Peru’s Coordinadora Nacional de Derechos Humanos (National Coordinator for Human Rights, CNDDHH) is globally recognized as one of the most successful and effective coalitions in the world. This notebook analyzes the characteristics of a strong coalition and shows how to successfully fight against an authoritarian government, like that of Fujimori in Peru the 1990s.

In this notebook we learn about the ways in which forensic science can unearth human rights abuses from the past and bring closure to families as well as truth to the judicial process.  The Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team has been training human rights NGOs to use forensic tools to advance investigations.  Through this science one can tell if a person was tortured, if the death was accidental or intentional and they can try to indentify the person.

In this notebook text-messages and short message services are used to engage young people to quickly stop torture.  Amnesty International-Netherlands recognized that text-messaging was an easy medium to use to reach out to youth.  It was successfully used to protest torture when the Democratic Republic of Congo arrested a journalist. 

In this notebook we learn how civil laws can be used to hold torturers and other human rights abusers accountable, and to gain reparations for survivors.

In this notebook we learn about how the Center for Victims of Torture (CVT) created local and and long-term capacity building projects in Guinea and Sierra Leone.  The CVT trained local refugees to be "mental health specialists" and gave them the skills to begin to rebuild their communities.  This notebook may provide tactical ideas to those assisting these communities trying to rebuild their lives.

This notebook describes how one organization (ICAR) in Romania was able to pressure the government to accept its moral and legal obligation to provide care to torture victims.  The group had international support but they recognized that it was the states responsibility to rehabilitate this socially marginalized group.

In this notebook we learn about the the process of creating 'briefers' to accompany victims during the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).  These 'briefers' aided victims before, during, and after they testified by providing psychosocial support and legal support.