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Send to friendWorkshops
Participants each chose five of 37 workshops. Everyone was encouraged to attend one Investing in Strategy Building session. These sessions demonstrated how several tactics could be used together in a strategy. Click on an individual workshop below to read more and to view available presentations.
WK 211–Building Effective Human Rights Commissions
Effective human rights commissions successfully meet the challenges of four broad mandates: 1. Maintaining independence from the government; 2. Protecting human rights; 3. Promoting human rights; and 4. Dealing with complaints from individuals. This workshop will present perspectives from four commissions and the tactics they have used to fulfill these mandates.
WK 212–Engaging Free Professional Legal Services for Victims
A major obstacle for victims of human rights abuses is gaining access to legal representation in order to file a complaint against the perpetrator. This workshop will share successful tactics for engaging pro bono, or free, legal services through access to a variety of professional resources.
WK 213–Leveraging the power of money
Money is a powerful agent – for or against change. Following the money trail can provide ideas for how money can be leveraged to create change. Banks – from national banking institutions to the World Bank – as well as shareholders of financial institutions, have the power to withhold investment in corporate or government ventures that violate human rights or agreed mandates for operation.
WK 214 – Mobile Phones: Communicating for Action
Mobile phones have spread quickly as a relatively affordable means of communication worldwide – and as a way of protecting human rights. They make it possible for Amnesty International’s networks to respond even more rapidly to abuses; they help prevent violence in Northern Ireland; and they help caregivers reach torture survivors in Palestine.
WK 215–Police: Training the front line for human rights within law enforcement structures
Law enforcement personnel are one of the most difficult groups to reach regarding human rights. Training law enforcement personnel in human rights and encouraging them to participate in developing that training can overcome resistance, enhance legitimacy and help law enforcement personnel understand the importance and value of human rights–for themselves and the public they serve.
WK 216–Accompaniment for victims as they share stories about abuses
Ensuring the physical, psychological and emotional safety of victims of abuse is essential to helping them tell their stories. Accompaniment, which can take many forms, is one way to do this. Whether in court, in mock tribunals or in informal community settings, when victims tell their stories they can help break the silence surrounding abuses, end impunity for perpetrators and create space for healing and momentum for change.
WK 217–Investing in Strategy Building
Learn about the strategic use of nonviolent tactics and the specific example of Otpor! student movement (resistance in Serbia) against the Milosevic regime. Otpor! was a catalyst in unifying the political opposition and it mobilized the Serbian public when Milosevic attempted to steal the elections in October, 2000.
WK 221–Religious tenets: Changing perceptions on human rights
People gain guidance, strength and consolation from their religious beliefs and practices. Human rights work and efforts can be advanced by creating public space to educate and help people to understand the mandates arising from their own faith tradition to deal with social issues that can be confusing and contentious such as women’s rights, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights, and the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS.
WK 222–Creating community access to justice
Creative adaptations and mechanisms at the community level have helped promote access to rights and justice, provide alternative sentencing models for marginalized populations, prevent torture and ill-treatment and offer a forum for airing human rights grievances.
WK223–Mapping systems: Making complex relationships visible and understandable
A picture – or in this case a map – is worth a thousand words. From maps made with global information system (GIS) technology that identify toxic sites to a map recreating demolished neighborhoods to a map that illustrates interconnected systems supporting the use of torture, these maps can be valuable tools.
WK224–Forensics: A powerful tool for human rights
Forensic science provides indisputable evidence that can be the basis for further investigation or court cases against human rights abusers. In addition, forensics can provide families and communities with information about their loved ones so that they begin the process of closure and healing.
WK 225–Leveraging international mechanisms for local change
When local and national powers are resistant to pressure for change that comes from the local level, international mechanisms can provide the leverage needed. Citizens can access international and regional bodies established to ensure access to human rights standards.
WK 226–Monitoring business practice standards
Businesses are recognizing that adherence to human rights standards is good business practice. Cooperative efforts with and within the business sector have led to creative ways to monitor business practices and uphold standards of practice.
WK 227–Investing in Strategy Building
Examine the strategy used by the Mexican government executive branch to put human rights at the center of foreign policy in order to mobilize international resources for human rights.
WK 311–Training peer counselors
War, catastrophes and epidemics around the world have created a need for services far beyond the capacity of professionals to provide them. By training peer counselors to provide competent and effective help for refugees, internally displaced people and HIV/AIDS survivors, some groups are able to help a far greater number of people.
WK 312–Disobedience: Risks and results for engaging public participation
Nonviolent, well-planned, disciplined and purposeful disobedience has been known to change the course of history – from Mahatma Gandhi to Martin Luther King, Jr., to present-day struggles. Even much smaller-scale acts of disobedience can result in significant results on issues of trade and globalization, freedom of expression and the right to free movement and peace.
