New Tactics | Training Tools

Join the ongoing tactical dialogue: Archiving Human Rights for Advocacy, Justice and Memory

Training Tools

New Tactics has developed tools for human rights practitioners to use for their own training activities. Many of these tools have been created for our own trainings that we have carried out with human rights practitioners. You will also find tools here that have been developed by Training for Change. These tools will help you train others on strategic thinking, tactical innovation, and team building.

Some of these tools have been translated. You can also view a full listing of our translated content.

Tool	Type of tool	Description	Download files
Spectrum of Allies			Facilitation Guide - English
Need for New Tactics Article (Bengali)	Articles	An article by Douglas A. Johnson, outlining six reasons why new tactics are needed in human rights work.	Need for New Tactics Article Bangla
הצורך בטקטיקות חדשות	Articles	An article by Douglas A. Johnson, outlining six reasons why new tactics are needed in human rights work.	The Need for New Tactics Article Hebrew
LA NECESIDAD DE NUEVAS TÁCTICAS	Articles	An article by Douglas A. Johnson, outlining six reasons why new tactics are needed in human rights work.	The Need for New Tactics Article Spanish
198 METODU ASAUN NONVIOLENSIA	Articles	Publication from The Albert Einstein Institution.	198 Method of Nonviolent Action Tetum
UPOTREBA ZAJEDNIČKIH VRIJEDNOSTI ZA DIZAJNIRANJE KAMPANJE	Articles	A tool to help you base a campaign on broader societal values.	Myth Reality Value Info Croatian
UJA VALORES KOMUM ATU DEZENIA KAMPANIA RUMA	Articles	A tool to help you base a campaign on broader societal values.	Myth Reality Value Info Tetum
Korištenje taktičke mape	Articles		Tactical Mapping Tool Croatian
Utiliser le ‘schéma tactique’	Articles		Tactical Map Tool French
Un Caso de Estudio	Articles		Tactical Mapping Tool Spanish
STRATEJİK HARİTALAMA YÖNTEMİ	Articles		Tactical Mapping Tool Turkish
Centar za žrtve mučenja – Projekt Nove taktike na području ljudskih prava	Articles		Tactical Mapping Article Croatian
El Centro de Víctimas de Tortura – Nuevas Tácticas en Proyectos de Derechos Humanos.	Articles		Tactical Mapping Article Spanish
Tactical Mapping Article Tetum	Articles		Tactical Mapping Article Tetum
Tactical Mapping Article Turkish	Articles		Tactical Mapping Article Turkish
Tactical Mapping: A Case in Point	Articles & Guides	This is an article that illustrates how the tactical map tool provides a visual understanding of how organizations choose tactics that target different points of intervention. This article uses the issue of torture but the tool can be used for any issue.	English
The Need For New Tactics by D. Johnson	Articles & Guides	An article by Douglas A. Johnson, outlining six reasons why new tactics are needed in human rights work.	Need for New Tactics D. Johnson
The Need for New Tactics	Articles & Guides	A guide with examples of how others have used new tactics effectively in human rights work.	Need for New Tactics Guide
Understanding Strategy and Tactics	Articles & Guides	A guide for thinking about why strategies and tactics are important in your work.	Understanding Strategy Tactics
Developing Creative Tactics and Strategies	Articles & Guides	Sun Tzu believed that in order to achieve success you must know yourself, know your opponent* and know the terrain.*
198 Methods of Nonviolent Action	Articles & Guides	Publication from The Albert Einstein Institution.	198 nonviolent actionmmethods
Creating a Buddy System (by Training for Change)	Articles & Guides	How to set up a buddy system	Creating a Buddy System
Tactical Mapping: a short introduction	Articles & Guides	The Tactical Mapping technique is part of the New Tactics in Human Rights Project, initiated by the Center for Victims of Torture (CVT). Since 1985, CVT has provided care and rehabilitative services to survivors of politically motivated torture from over 60 countries.	Tactical Mapping Article
Tactical Mapping: How Nonprofits Can Identify the Levers of Change	Articles & Guides	An article (8 pages) published in the Nonprofit Quarterly, Summer 2009.	Tactical Map NPQ article
An Overview of Tactical Mapping	Articles & Guides	A more comprehensive history of the tool as well as some detailed examples of its application.	TacticalMapArticle 2008
The Need for New Tactics (Swahili)	Articles & Guides	A guide with examples of how others have used new tactics effectively in human rights work.	The Need for New Tactics Guide (Swahili)
Adapting Tactics: What you should know	Articles & Guides	The information on this page is adapted from the New Tactics in Human Rights: A Resource for Practitioners book found on page 161.
Tactical Mapping	Collections of Resources	A collection of articles and guides for using New Tactics' Tactical Mapping Tool. Tactical Mapping is a method of visualizing the institutions and relationships sustaining human rights abuses, and then tracking the nature and potency of tactics available to affect these systems, ultimately serving as a tool to monitor the implementation of strategy.
