consolidate the learnings of the course."

"I have already started implementing some of the activities that I mentioned in my developed proposal. For example, I have held a media consultative workshop at which we were discussing ways in which the media can contribute to protect children against violence in the homes but especially in institutions of learning. I also circulated a press release on corporal punishment to print and electronic during the commemoration of the Day of the African Child, whose theme was, 'Right to Protection: Stop Violence against Children.' Excerpts of the press release were read during the respective media houses news bulletins."

"As a part-time Research Officer for an opposition party with the balance of power in a State Parliament I am involved in the design of advocacy campaigns on the introduction of a State Human Rights Act, on anti-nuclear campaigns and in any issues brought to the attention by community members and constituents, alerting the office to systemic issues requiring advocacy, such as a housing development with an environmental hazard, public housing issues, mental health issue and more. This course assists me in keeping my head above the water and considering fundamental issues (such as power relationships" as well as attention to detail."

"Firstly I am a trainer and undertake in-house sessions. Secondly we have used several materials for internal reflection and enhancing programme focus e.g., the Power and Empowerment for our empowerment programme, application of rights based approaches, articulating our vision and mission etc. We have also used the course references on Alliances and Coalitions to facilitate sessions for collective action on forestry, with members of the Uganda Forest Working Group. Environmental Alert is the Secretariat of this loose advocacy coalition."

"SCSD is already doing some advocacy, this course will help me in making it more strategic, structured and planned. Furthermore we are organizing trainings which I can support more."

"I appreciate the work you do and the course materials…I will be taking what I have learned and applying where I can. Thanks!"

"Special thanks to [name of course facilitator] for his continued and timely support for any questions I had."

"It was a great experience and I would like to keep in touch with my alumni colleagues to follow their traces and steps."

"Thanks for hosting this course. It has been a very positive experience, and I would do it again!"