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IHRTP Information 2014

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2014 International Human Rights Training Program (IHRTP)

Program Information

June 8 – June 27, 2014

Montreal, Canada

International Application deadline: November 18, 2013

Application deadline for Canadian residents and citizens: March 28, 2014

The International Human Rights Training

Program

The International Human Rights Training Program

(IHRTP) is at the heart of Equitas’ activities. Now

in its 35

th

year, this annual three-week education

event brings together approximately 90

participants from about 50 countries. The IHRTP

is an intermediate-level program. It provides a

unique opportunity for human rights workers and

educators to deepen their understanding of

human rights and of the essential role of human

rights education in effecting social change.

The IHRTP is an integral part of Equitas’ global

human rights education activities.

Participants in the IHRTP include representatives

of non-governmental organizations (NGOs),

national and regional human rights institutions

and government bodies. If you feel you and your

organization meet the selection criteria and the

program objectives meet your respective needs, I

invite you to complete the attached application

form.

Ian Hamilton

Executive Director

Program Goal

The goal of the IHRTP is to strengthen the

capacity of human rights organizations to

undertake human rights education efforts (e.g.,

training, awareness campaigns, information

dissemination, and advocacy) aimed at building a

global culture of human rights.

To this end, the Program places a strong

emphasis on the transfer of learning and on

follow-up activities. Participants attending the

Program develop an Individual Plan for putting

their learning into action as part of the training.

Therefore, when submitting their application, both

organizations and Candidates nominated should

consider how the transfer of learning might take

place within and beyond the organization after the

Program. (See Individual Plan section below for

some examples)

Program Objectives

By the end of the IHRTP, participants should be

able to:

?

use a framework based on internationally accepted

human rights standards and principles to analyze

the issues and situations encountered in the work of

their organizations

?

identify ways in which human rights education can

increase the effectiveness of their human rights

work

?

Integrate a participatory approach into their human

rights and human rights education work

?

indicate appropriate ways for putting their learning

from the IHRTP into practice in the work of their

organizations

?

explore networking opportunities essential for

furthering the cause of human rights

?

determine strategies for promoting gender equality

in their human rights education work

?

employ a basic evaluation process for assessing the

results of their human rights education work

Curriculum Model

The participatory curriculum design model of the

IHRTP is based on principles of adult experiential

learning. The underlying principle is that much of

the content will come from the participants and

that the Program will serve as a framework for

drawing out this content. Participants and

facilitators commit themselves to engage in a

process of mutual teaching and learning. The

emphasis is on practical application and on the

development of strategies for action. Continued

reflection and evaluation are central to the

learning process.

Participants work for the most part in groups of

about 15 with a facilitator whose role is to provide

guidance in achieving the Program objectives.

The facilitators are skilled in adult education

methods, knowledgeable about human rights and

experienced in working with diverse groups.

IHRTP Information 2014

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Internationally recognized human rights experts

are invited to give presentations and participate in

panel discussions throughout the three-week

program.

Program Content

The IHRTP is an intermediate-level program

focusing on international human rights standards,

current human rights issues and human rights

education strategies. The exploration of human

rights principles and instruments, ongoing critical

reflection and inquiry, as well as extensive sharing

of experiences allows participants to strengthen

their capacity to engage in effective human rights

education, and advance equality and human

dignity thus leading to social change.

Week 1

Week 1 focuses on the current human rights

context and defining what positive social change

looks like. Participants will get to know the

members of their working group and engage in

activities that lay the groundwork for developing a

productive group dynamic based on mutual

respect. They begin a process of reflection on

human rights in their societies, the human rights

work of their organizations and their own role

within those organizations. They will also explore

the global human rights context and how it

influences and is influenced by issues at the local

level. Principles and values of the Universal

Declaration of Human Rights and their importance

in human rights education will be examined as

well as the key elements of a culture of human

rights. Using systems analysis, participants will

then look at the role of human rights education in

the process of social change and compare their

roles as human rights activists/educators.

Participants will end the week by examining how

personal values and deeply held assumptions

about “right and wrong” influence the actions and

reactions of individuals.

