12 September 2012 - 27 November 2012

This e-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 mobilisation; lobbying and negotiation; advocacy leadership and coalition building; and assessment of success.

Course outline

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
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. "Open week"
Week 7. Analysis of Political Arenas and Advocacy Strategies; Selection of Policy Hooks and Angles
Week 8. Analysis of Forces, Friends and Foes; Review and Readjustment of Strategies
Week 9. Messages, Reports and Media
Week 10. Public Outreach and Mobilisation
Week 11. Lobbying and Negotiation; Advocacy Leadership and Coalitions

Level: professional

Location: Internet (e-learning course)

Participants: 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.

Tuition, fee, lodging: The course tuition fee is US$ 725 (tuition for auditors is US$ 275). There are no discounted tuition rates or scholarships available for this course. Further information and application form can be found at: www.hrea.org/human-rights-advocacy.

Contact Information:
Sandra Quintin
Distance Learning Programme
HREA
689 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139
USA
Tel: +1 617 301-4379
Fax: +1 617 249-0278
E-mail: applications@hrea.org
Web: http://www.hrea.org