We will soon be adding a basic guide on how to create a tactical map to this FAQ page. In the meantime, please see the resources on our Tactical Mapping page and watch our online presentation on how to make a tactical map on Prezi.
If you have participated in a Tactical Mapping session or have used this tool, please let us know how you used it and if it was helpful! Add a testimonial to our website!
New Tactics in Human Rights: A Resource for Practitioners is a compilation of innovative tactics.
The core of the book is 100 stories gathered from around the world and across numerous sectors about innovative human rights work. Tactics are broken into four categories: Prevention, Intervention, Promotion and Building Human Rights Cultures and Institutions. These stories are analyzed within a tactical context – in terms of resources needed, obstacles encountered and the problem being addressed.
The Workbook also includes
- An Introduction to Tactical and Strategic Thinking; and
- Tactical Worksheets to help advocates think creatively about applying and sharing tactics.
To find a wide variety of resources on strategy and tactics, you can use the “Resources and Training Tools” tab or “Quick Links” on the right-hand side bar above.
Select “New Tactics in Human Rights: A Resource for Practitioners” to view information and download this book. This book is available for free in PDF format, or may be purchased as a printed copy.
Tactical notebooks are first-person, in-depth case studies that provide a detailed look at how a tactic was implemented and the challenges that were faced along the way.
At present there are more than 45 tactical notebooks covering five continents.
Most notebooks were written in English, but quite a number are now available in other languages such as Spanish, Russian, French, and more national and even local languages.
To find a wide variety of resources on strategy and tactics, you can use the “Resources and Training Tools” tab or “Quick Links” on the right side of the web page.
Select “Tactical Notebook Series” to view information and download these in-depth case studies.
The New Tactics database is currently a collection of 200 tactics, summarized (approximately 700 words) to help human rights advocates think about new ideas for tactics they can apply to different situations.
Each tactic includes a summary of….
- how the tactic was implemented
- tips for transferring the tactic to another situation
- contact information for the individual or group that used it.
This collection is still growing! If you have a tactic to share, please contact us.
To find a wide variety of resources on strategy and tactics, you can use the “Resources and Training Tools” tab or “Resources & Publications Links” on the right-hand sidebar.
Or, at the top of the website, select “Tactics” to view these one-page tactical summaries from many human rights organizations and issue areas around the world.
To read about training workshops and review the resources available, Click the “Resources & Tools” tab.
Since 2002, the New Tactics project has been conducting Regional Training Workshops (Africa; Asia; Central and Eastern Europe; Eastern Mediterranean, Middle East and Turkey; Latin America; and the West Group – Europe and North America).
In 2004, a World Symposium was held in Ankara, Turkey which featured 30 tactical workshops and 5 strategy building workshops. At each workshop, up to three trainers presented different versions of a particular tactic.
Many of the tactical presentations are available online from the Regional Training Workshops and the World Symposium. These can help you create your own tactical presentation. They are great examples of how tactics can be transferred to address different issues.
To read about training workshops and review the resources available, Click the “Resources & Tools” tab.
These resources were developed to help advocates interested in New Tactics to share the project with others. Currently, users can choose to view the "Using the New Tactics Resources" tool in English, French, or Spanish.
To find a wide variety of resources on strategy and tactics, you can use the “Resources and & Tools” tab or “Quick Links” on the right side of web page.
Select “Using the New Tactics Resources” gives you additional ideas for applying these resources into your efforts. For example, if you would like to create your own tactical presentation, click “Train others… under the “I want to share…” section.
Training Tools provide exercises, worksheets and articles designed to help advocates think about their work in terms of strategy and tactics.
You will find featured here:
- Background information on specific concepts, such as Understanding Strategy and Tactics; The Need for Tactical Thinking, Tactical Mapping, etc.
- Many “hands-on” experiential group exercises used in New Tactics training events.
To find a wide variety of resources on strategy and tactics, click the “Resources & Tools” tab or “Quick Links” on the right side of the web page.
Select “Training Tools” to view the resources on training your staff and networks about the importance of strategic and tactical thinking.
You will find Articles and guides, including presentations and handouts you can use for your own trainings.
Fun, educational and useful exercises help groups to both experience and think about strategy and tactics.
In several locations around this website, you will have the opportunity to "tag this page" a page or yourself. A "tag" is simply a keyword or phrase you would use to mark or identify a resource.
For example, the Training Tools page contains many resources, including some that are "group activites". Another page might also contain resources that you find useful as "group activites", and you may choose to add this tag . The tag "group activites" then becomes a way to easilly find these two pages. On any page with tags displayed, clicking on the tag itself will bring you to a list of the other resources that have been marked with that tag, whether by yourself or another community member. As more members add tags to resources, these lists will grow.
Tags are often displayed in "clouds", or groups, usually in alphabetical order. The more popular tags (meaning many people have tagged a resource the same way, or that many resources are marked with the specific tag) appear as bigger text than the others.
These "clouds" can be found on the search page, and offer an alternative way to help you find resources.

