If you are you a human rights defender keen to use the UN you would do well to apply to the 2022 edition of ISHR’s flagship training the Human Rights Defender Advocacy Programme (HRDAP).
After two successful online editions in 2020 and 2021, ISHR has launched the call for applications for the third online edition which will take place remotely between 4 April and 24 June 2022. [for last year’s see: https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2019/11/07/applications-now-open-for-ishrs-2020-training-for-human-rights-defenders/]
The course equips human rights defenders with the knowledge and skills to integrate the UN human rights system into their existing work at the national level in a strategic manner, and provides an opportunity for participants to prepare for and engage in lobbying and advocacy activities at the UN with the aim to effect change back home.
Applications for HRDAP22 will remain open until Monday 3 January 2022.
The 12-week course allows defenders to continue their vital work on the ground, while diving into the inner workings of each key UN human rights mechanism, and gaining first-hand experience from advocates and UN staff on how civil society can strategically engage in the international human rights space.
By participating in HRDAP, defenders:
- Gain knowledge and tools, which they can use to ensure their voice is central in international human rights decision-making
- Explore and compare the benefits of engagement with the Human Rights Council, the Special Procedures, the OHCHR, the UPR and the Treaty Bodies, and examine how they can use them to bolster their work at the national level
- Develop strategies and lobbying techniques to increase the potential of their national and regional advocacy work
During the last training, 19 human rights defenders from 17 countries took part in the programme. At the end of the training, 100% of those surveyed were satisfied with the programme, with 82% indicating they were “very satisfied”. Find out more about what they learnt here.
This programme is directed at experienced human rights defenders in non-governmental organisations, with existing advocacy experience at the national level and some prior knowledge of the international human rights system. ISHR supports, and promotes solidarity with and between, defenders working in the following areas or contexts, which we recognise as intersectional and interdependent:
- Equality, dignity and non-discrimination
- Environmental justice and sustainability
- International accountability for the repression of human rights defenders
- Transparency and rule of law
Download the HRDAP22 Programme Description to find out more and apply before Monday 3 January 2022!
https://ishr.ch/latest-updates/hrdap-2022-apply-now-for-ishrs-training-for-human-rights-defenders/
This post was originally published on Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards.
