Protection International (PI) will be running the second edition of its 2023 online course “Security and Protection Management for Human Rights Defenders and Social Organisations” from 10 April – 2 July 2023. Registrations are open until March 20, 2023 (20/03/2023). For an application form and detailed information about the course, send an e-mail to: e-learning@protectioninternational.org.

Since 2011, PI has offered its e-learning course to human rights defenders. The programme was revised in 2021 to incorporate the new approaches and methodologies that PI staff have learned over the previous decade. The e-learning course is offered three times per year, in English, Spanish and French. 

Key information

Course starts: Monday, April 10 Course ends: Sunday, July 2 Registration deadline (extended): Monday, March 27 Duration: 72 hours over 12 weeks (approximately 6 hours per week). Languages: English, Spanish, and French. Designed for: NGOs, human rights defenders and their communities, social development or social justice organisations and coalitions, humanitarian aid workers. Applications from groups of 2-3 people will be prioritised.

Why take this course?

Protection International’s e-Learning programme is an educational and training initiative for all those who face security risks because of the human rights, humanitarian or social development work they do. The aim of the course is to contribute to the development of a range of skills, capacities and strategies enabling human rights defenders to better manage the security and protection of their organisations and communities.

The e-Learning programme incorporates new approaches and methods, including protection networks and collective protection, which are the result of the experiences and lessons learned by Protection International over the years. This course encourages interactivity and student participation. The lessons accommodate different learning styles, there are elements of gamification for example, allowing for a more enjoyable learning experience.

Protection International has adopted an integrated and situated approach to conducting risk analyses and designing protection plans. This means that we will incorporate the physical, digital and emotional dimensions of security for the course participants. It also means that we include a perspective based on both the concrete situations of risk faced by defenders and the identities of defenders (through a gendered and intersectional approach). Throughout the e-Learning programme, we will approach protection and security in a way that is based on concrete risk situations and from the practices of defenders themselves.

Who is the course for?

The course is aimed at members of organisations and individuals working in the fields of human rights, social development and humanitarian aid. Participants should have experience in these fields. The training will be of particular valuable to those who have or likely will have a level of security risk related to their work (in the context of armed conflict or political repression due to their work as human rights defenders).

The practice of protection and security is necessary within the context of social and political action. This is why we will prioritize the enrollment of people who are part of an organization, association or community, and who can share what they have learned in the course with their group.

How does it work?

Each week, participants are expected to dedicate approximately 6 hours to working through the course, which includes time spent reading documents and complementary materials and completing written exercises. Under the guidance of a tutor, students will take responsibility for their own learning, using their experiences to identify and acknowledge what they need to improve upon in consideration of their own specific contexts. Beyond the written exercises, we will also work through case studies to allow for exchanges between participants.

There are dedicated tutors available depending on the selected language of the course:

• Tutors EN: Sylvain Lefebvre, Paola Carmagnani, and Eset Gagieva;
• Tutors SP: Sylvain Lefebvre, Zenaide Rodrigues, Alexandra Loaiza, and Susana Hernández;
• Tutors FR: Sylvain Lefebvre and Paola Carmagnani.

What do I need?

• A computer (PC, Laptop, Tablet or a Smartphone);

• Access to the Internet (Mozilla Firefox is recommended);

• The ‘’Protection Manual for Human Rights Defenders’’, which can be downloaded for free (in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Arabic, Indonesian and Swahili) here.

Fees

There are different payment modalities and fees available, depending on your specific situation.

Please, reach out to Ángela Díaz at e-learning@protectioninternational.org to learn more about it.

Course objectives

General objective

• To contribute to the development of skills, capacities and strategies of human rights defenders, with the aim to enabling them to increase their level of security and protection, both at the individual and collective levels (organizational or community).

Specific objectives

• Raise awareness among human rights defenders concerning the issue of security and protection.
• Provide human rights defenders with tools that allow them to improve their protection, facilitate the development of skills, and improve the management of their security and protection.
• Improve, in relation to security and protection issues, the attitudes, practices and strategies of HRDs and organisations working for the protection of HRDs.

Learning objectives

After the course, participants will be able to:

• Analyse threats and risks in a situated and differentiated manner, followed by the implementation of security and protection measures based on that analysis which encompasses the three dimensions of security and protection: physical, digital and emotional.
• Carry out strategies aimed at increasing their operating space through the strengthening of their protection network.
• Develop and apply a comprehensive security management strategy within your organization that takes into account the institutional dynamics and challenges you face.

Certification

Those who complete the course will get a certificate on the corresponding course: certificate on Security and Protection for Human Rights Defenders and Social Organisations.

How to enroll?

To enroll, fill in the registration form in English, Spanish or French and send it to Ángela Díaz (e-learning@protectioninternational.org).

More information

You can refer to our dedicated Q&A section about our courses. For more detailed information about the course or other questions, please contact Ángela Díaz at e-learning@protectioninternational.org.