[hr-education-na] Final call for applications for HREA distance learning courses -- February-May 2005

FINAL CALL FOR APPLICATIONS FOR DISTANCE EDUCATION COURSES

HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCACY
21 February-15 May 2005

THE UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS SYSTEM
23 February-18 May 2005

PROJECT DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT IN THE NGO SECTOR
7 March-29 May 2005


Dear Colleagues,

HREA is calling for applications for the distance learning courses "Human
Rights Advocacy", "The United Nations Human Rights System" and "Project
Development and Management in the NGO Sector", which will be offered from
February-May 2005.

Please note that the registration deadline for the courses is 15 December
2004. Further information about each course can be found below.

Best wishes,

Diana Hughes
Distance Learning Programme, HREA


--------------


HREA Distance Learning Course 2E05:
HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCACY
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/assignments 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.

A more detailed course description, further logistical information, and
application forms can be found at: http://www.hrea.org/courses/2E.html


---------


HREA Distance Learning Course 10E05:
THE UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS SYSTEM
23 February-18 May 2005
Instructor: Dr. Gerd Oberleitner

This will be the first-ever "real-time" distance learning course on the
United Nations (UN) human rights system. The aim of the course is to
provide information on the UN human rights system by looking at the work
and outcome of the UN Commission on Human Rights. The course is scheduled
parallel to the 61st session of the Commission in March-April 2005. By
making extensive use of the Commission's website -- which contains legal
documents, press releases, and audio and video files on the session, and
is updated daily -- course participants will be able to learn about the
UN's human rights activities as they present themselves to the world: in
real-time, with immediate access to the original material, live and uncut,
and with all the dramatic twists and turns a session of the Commission
offers. The course will expose students to the real world of human rights
in the making and offer them a glimpse into the world of human rights
diplomacy on the highest possible level. An experienced course instructor
will guide the participants through the Commission's session so as to
ensure a learning experience on a high academic level.

The course will provide a brief introduction to the UN human rights
system, the core UN human rights standards and supervisory machineries,
the charter- and treaty-based system of human rights protection, the role
of the UN Commission on Human Rights, the Subcommission on the Protection
and Promotion of Human Rights, ECOSOC, General Assembly and Security
Council.  Special focus will be put on the history, mandate and
composition of the Commission, its legal and political characteristics,
and the role of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
This will enable students to follow the deliberations of the Commission
and understand the events as they unfold. Relevant on-line teaching
material to this end will be provided.

During the six weeks of the Commission's session, participants will be
asked to follow the meetings of the Commission, focus on specific issues,
read the relevant materials as they appear on the website and as
recommended by the course facilitator (press releases, reports of Special
Rapporteurs, resolutions, statements by dignitaries, etc.), analyse the
performance of the actors and stakeholders in the session, evaluate the
voting procedure, and form their own opinion on the work of the
Commission.  The course is intended to provide participants with the
necessary skills to understand in-depth how multi-lateral human rights
bodies function in their manifold capacity as law-making institutions,
fora for discussions and reflection, and adjucators of states' human
rights performance.  Participants will learn how law, policy and diplomacy
come together and interact in the field of human rights.

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.

A more detailed course description, further logistical information, and
application forms can be found at: http://www.hrea.org/courses/10E.html


-------


HREA Distance Learning Course 6E05:
PROJECT DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT IN THE NGO SECTOR
7 March-29 May 2005
Instructor: Felisa Tibbitts

This course will introduce the basic elements of project development and
management. Step-by-step processes and techniques will be introduced for
the various phases of a project life cycle. The course is intended for
staff of non-governmental organisations who have responsibility for
designing and carrying out a project, but with relatively little
experience. Participants will be assisted in the development of a project
plan that could be submitted to senior management or a funding agency.

The course involves approximately 60 hours of reading, on-line working
groups, interaction with students and instructor/facilitator and
assignments, and is offered over a 12-week period, beginning on 7 March
2004. E-mail will be the main medium for the course, although participants
will need to have periodic access to the Web. 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. It is
also possible to audit the course.

A more detailed course description, further logistical information, and
application forms can be found at: http://www.hrea.org/courses/6E.html


------

ABOUT HREA's DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMME

HREA's Distance Learning Programme (DLP) was initiated in 2000 in response
to an unaddressed need for the continuing education of human rights
professionals and practitioners. The programme builds on HREA's extensive
experience in both the training of professionals (advocates, educators,
development workers) and the use of the new information technologies to
provide resources and to network human rights advocates and educators. By
offering short, practical yet specialised courses via distance learning
barriers that prevent many practitioners from participating in continuing
education -- such as a lack of time and/or lack of funds to participate in
regional or national workshops/trainings -- can be overcome. HREA annually
organises distance learning courses on human rights monitoring; research &
evaluation in the NGO sector; project development and management; use of
information and communication technologies (ICTs) for human rights work;
rights-based programming; and human rights advocacy (in English, Arabic
and Russian). For more information about the DLP, please visit:
http://www.hrea.org/DLP/


ABOUT HREA

Human Rights Education Associates (HREA) is an international
non-governmental organisation that supports human rights learning; the
training of activists and professionals; the development of educational
materials and programming; and community-building through on-line
technologies. HREA works in partnership with education agencies, NGOs,
governments and inter-governmental organisations to implement training
programmes for NGO staff, jurists, teachers, and other professionals
involved in human rights work. Current and past partners include, inter
alia, Amnesty International, Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies,
Council of Europe, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, HURIDOCS, the
Inter-American Institute for Human Rights (IIDH), the Office of the UN
High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Open Society Institute and UNESCO.
HREA is a registered non-profit organisation in Morocco, the Netherlands
and the USA. More information on HREA can be found at: http://www.hrea.org




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