WK 313–Engaging government resources
What better way for government to express its commitment to human rights than by providing concrete resources? Taking time to explore and determine these potential resources can provide significant long-term results. These examples highlight the use of government resources by developing collaborative efforts between nongovernmental organizations and government bodies.
WK 314–Using unarmed accompaniment to protect threatened human rights defenders
A big challenge in expanding people’s participation in human rights efforts in repressive or conflict-ridden societies is protecting human rights defenders from threats, arrest, imprisonment, torture and death. Nonviolent, unarmed accompaniment – ranging from foreign volunteers to strategic institutions – can deter violence and discourage potential perpetrators.
WK 315–Engaging the public through petitions to increase participation and create change
Petitions have been successful in expanding democratic space, influencing public perceptions and participation, and changing legislative processes and polices. Whether public generated or government sanctioned, lessons can be learned from the creative and effective use of petitions for hunger relief, voter registration and building social investment in a peace process.
WK 316–Archiving and documentation to support human rights work
It has been said that "knowledge is power." In the area of human rights, documenting information and creating systems that help people access this information are critical prerequisites for planning and taking action. Innovations in building cooperative data systems, utilizing people with special skills and organizing resources for human rights educators provide additional ideas for sharing knowledge that can lead to healing and action.
WK 317–Investing in Strategy Building
Learn about a new approach and process to thinking about the prevention of torture. A visual ’tactical map’’ provides a concrete tool to help diagnosis problems and opportunities for action, develop strategy, and plan more effective tactics in combating the use of torture.
WK 321–Building collaborative relationships with governments
Explore how to cultivate working relationships and partnerships with governments in order to provide support and convince them to implement reforms–including standards of practice, government participation and legislative reforms–to advance human rights.
WK 322–Using cultural resources to build awareness and inspire action
Some issues can be very difficult to discuss or even bring to the consciousness of the public – such as domestic violence, racism and even the general topic of human rights. Cultural resources like theater (to address domestic violence), concerts and soccer matches (to raise awareness of racism) and cinema (to start discussions about human rights) have been used to overcome stigmas, build awareness and inspire action.
WK 323–Historical sites: Using the power of place
Sites of past human rights abuses can be transformed into active sites of conscience that encourage dialogue among diverse groups. Historical sites can be powerful places to bring divided people together to shape a better future by remembering the lessons from the past.
WK 324–Maintaining and making the most of vibrant coalitions
Coalitions often arise with a specific issue or campaign – and then disappear when it disappears. Lessons can be gained from coalitions that have survived far beyond single issues to remain ongoing, vibrant forces, maintaining or expanding their membership and adapting to constantly changing political environments.
WK 325–Empowerment through participatory education
Participatory education can create space and structure to release individual and community potential for effective leadership and civil society participation, which can have an effect on government and nongovernmental institutions at all levels.
WK326–Video as a human rights tool
Video can give a powerful eye-witness account of human rights abuses and be an excellent tool for educating and motivating people to act. NGOs can learn to use video effectively in human rights advocacy.
WK 327–Investing in Strategy Building
Learn about how activists in India built a strategy for stopping child labor using tactics that would help them gain a broad base of worldwide support.
WK 411–Reparations: Acknowledging abuse and addressing impunity
Legal mechanisms and nationwide processes can be used in innovative ways to acknowledge abuses and provide reparations to victims. They can also help tackle the difficult and contentious issue of impunity for abusers.
WK 412–New applications for fact-finding methods
Fact-finding methods have been the backbone of human rights work for decades. Explore examples of how tried and true methodologies have been adapted to emerging human rights issues and can give others ideas for exploring new territories.
WK 413–Budgets: Tools for accountability and transparency
Budgets and expenditures should not be kept a secret. They provide a unique and concrete way to monitor everything from government policies to development infrastructure to bureaucratic corruption. Following the money–what was allocated, what was spent and where it was spent–is an effective way to establish accountability and transparency.
WK 414–Training local-level human rights monitors
Laws protecting the human rights of citizens may not be implemented at the local level for a variety of reasons, including discrimination, lack of knowledge and lack of structures for recourse. Training people at the local level to monitor and document human rights abuses empowers communities to change local understanding and practices of human rights while holding governments accountable for their human rights commitments.
WK 415–Building relationships with police for education and training
When law enforcement professionals have direct experiences that give them a solid understanding of why we must protect human rights and what that means, it helps to improve community relations and encourage empathy for new migrants and suspected criminals.
WK 416–Mass actions for public participation
Simple actions–like turning lights on and off, banging pots and pans, honking horns–can inspire millions of people to share their desire for change in a relatively safe but public manner. These simple actions, while they are often limited in to a particular issue or point in time, can send a powerful signal about public sentiment.
