Protection International announces the Fall edition of its online training course entitled “Security and Protection Management for human rights defenders and social organizations.” The duration of the course is 60 hours over 12 weeks (approximately 5 hours per week) from 29 Sept-21 Dec 2014.

Summary

Designed for: NGOs, social organizations, and individuals.

Duration: 60 hours over  12 weeks (approximately 5 hours per week)

Online Distance learning course (using Moodle)

Hosted by PI training staff (protection experts with extensive training experience in many countries).

Why take this course?

Education and training for Human Rights Defenders is a broad subject with different needs.

One such need, which we consider to be very important, is security. With the present course, we aim for human rights defenders to develop various skills, capacities, and strategies to allow them to improve the level of security and protection, both for themselves and also for the people they work with.

Who is the course for?

This course is for members of organizations and people whose work involves human rights, social development and humanitarian aid. Proof of experience working in these fields is required, along with the existence, or possible existence, of a risk to their security, because of their work activities.

Armed conflict or political repression, due to their activities as human rights defenders, could be examples of suitability.

Protection and security practice makes real sense in a political and social action context. For that reason, we prioritize the enrolment of people commissioned by an organization, association, or community, who will be able to use what they have learned on the course, for the organizational

development of the institution they belong to (1 to 3 people).

The course requires the exchange of opinions and importance is placed on teamwork. We will therefore also give priority to the enrolment of groups of 2 to 3 individuals because we consider them to be interest groups or working groups. We will also accept the enrolment of individuals, but this will depend on the level of group participation.

Course objectives

• To provide human rights defenders with tools and abilities to be able to improve their security and protection management.

•To contribute to improving security and protection for the people that human rights defenders are working for or with (such as witnesses, rape victims, etc.)

•To improve the strategies for security and protection utilized by staff members of human rights organizations working on the protection of defenders.

Course requirements

Firstly, defenders should feel the need/consider it necessary to broaden their knowledge and training concerning security and protection.

Secondly, you must be able to undertake distance learning methodology, since this will be utilized for the course. As with face-to-face/on-site learning, distance learning methodology has its advantages and disadvantages. PI has been organizing a variety of on-site training for many years (such as workshops, tutorials, and organizational advice), and we have learned a lot as a result of this experience, especially on the cases and problem-solving working methodology.

The objective is to apply the lessons we have learned to this distance learning course.

Thirdly, it is important to dedicate sufficient time to be able to participate fully in the course and the activities it will include, so organizations, whose members are participants, should bear this in mind.

Finally, the course will be orientated towards practice and will focus on real situations and real problems, as well as security and protection solutions, which are applicable to any organization.

Technical requirements and duration

•The course can be completed using free software applications, provided there is access to a computer and even a low speed Internet connection. In some cases, there could be small videos or sound files, as additional materials, but they will not be absolutely necessary to complete the course.

•You will need access to a computer with a word processor, Internet browser, and PDF reader (all are available as free programs).

•You don´t need to have Internet access at all times, but you should be able to access it a few times a week. You can work in a public place with Internet access by using a memory stick, for example.

The duration of the course is 60 hours over 12 weeks (approximately 5 hours per week).

Certification

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

Staff

The course has been designed and will be hosted by members of the PRTU of Protection International, who have extensive experience in defenders’ training, in more than thirty countries.

Director: Enrique Eguren

Tutor: Sylvain Lefebvre

Administrator: Ángela Díaz

Admission criteria

The admission criteria will be to give priority to those people having the largest potential impact on human rights defenders’ security.

Course Fees

The enrolment fee will depend on various factors – such as country of origin or residence, the institution the participant is involved with, the course duration, etc. In any case, we will offer the lowest price possible, to enable participation.

More information

For more information, head to PI’s e-learning website, or write to Ángela Díaz (administrator): e-learning [at] protectioninternational.org