CALL FOR APPLICATIONS FOR DISTANCE EDUCATION COURSES ORGANISED BY HREA "Research and Evaluation in the Human Rights Field" (7 January-5 April 2002) and "Human Rights Advocacy" (4 February-3 May 2002) ***PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE. ALL CORRESPONDENCE SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO: <applications@hrea.org> OR +1 617 249-0278 (FAX) Dear Global HRE List members, Please find below the announcement of two distance education courses that HREA will organise during January-May 2002. The courses are part of a pilot project in which six courses will be developed and offered to human rights activists and NGO staff via distance learning mechanisms. The project is generously supported by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Constitutional and Legal Policy Institute (COLPI). Participation is free of charge. Further details can be found in the announcement and application form. Please note that the number of participants is limited to 25 for each course. DEADLINE OF APPLICATION: 7 NOVEMBER 2001. Best regards, Frank Elbers Director of Distancelearning Programmes, HREA ****************************************** DISTANCE EDUCATION COURSES "RESEARCH AND EVALUATION IN THE HUMAN RIGHTS FIELD" (7 JANUARY-5 APRIL 2002) "HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCACY" (4 FEBRUARY-3 MAY 2002) Organised by Human Rights Education Associates (HREA) with financial support from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Constitutional Legal Policy Institute (COLPI). ABOUT HREA ******************** Human Rights Education Associates (HREA) is an a-political, non-governmental organisation whose main mission is to support efforts aimed at introducing human rights concepts and values into educational curricula and teaching practices. HREA is dedicated to quality education and training to promote understanding, attitudes and actions to protect human rights, and to foster the development of peaceable, free and just communities. HREA works in partnership with education agencies, NGOs, governments and inter-governmental organisations to implement training programmes for teachers, NGO staff, jurists and other professionals involved in human rights work. Current and past partners include, inter alia, the Constitutional Legal Policy Institute (COLPI), Council of Europe, Croatian Ministry of Education, HURIDOCS, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and UNESCO. HREA is registered as a non-profit organisation in the Netherlands and the USA. More information on HREA can be found at: http://www.hrea.org. DISTANCE EDUCATION COURSES ******************************************* HREA intends to offer short, specialised courses for human rights workers via distance education. In the next two years HREA will offer six courses as part of a pilot project to develop a distance learning institute for human rights professionals. With the generous financial support from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Constitutional Legal Policy Institute (COLPI), HREA is able to offer these pilot courses free of charge. The first two courses that will be organised are: * Evaluation and Research in the Human Rights Field (7 January-5 April 2002) Instructor/facilitator: Felisa Tibbitts, Director HREA * Human Rights Advocacy (4 February-3 May 2002) Instructor/facilitator: Yonko Grozev, Vice Chairman Bulgarian Helsinki Committee Other courses that will be offered in 2002 and 2003 are: The Basics of Training; New Developments in International Human Rights Law; Programme Development; Conflict Mediation & Transformation; and Human Rights Advocacy (in Russian). The course topics were determined on the basis of a global survey administered in December 2000 to which over 1,000 human rights activists and educators responded. GOALS/OBJECTIVES **************************** Human rights workers often find themselves leading departments or organisations, when they have had no special training in management or project administration. Staff members of human rights organisations are hard pressed to stay current on special topics in the human rights field. In general, there is little formal training that can prepare human rights workers for the practical challenges they face in their work. This is also a dilemma faced by managers of non-governmental organisations worldwide. Currently, many one-week or multi-week summer courses and trainings are available for human rights workers. However, existing courses usually focus on the various systems of human rights protection. Many other practical and specialised human rights topics are unaddressed. Moreover, such international summer courses require extended travel and significant funds from participants, thus limiting participation in the courses to the fortunate few. Offering human rights professionals short, specialised courses via the Internet should overcome some of the barriers that prevent many from participating in continuing education such as a lack of time and/or lack of funds to travel to regional or national workshops/trainings. Overall goal is to strengthen the capacity of human rights NGOs. LEARNING MODEL ************************* The courses encompass a total of 60 hours of reading, on-line working groups, interaction with students and instructors/facilitators and assignments, and will be offered over a three-month period. Instructors are highly experienced practitioners from human rights organisations from around the world. E-mail will be the main medium for the courses. The courses are based on a participatory, active learning approach, with an emphasis on peer-to-peer learning. The courses are non-academic, although it is expected that participants will have (advanced) degrees in certain fields before they became practitioners. The courses are part of a pilot project to explore the the possibilities of distance education for human rights professionals; they are currently not accredited. COURSE CONTENT ************************** COURSE 1E: RESEARCH AND EVALUATION IN THE HUMAN RIGHTS FIELD Human rights activists and educators will be introduced to the fundamentals of research design, qualitative and quantitative methods, data collection and applications for improving programming. Learners will participate in exercises to develop basic research skills, analyse research studies, and will practise designing a research or evaluation project. Course participants will also become better "consumers" of such studies. Participants are encouraged to come to the course with a research or evaluation project idea that can be developed within the course. Course outline ------- Week 1. Introduction of participants, logistics and familiarising with technology Week 2. Introduction to research purposes and application in the human rights field Week 3. Overview of research methods Week 4. Analysis of cases Week 5. Survey design Week 6. Statistical and quantitative measurement Week 7. Observations and the use of artifacts Week 8. Interviewing process Week 9. Qualitative analysis Week 10. Research/instrument design Week 11. Presenting research results Week 12. Managing the research/evaluation process Final assignments due by Week 15. ------- COURSE 2E: HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCACY Human