WK 417–Investing in Strategy Building
Learn about the strategic use of national laws to build legal cases in many countries throughout the world to confront businesses violating human rights.
WK 211–Building Effective Human Rights Commissions
Effective human rights commissions successfully meet the challenges of four broad mandates: 1. Maintaining independence from the government; 2. Protecting human rights; 3. Promoting human rights; and 4. Dealing with complaints from individuals. This workshop will present perspectives from four commissions and the tactics they have used to fulfill these mandates.
WK 212–Engaging Free Professional Legal Services for Victims
A major obstacle for victims of human rights abuses is gaining access to legal representation in order to file a complaint against the perpetrator. This workshop will share successful tactics for engaging pro bono, or free, legal services through access to a variety of professional resources.
WK 213–Leveraging the power of money
Money is a powerful agent – for or against change. Following the money trail can provide ideas for how money can be leveraged to create change. Banks – from national banking institutions to the World Bank – as well as shareholders of financial institutions, have the power to withhold investment in corporate or government ventures that violate human rights or agreed mandates for operation.
WK 214 – Mobile Phones: Communicating for Action
Mobile phones have spread quickly as a relatively affordable means of communication worldwide – and as a way of protecting human rights. They make it possible for Amnesty International’s networks to respond even more rapidly to abuses; they help prevent violence in Northern Ireland; and they help caregivers reach torture survivors in Palestine.
WK 215–Police: Training the front line for human rights within law enforcement structures
Law enforcement personnel are one of the most difficult groups to reach regarding human rights. Training law enforcement personnel in human rights and encouraging them to participate in developing that training can overcome resistance, enhance legitimacy and help law enforcement personnel understand the importance and value of human rights–for themselves and the public they serve.
WK 216–Accompaniment for victims as they share stories about abuses
Ensuring the physical, psychological and emotional safety of victims of abuse is essential to helping them tell their stories. Accompaniment, which can take many forms, is one way to do this. Whether in court, in mock tribunals or in informal community settings, when victims tell their stories they can help break the silence surrounding abuses, end impunity for perpetrators and create space for healing and momentum for change.
WK 217–Investing in Strategy Building
Learn about the strategic use of nonviolent tactics and the specific example of Otpor! student movement (resistance in Serbia) against the Milosevic regime. Otpor! was a catalyst in unifying the political opposition and it mobilized the Serbian public when Milosevic attempted to steal the elections in October, 2000.
WK 221–Religious tenets: Changing perceptions on human rights
People gain guidance, strength and consolation from their religious beliefs and practices. Human rights work and efforts can be advanced by creating public space to educate and help people to understand the mandates arising from their own faith tradition to deal with social issues that can be confusing and contentious such as women’s rights, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights, and the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS.
WK 222–Creating community access to justice
Creative adaptations and mechanisms at the community level have helped promote access to rights and justice, provide alternative sentencing models for marginalized populations, prevent torture and ill-treatment and offer a forum for airing human rights grievances.
WK223–Mapping systems: Making complex relationships visible and understandable
A picture – or in this case a map – is worth a thousand words. From maps made with global information system (GIS) technology that identify toxic sites to a map recreating demolished neighborhoods to a map that illustrates interconnected systems supporting the use of torture, these maps can be valuable tools.
WK224–Forensics: A powerful tool for human rights
Forensic science provides indisputable evidence that can be the basis for further investigation or court cases against human rights abusers. In addition, forensics can provide families and communities with information about their loved ones so that they begin the process of closure and healing.
WK 225–Leveraging international mechanisms for local change
When local and national powers are resistant to pressure for change that comes from the local level, international mechanisms can provide the leverage needed. Citizens can access international and regional bodies established to ensure access to human rights standards.
WK 226–Monitoring business practice standards
Businesses are recognizing that adherence to human rights standards is good business practice. Cooperative efforts with and within the business sector have led to creative ways to monitor business practices and uphold standards of practice.
WK 227–Investing in Strategy Building
Examine the strategy used by the Mexican government executive branch to put human rights at the center of foreign policy in order to mobilize international resources for human rights.
WK 311–Training peer counselors
War, catastrophes and epidemics around the world have created a need for services far beyond the capacity of professionals to provide them. By training peer counselors to provide competent and effective help for refugees, internally displaced people and HIV/AIDS survivors, some groups are able to help a far greater number of people.
WK 312–Disobedience: Risks and results for engaging public participation
Nonviolent, well-planned, disciplined and purposeful disobedience has been known to change the course of history – from Mahatma Gandhi to Martin Luther King, Jr., to present-day struggles. Even much smaller-scale acts of disobedience can result in significant results on issues of trade and globalization, freedom of expression and the right to free movement and peace.