Week 2

Week 2 focuses on actions for social change in

line with human rights values and principles.

Participants begin the week by exploring the

universality of human rights and effective human

rights education strategies for dealing with

culturally sensitive issues in their work. They

explore how adopting a human rights-based

approach can help ensure that actions undertaken

by governments, civil society and communities

can help lead to positive social change and make

human rights a reality in their societies. Through

case studies and discussions, participants are

introduced to a number of key international

human rights instruments, mechanisms and

special procedures, and the potential relevance in

their work.

Week 3

Week 3 focuses on skills building for action. For a

number of activities, participants are grouped by

geographic region, giving them an opportunity to

work together to examine key components of

effective monitoring and advocacy and the role of

these activities in human rights education. They

also become familiar with methods of evaluating

educational activities. Participants will also be

introduced to new trends in the use of information

and communication technologies (ICTs) for

human rights and human rights education work.

Individual Plan for Putting Learning into

Action

During the program, every participant is required

to prepare an Individual Plan for putting their

learning into practice once they return to their

home organizations. By reflecting on the content

of each Stream of the Program, the Individual

Plan helps the participants determine how content

is transferable to their own context, resulting in a

planned integration of this new knowledge in the

future activities of their organization. Throughout

the Program, participants will have opportunities

to discuss their Individual Plans with other

participants, their facilitators and Equitas staff for

feedback. Examples of past activities developed

in Individual Plans and carried out afterwards

include: organization of training sessions based

on certain components of the IHRTP, integration

of participatory methodology in training sessions,

translation of training manuals, the creation of

networks and the development of new programs

and partnerships.

Organization and Participant Profile

Organizations and Candidates are carefully

selected in order to maximize the benefits from

the IHRTP.

Organizations which nominate Candidates must:

? have a demonstrated commitment to the

protection and promotion of human rights

? have an established record for effective action

? be involved in human rights education activities

such as training sessions, workshops, public

awareness campaigns, advocacy, monitoring

? be committed to providing opportunities for

their Candidate to apply the knowledge and

skills gained in the Program within the

organization

The IHRTP is primarily designed for

representatives of non-governmental human

rights organizations (NGOs), national human

rights institutions and government departments

who have undertaken some human rights

education training activities. In a limited number of

cases, consideration will also be given to

Candidates affiliated with other types of

organizations involved in human rights education

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and corresponding to the above profile, such as

educational institutions. The Selection Committee

will try to ensure a significant participation of

organizations involved in human rights education

with children, youth and women.

Candidates from qualifying organizations must:

? be active employees / volunteers with their

organization for at least two years

? be in a position to influence the human rights

education work of their organization

? have knowledge of human rights principles and

major international instruments

? be committed to transferring knowledge and skills

gained during the Program to colleagues and to

others with whom they work

? be sensitive to the issues which arise when

working in multicultural groups, and respectful of

diversity

Language Requirement

The IHRTP requires participants to actively

engage in group work and read extensively.

Therefore, all participants must be fluent in either

English or French.

Selection Process and Bursaries

A Selection Committee will review all applications.

In addition to the requirements previously listed,

consideration will also be given to overall gender

balance and geographic representation. Given the

number of applications and limited space

available, we are unable to accept many worthy

Candidates. Your understanding is greatly

appreciated.

Candidates:

Equitas hopes to be in a position through the

support of AIMIA and the Canadian International

Development Agency (CIDA) to award a limited

number of bursaries to selected International

Candidates. A bursary includes full tuition fees

(including room and board) for the 3-week training

program as well as travel expenses. Once

eligibility has been determined, the Selection

Committee will award the bursaries to the

International Candidates who best meet the

requirements. Due to the limited number of

bursaries available, there is no guarantee that the

selected International Candidates will receive

funding. Therefore, we strongly urge all

Candidates to immediately begin seeking

funding from other sources. Completed

applications must be returned to Equitas by

November 18, 2013 and all Candidates will be

notified of the results of the selection by the end

of March 2014.

For Canadian Candidates, completed

applications must be returned to Equitas by

March 28, 2014 and Canadian applicants will be

notified by the end of April 2014.

