[psych-hr] Policy recommendations emerging from IPEDEHP discussion

Dear Friends,

I am back from Costa Rica, had a wonderful opportunity to work with
Elizabeth Lira, and realize that perhaps many of you have been out of touch
too.

So, I am giving you a shorter version of the comments I made on policy
recommendations emerging from the IPEDEHP discussion.

On August 20th, we'll be talking about our work in progress at APA and I
would like to present some draft policy recommendations to the group
gathered there for discussion.  So, please take a look at the ones I
gathered from our discussions and give me any "red flags" that you
see--things I say that concern you.  I will present these as my own
personal thoughts, of course, but it would help a lot if you could take a
look at them.

Please send any comments you might have to the Listserv, preferably as a
reply to this e-mail.

So,  here goes:

1)  Human Rights Education can be made more effective through the skilled
use of interactive, personal experience-based techniques and materials that
allow the participant to discover their own human rights.  THEREFORE,
training in how to use those techniques should be provided, with ongoing
supervision and back-stopping included in the training protocol.  

2)  Inherent in a successful human rights education campaign is a solid 
community  network that is supportive of the individuals participating in
the process and is ready to back them up when they try to put some of their
learning into practice. THEREFORE, the process of establishing and running
such a campaign should include plans for developing, fostering and
maintaining such networks as are appropriate to the situation.

3)  In addition to the fostering of networks in general, there seems to be
great value in the process of providing ongoing individualized support for
participants, once they have finished the original training. THEREFORE, a
mentoring system should be included in the overall design of a human rights
education campaign.

4)  The provision of materials and skills in the IPEDEHP workshop which 
people can take home with them and put to use immediately with their
families and friends seems to be a key to empowering participants to use
their knowledge in their communities. THEREFORE, human rights education
campaigns should ensure that they have doable, effective activities that
participants can take home with them and use immediately.

5)  The role of the affective experience, telling of the story, expression
of feeling, through a number of different media (words, song, art, drama,
etc.) seems key to the success rate experienced by IPEDEHP in a healing 
process that empowers people in their lives. THEREFORE, such
community-based, interactive programs should be promoted by psychologists
and other mental health professionals as constructive approaches to
building cultures of peace.

All the best, Anne

Anne Anderson
National Coordinator
Psychologists for Social Responsibility
2607 Connecticut Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20008
(202) 745-7084
(202) 745-0051 fax