Tactics and Tactical Thinking	Collections of Resources	An overview of the need for tactics and tactical thinking in human rights work, and a list of resources for further information.
New Tactics Resources for Educators	Collections of Resources	New Tactics Resources for Educators is a collection of resources for educators interested in integrating New Tactics ideas and information into the classroom. These resources include: articles, guides, group activities, exercises, and classroom modules.
ANIN BO’OT HU’	Exercise	This trust-building and "get to know you" game can be used a few times over the duration of a multi-day workshop. As trust levels increase, the statements can get more risky...	A Big Wind Blows Tetum
VJEŽBA «VELIKA PRAVILA»	Exercise	This quick exercise will allow a group to establish its own set of rules and principles. When self-generated, rules are more likely to be "owned" by the group. If participants do not respect the rules, you can refer back to the list to re-centre behaviour.	Creating Ground Rules Croatian
PRATIKA HAMOSU LEI INTERNU	Exercise	This quick exercise will allow a group to establish its own set of rules and principles. When self-generated, rules are more likely to be "owned" by the group. If participants do not respect the rules, you can refer back to the list to re-centre behaviour.	Creating Ground Rules Tetum
Priče ispod baobaba	Exercise	We will tell stories of our struggles and look at what makes our efforts successful.	Stories under the Baobab Croatian
L'ARBRE À PALABRES	Exercise	We will tell stories of our struggles and look at what makes our efforts successful.	Stories under the Baobab Tetum
Hadulas Blanketa	Exercises	A tool to build trust and learn about group dynamics through a group challenge and a tool that can help define strategy, tactics, and leadership roles.	Flip the Blanket Tetum
AIKNANOIK - REALIDADE – VALORES KOMUM NEBE EZISTI	Exercises	A tool to help you base a campaign on broader societal values.	Myth Reality Value Exercise Tetum
TREINU GALERIA VIZAUN	Exercises	An activity used with "village" groupings (issue-based clusters) to help us envision goals that may feed our strategizing exercises.	Vision Gallery Exercise Tetum
Spectrum of Allies (Training for Change)	Exercises & Group Activities	'Spectrum of Allies' is a tool to examine social forces and groups, spread across the spectrum from those who are the most active supporters to those who are the most dedicated opponents. This tool works well alongside the Tactical Mapping tool.	Facilitation Guide - English
A Big Wind Blows	Exercises & Group Activities	This trust-building and "get to know you" game can be used a few times over the duration of a multi-day workshop. As trust levels increase, the statements can get more risky...	A Big Wind Blows
Creating Ground Rules	Exercises & Group Activities	This quick exercise will allow a group to establish its own set of rules and principles. When self-generated, rules are more likely to be "owned" by the group. If participants do not respect the rules, you can refer back to the list to re-centre behaviour.	Creating Ground Rules
Creating A Tactical Timeline	Exercises & Group Activities	Designed by Nancy Pearson and Philippe Duhamel for the Asia Regional Workshop of the New Tactics Project, August 2005.	Creating a Tactical Timeline
Stories under the Baobab	Exercises & Group Activities	We will tell stories of our struggles and look at what makes our efforts successful.	Stories under the Baobab
Myth, Reality, Value	Exercises & Group Activities	A tool to help you develop your messaging to base a campaign on broader societal values. Origin of this tool: Training for Change	Myth Reality Value Handout
Flip the Blanket	Exercises & Group Activities	A tool to build trust and learn about group dynamics through a group challenge and a tool that can help define strategy, tactics, and leadership roles.	Flipping the Blanket Exercise
Myth, Reality, Value Exercise	Exercises & Group Activities	A tool to help you base a campaign on broader societal values.	Myth Reality Value Exercise
Vision Gallery	Exercises & Group Activities	An activity used with "village" groupings (issue-based clusters) to help us envision goals that may feed our strategizing exercises.	Vision Gallery Exercise
Kreiranje taktičke vremenske skale	Guide	Designed by Nancy Pearson and Philippe Duhamel for the Asia Regional Workshop of the New Tactics Project, August 2005.	Creating a Tactical Timeline Croatian
HAMOSU LINATEMPU TATIKA NINIAN	Guide	Designed by Nancy Pearson and Philippe Duhamel for the Asia Regional Workshop of the New Tactics Project, August 2005.	Creating a Tactical Timeline Tetum
Potreba za Novim taktikama	Guides	A guide with examples of how others have used new tactics effectively in human rights work.	The Need for New Tactics Guide Croatian