Participation Fee

The IHRTP participation fee is 5,650$ CAD. This

amount covers:

?

tuition

?

program materials

?

accommodation

?

meals and

?

emergency medical insurance

Participants are responsible for any extra

expenses such as entertainment and meals

purchased outside of the cafeteria.

Program Preparation

To maximize the benefits of the IHRTP, it is

crucial that accepted Candidates prepare

themselves prior to the training. These

preparations include:

? returning a completed pre-training assignment

? exploring ideas for possible human rights

education follow-up activities to be

implemented by their organization after

completion of the IHRTP (see Individual Plan

for Putting Learning into Action on page 2)

? reviewing the content of international human

rights instruments and bringing copies in their

native language, where available

? collecting human rights education materials to

share with other participants

Accommodation

The IHRTP is held in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, a

small community in suburban Montreal, 45 km

from the city centre. Participants stay in shared

apartments at John Abbott College. Each

apartment has separate bedrooms (one person

per bedroom), one bathroom, a sitting room and a

kitchenette.

Meals are served in the campus cafeteria during

the Program. Although every consideration is

made to accommodate the needs of participants,

it is difficult to cater to all dietary preferences.

Your understanding in this matter is greatly

appreciated.

This program is made possible through

generous funding from Aimia

www.aimia.com

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Application deadlines

The completed applications must be returned to Equitas by:

? November 18, 2013 for International Candidates;

? March 28, 2014 for Canadians residents and citizens.

Please send all documents for applications, preferably by email, to: ihrtp-pifdh@equitas.org or by fax to:

1-514-954-0659. If you haven’t received an application form number by December 4, 2013, please

contact us immediately.

Your application must include:

? The completed Application Form (Part A completed by the Director of the Candidate’s organization;

Part B completed by the Candidate)

? The Memorandum of Agreement duly signed by the Candidate and the director of the Candidate’s

organization

? Two supporting letters from national and/or international human rights organizations (other than

the Candidate’s) familiar with the Candidate’s work and/or the work of his or her organization

? A brochure (and/or mission statement) describing the Candidate’s organization

If you haven’t received an application form number by December 4, 2013, please contact us immediately.

Equitas- International Centre for Human Rights Education

Equitas is a non-profit, non-governmental organization based in Montreal, Canada. Founded in 1967,

Equitas works to advance equality, social justice and respect for human dignity through transformative

education programs in Canada and around the world. Equitas has won awards for its innovative

programming with children and youth in Canada – Play it Fair! and Speaking Rights – that reinforce human

rights values and build skills to resolve conflicts peacefully.

Equitas’ global programming has been built upon the experience of its annual International Human Rights

Training Program (IHRTP) in Montreal which brings together about 90 participants every year from

approximately 50 countries. Since its inception in 1980, over 3,500 human rights defenders from more than

100 countries have attended the program. Currently, Equitas engages in regional programs in West and

East Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, Asia, and Haiti. These regional programs focus on further

equipping human rights defenders to promote human rights principles and values such as equality,

inclusion and non-discrimination in their communities. They also play an important role in building

networks of human rights defenders. Capacity-building for national human rights institutions and

government institutions, including ensuring collaboration between such entities and NGOs, is also an

integral part of Equitas’ regional programs.

Innovative elements of the Equitas approach to human rights education:

•

Promotion of human rights based approaches in response to challenges regarding human rights

abuses, sustainable development, democratic governance and conflict

•

Education focused on building knowledge, skills and positive values

•

Participatory learning approaches/methodologies

•

Follow-up and support for practical application of learning

•

Ongoing evaluation

•

Engaged partnerships and networking that include systematic sharing of expertise and

methodologies

For further information about Equitas and its activities, please visit our website at www.equitas.org or

contact us at the address below:

Equitas - International Centre for Human Rights Education

666 Sherbrooke St. West, Suite 1100

Montréal, Québec, H3A 1E7, Canada

Telephone: 1-514-954-0382 Fax: 1-514-954-0659 Email: ihrtp-pifdh@equitas.org