rights activists will be introduced to proven methods of advocating human rights at the local, national, regional and international levels. Students will become equipped with the skills and tools to design and implement effective advocacy campaigns. Participants are expected to come to the course with ideas about advocacy projects that they would like to implement with their organisation. In addition to the required reading, interim and final assignments and group discussions, there will be presentations by representatives of international and regional human rights organisations (e.g. Amnesty International, International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights). Course outline ----------- Week 1. Introduction of participants, logistics and familiarising with technology Week 2. Introduction to approaches to and methods of advocacy Week 3. Identifying policy issues and selecting an advocacy objective Week 4. Developing and delivering advocacy messages Week 5. Building alliances Week 6. Effective presentations and means of dissemination; designing a campaign Week 7. Case study 1: using international fora and mechanisms Week 8. Continuation case study 1 Week 9. Case study 2: advocacy in a national context Week 10. Continuation case study 2 Week 11. Presentation of cases by participants Week 12. Presentation of cases by participants Final assignments due by Week 15. ABOUT THE INSTRUCTORS/FACILITATORS **************************************************** Felisa Tibbitts -- is Director of Human Rights Education Associates (HREA). Ms. Tibbitts has Master's degrees from Harvard University in Public Policy and in Education with a specialisation in research methods. She has worked as an evaluator and researcher in the United States, Europe and Asia since 1989, where she has been involved in classroom-based research, needs assessment, programme evaluation, training and workshop evaluation, and assessment design. Ms. Tibbitts' clients have included the Ford Foundation, the National Science Foundation, the Annenberg Foundation, the University of Maryland and SIDA. She has published extensively, and contributed to several evaluation guides, including "Evaluation in the Human Rights Education Field: Getting Started" (1997, second edition is forthcoming in 2002). Yonko Grozev -- is Vice Chairman and Head of the Legal Department of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, a member organisation of the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF). Mr. Grozev studied law at Sofia University, which he graduated in 1991 and at Harvard Law School, where he graduated an LL.M programme in 1995. He has been a member of the Sofia Bar Association since 1993. Since 1995 he is also a guest lecturer at Sofia University, where he teaches a class on International Human Rights Law. He has participated as a trainer in human rights training programmes for practicing lawyers in Bulgaria, Georgia, the Netherlands, Russia and Ukraine. Mr. Grozev is actively engaged in human rights litigation, both in Bulgaria and before the European Court of Human Rights. Mr. Grozev had published academic and press articles on freedom of expression, criminal justice, privacy, police and human rights. WHO SHOULD APPLY ****************************** The courses are intended for staff members of human rights/social justice organisations. Participants should have a good written command of English (any proof, e.g. certificate, diploma of English language proficiency should be enclosed with the application) and have high competence and comfort with computer and Internet use. The number of participants is limited to 25 per course. HREA aims to ensure equal gender and geographical distribution across the selected participants. Participants are requested to send: - a copy of their CV (2-3 pages) - a completed Application Form (see below) - two letters of recommendation - a cover letter stating their motivation for participating and personal goals in the course The application has to be submitted no later than Wednesday, 7 November 2001. Applications can be sent either via e-mail (applications@hrea.org) or fax (+1 617 249-0278). All decisions on applications will be made by HREA's International Advisory Committee. Applicants who have been selected will be notified by 21 December 2001. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- APPLICATION FORM ************************** (This form can also be downloaded in Word format from: http://www.hrea.org/courses/application-oct-2001.doc) Please indicate which course you are applying for (by putting an X in front of the course name): [ ] Research and Evaluation in the Human Rights Field (7 January-5 April 2002; instructor: Felisa Tibbitts, HREA) [ ] Human Rights Advocacy (4 February-3 May 2002; instructor: Yonko Grozev, Bulgarian Helsinki Committee) --------- Last name(s): First name(s): Name of organisation: Position within organisation: Full address of the organisation (incl. e-mail address): Date of birth: Present citizenship: Permanent address: Street: City: Province/State: Country: E-mail: Fax: Telephone: ------------------------------------ Also include with this application the following documents (incomplete applications will not be taken into consideration): * CURRICULUM VITAE (maximum three pages): listing your education (degrees, etc.); your work experience (organisations you work(ed) for, projects you were involved in); and, if applicable, a list of publications. * LETTER OF INTENT (a minimum of two pages, maximum of three pages): 1. Briefly describe your work and your position and responsibilities within your organisation. 2. Explain why you want to acquire further skills in research & evaluation or human rights advocacy. 3. Explain how you think you will apply the acquired skills and knowledge of this course in your work. 4. Describe what experience, qualities and skills you will contribute as an active participant of the course. * TWO SIGNED LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION. Two signed letters of recommendation should accompany the application and should comment on your professional experiences, capabilities and interests as these relate to the course. One letter should come from the Director or Chair of your organisation and clearly state your position and responsibilities. The second letter should come from someone outside the organisation who is familiar with your work. Both letters should include contact information. * ANY TRANSCRIPTS, DIPLOMAS OR CERTIFICATES THAT INDICATE YOUR PROFICIENCY IN ENGLISH. ************************************************************************* Deadline of application: 7 November 2001. All applications should be sent to <applications@hrea.org> (e-mail) or +1 617 249-0278 (fax). ************************************************************************* ======== Global Human Rights Education listserv ======== Send mail intended for the list to <hr-education@hrea.org>. Archives of the list can be found at: http://www.hrea.org/lists/hr-education/ If you have problems (un)subscribing, contact <owner-hr-education@hrea.org>. **You are welcome to reprint, copy, archive, quote or re-post this item, but please retain the original and listserv source.
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