WK 313–Engaging government resources
What better way for government to express its commitment to human rights than by providing concrete resources? Taking time to explore and determine these potential resources can provide significant long-term results. These examples highlight the use of government resources by developing collaborative efforts between nongovernmental organizations and government bodies.
WK 314–Using unarmed accompaniment to protect threatened human rights defenders
A big challenge in expanding people’s participation in human rights efforts in repressive or conflict-ridden societies is protecting human rights defenders from threats, arrest, imprisonment, torture and death. Nonviolent, unarmed accompaniment – ranging from foreign volunteers to strategic institutions – can deter violence and discourage potential perpetrators.
WK 315–Engaging the public through petitions to increase participation and create change
Petitions have been successful in expanding democratic space, influencing public perceptions and participation, and changing legislative processes and polices. Whether public generated or government sanctioned, lessons can be learned from the creative and effective use of petitions for hunger relief, voter registration and building social investment in a peace process.
WK 316–Archiving and documentation to support human rights work
It has been said that "knowledge is power." In the area of human rights, documenting information and creating systems that help people access this information are critical prerequisites for planning and taking action. Innovations in building cooperative data systems, utilizing people with special skills and organizing resources for human rights educators provide additional ideas for sharing knowledge that can lead to healing and action.
WK 317–Investing in Strategy Building
Learn about a new approach and process to thinking about the prevention of torture. A visual ’tactical map’’ provides a concrete tool to help diagnosis problems and opportunities for action, develop strategy, and plan more effective tactics in combating the use of torture.
WK 321–Building collaborative relationships with governments
Explore how to cultivate working relationships and partnerships with governments in order to provide support and convince them to implement reforms–including standards of practice, government participation and legislative reforms–to advance human rights.
WK 322–Using cultural resources to build awareness and inspire action
Some issues can be very difficult to discuss or even bring to the consciousness of the public – such as domestic violence, racism and even the general topic of human rights. Cultural resources like theater (to address domestic violence), concerts and soccer matches (to raise awareness of racism) and cinema (to start discussions about human rights) have been used to overcome stigmas, build awareness and inspire action.
WK 323–Historical sites: Using the power of place
Sites of past human rights abuses can be transformed into active sites of conscience that encourage dialogue among diverse groups. Historical sites can be powerful places to bring divided people together to shape a better future by remembering the lessons from the past.
WK 324–Maintaining and making the most of vibrant coalitions
Coalitions often arise with a specific issue or campaign – and then disappear when it disappears. Lessons can be gained from coalitions that have survived far beyond single issues to remain ongoing, vibrant forces, maintaining or expanding their membership and adapting to constantly changing political environments.
WK 325–Empowerment through participatory education
Participatory education can create space and structure to release individual and community potential for effective leadership and civil society participation, which can have an effect on government and nongovernmental institutions at all levels.
WK326–Video as a human rights tool
Video can give a powerful eye-witness account of human rights abuses and be an excellent tool for educating and motivating people to act. NGOs can learn to use video effectively in human rights advocacy.
WK 327–Investing in Strategy Building
Learn about how activists in India built a strategy for stopping child labor using tactics that would help them gain a broad base of worldwide support.
WK 411–Reparations: Acknowledging abuse and addressing impunity
Legal mechanisms and nationwide processes can be used in innovative ways to acknowledge abuses and provide reparations to victims. They can also help tackle the difficult and contentious issue of impunity for abusers.
WK 412–New applications for fact-finding methods
Fact-finding methods have been the backbone of human rights work for decades. Explore examples of how tried and true methodologies have been adapted to emerging human rights issues and can give others ideas for exploring new territories.
WK 413–Budgets: Tools for accountability and transparency
Budgets and expenditures should not be kept a secret. They provide a unique and concrete way to monitor everything from government policies to development infrastructure to bureaucratic corruption. Following the money–what was allocated, what was spent and where it was spent–is an effective way to establish accountability and transparency.
WK 414–Training local-level human rights monitors
Laws protecting the human rights of citizens may not be implemented at the local level for a variety of reasons, including discrimination, lack of knowledge and lack of structures for recourse. Training people at the local level to monitor and document human rights abuses empowers communities to change local understanding and practices of human rights while holding governments accountable for their human rights commitments.
WK 415–Building relationships with police for education and training
When law enforcement professionals have direct experiences that give them a solid understanding of why we must protect human rights and what that means, it helps to improve community relations and encourage empathy for new migrants and suspected criminals.
WK 416–Mass actions for public participation
Simple actions–like turning lights on and off, banging pots and pans, honking horns–can inspire millions of people to share their desire for change in a relatively safe but public manner. These simple actions, while they are often limited in to a particular issue or point in time, can send a powerful signal about public sentiment.
WK 417–Investing in Strategy Building
Learn about the strategic use of national laws to build legal cases in many countries throughout the world to confront businesses violating human rights.
