SEM 1

Course Description This course exposes students to the normative meaning and application of human rights advocacy and networking. It introduces the discourse of the module by unpacking the conceptual definitions of advocacy and networking in general. It also delves into an exposition of the notion of human rights advocacy and networking in order to demonstrate the importance of human rights advocacy and networking as essential tools in the struggle for human rights and good governance. The course makes a modest examination of the nature and types of human rights advocacy and networking paying particular attention to collective advocacy in the struggle for human rights and good governance. It also endeavors to critically examine some issues pertinent in human rights advocacy and networking including the issue of political power and citizen participation in human rights advocacy work. The course goes beyond theoretical underpinnings to embrace the reality of human rights advocacy and networking. The units thus delve into the practical aspects of effective planning, organising and monitoring of human rights advocacy work. In this context, the course delves into the practical reality of human rights advocacy, namely, the identification, analysis and definition of the advocacy problems, strategies and tools or instruments; monitoring and evaluation of the human rights advocacy work; and concludes with the practice of documenting and reporting on advocacy work. Course Objectives This course is intended to achieve the following objectives: 1. To introduce students to the meaning of advocacy and networking in human rights protection and promotion. 2. To create understanding of the nature and application of advocacy and networking in human rights protection and promotion. 3. To analyse critical issues and challenges in human rights advocacy and networking. 4. To enable students acquire concrete knowledge and skills to undertake human rights advocacy work for good governance. Expected Learning Outcomes By the end of this course, students should be able to: 1. Understand the meaning, nature and purpose of human rights advocacy and networking in human rights protection and promotion. 2. Identify and analyse critical issues and challenges in human rights advocacy and networking. 3. Utilise practical knowledge and skills in planning, organising and monitoring of human rights advocacy work. 4. Identify, analyse and define advocacy problems, strategies and tools or instruments. 5. Monitor and evaluate human rights advocacy work. 6. Document and report on human rights advocacy work. Course content 1. Definition of advocacy and networking o Advocacy demystified: meaning and purpose o Networking demystified: meaning and purpose o Human rights advocacy and networking o The role of human rights advocates 2. The nature and types of human rights advocacy o The nature of human rights advocacy o A typology of human rights advocacy o The human rights advocacy process 3. Participatory advocacy o Overview of participatory advocacy o Steps in participatory advocacy o Stakeholders in advocacy work o Building advocacy networks 4. A typology of human rights networks o The nature and rationale of human rights networks o A typology of human rights networks o Challenges in sustaining human rights networks and partnerships 5. Critical issues in human rights advocacy and networking o Political power and human rights advocacy for citizen participation o Citizen empowerment and engagement for human rights protection and promotion o Framework for human rights advocacy 6. Planning for effective human rights advocacy o Overview of planning for advocacy o Identification, analysis and definition of the problem o Formulation of advocacy goals and objectives o Selection and analysis of advocacy strategies o The dynamics of human rights advocacy 7. Implementing human rights advocacy: message development, media and leadership o Developing the advocacy messages o Massage delivery: media advocacy o Public outreach and mobilisation o Advocacy leadership 8. Monitoring and evaluation of human rights advocacy work o Overview of monitoring and evaluation o Why monitor and evaluate advocacy work? o What to monitor and evaluate o Measuring success o Documentation and reporting on advocacy work 9. Reading of text documents o UN declaration on the right and responsibility of human rights defenders o European Union guidelines on human rights defenders Mode of Delivery • Lectures, presentations, and group discussions Assessment Methods • Class participation and attendance 10% • Individual work (20%) • Group work (20%) • Final examination (50%) References Anderson, I., 2000. Northern NGO Advocacy: perceptions, reality, and the challenge’, Development in Practice, Vol. 10, No. 3 & 4, pp. 445-452 Barry, A. and Rosalind, D., 2002. Learning for Change: the Art of Assessing the Impact of Advocacy Work’, Development in Practice, Vol. 12, No. 3 & 4, pp. 530-541. BOND, 2005. The How and Why of Advocacy, Guiding Notes No. 2.1. Chapman, J. and Fisher, T. 2000. The effectiveness of NGO campaigning: lessons from practice’, Development in Practice, Volume 10, Number 2, pp.151-165 Coates, Cleary, S., 1995. In whose interest? 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Hudson, A., 2001. ‘NGO’s Transnational Advocacy Networks: from ‘legitimacy’ to ‘political responsibility’?’, Global Network, Vol. 1. No. 4, pp. 331-352 Human Rights Network Uganda (2000), Human Rights Advocacy in Uganda: Toolkit for Human Rights Promoters, HURINET, Kampala. Jordan, L. and Van Tuijl, P., 2000. ‘Political responsibility in Transnational NGO advocacy’, World Development, Vol. 28, No 12, pp. 2051 – 2065 Just Associates, 2004.‘Advocacy Training Module: Making Justice and Solidarity Real’, developed by Just Associates for Catholic Relief Services. Washington, DC: JASS. Keck, M. and Sikkink, K. 1998. Activists beyond borders: Advocacy networks in international politics. London: Cornell University Press. Mawa M. and Jarso J. Farole, 2007. Anatomy of Human Rights Protection: Approaches, Challenges and Prospects in the Twenty-First Century. Kampala: Fountain Publishers. Miller, V., 1994. NGOs and Grassroots Policy Influence: What is Success?, Institute for Development Research, Vol. 11, No. 5. Nelson, P. (1997),Conflict, legitimacy and effectiveness: Who speaks for whom in transnational NGO networks lobbying the World Bank?Non-Profit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Vol.26, pp.421-41. Nelson, P., 1996. Internationalising economic and environmental policy: Transnational NGO networks and the World Bank's expanding influence. Millennium, Vol.25. Nyamugasira, W., 1998.‘NGOs and Advocacy: How well are the poor represented?’, Development in Practice, Vol. 8, No. 3, pp. 297-308, Carfax Publishing Ltd. Petras, J., 1997. Imperialism and NGOs in Latin America’. Monthly Review, Vol. 49, No. 7 Plowden, Kevin K. 2002. Advocacy and Human Rights ACT: Using the Convention in Courts and Tribunals. Routledge, London. Sikkink, K., 2000.‘From Santiago to Seattle: Transnational Advocacy Networks in the Information Age.’ A report by Taylor Boas of her lecture at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Washington D.C. Smith, J., Pagnucco, R. and Romeril, W., 1995. Transnational social movement organisations in the global political arena. Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Non-Profit Organisations, Vol.5, pp.121-54. Teasdale, K., 1998. Advocacy in Health Care. Oxford: Blackwell Science. VeneKlasen, L., 2002. ,A new weave of power, people and politics: The Action Guide for Advocacy and Citizen Participation, World Neighbors, Washington D.C. Welch, C.E., 1995. Protecting Human Rights in Africa: Strategies and Roles of NGOs. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. Whaites, A., 2000. ‘NGOs, Disasters, and Advocacy’, Development in Practice, Vol. 10, No. 3 & 4, pp. 506-516 Willetts, P., 1996. The “Conscience of the World”: The Influence of Non-Governmental Organizations in the UN System, Brooking Institution Press.