Liberia Training Workshop - February 2007

amccoy — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 21:13:15 -0600

LIBERIA TRAINING WORKSHOP

19-23 February 2007, Monrovia City Hall, Liberia

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The New Tactics Liberia Training Workshop was held to highlight tactics that have helped rebuild civil society in the aftermath of war or widespread human rights abuses. Civil society institutions can play a key role in rebuilding societies damaged by war or widespread human rights abuses. Unfortunately, often these organizations are themselves rebuilding or even starting from scratch in a post-conflict society.

The workshop drew from the experiences and resources of the Center for Victims of Torture (CVT), including the New Tactics in Human Rights project. The New Tactics project documents and promotes strategic innovations throughout the human rights movement. This includes projects as large as the International Capacity Building (ICB) project that strengthens torture rehabilitation programs in seventeen countries to CVT's mental health work in small communities in West Africa. The New Tactics website provides a central place for all human rights workers worldwide to learn about tactics and share ideas.

The three sponsoring organizations were the ICB project, the Liberian National Law Enforcement Association (LINLEA) which is a Liberian human rights organization, and CVT's Liberia program. Participants included people from other torture treatment programs as well as activists from eight African countries. The workshop was held in Liberia during the week of 19-23 February 2007.

Goals of the workshop:

Provide civil society activists from Liberia and Sierra Leone the opportunity to identify and adapt promising tactics that have been used by Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) that faced comparable challenges in other countries in Africa. In addition, to provide the broad range of Liberian civil society activists a one-day introduction (the public event, see below) to tactics, practical tools for strategic innovation, leadership, and managing collaborations.
Showcase efforts of advocates that have arisen from African torture rehabilitation programs; provide training to strengthen them as leaders, trainers, facilitators and writers; and increase their knowledge of promising tactics used by colleague organizations.
Increase the long-term impact and sustainability of CVT's community mental health projects in Liberia and Sierra Leone by connecting local staff with potential allies and supporters from torture treatment programs internationally, and a broader network of civil society activists in their countries.
Contribute to the body of knowledge on rebuilding post-conflict societies by highlighting key tactics and practical considerations for adapting these tactics to new situations.

METHODOLOGY

TACTICAL PRESENTATIONS

Child and Youth Activities: A Doorway for Community Engagement, Gundrun Kober
Human Rights Clubs in Schools, Dr. Charles Ntare, FACT, Rwanda
Empowering Survivors to Become Healers Now and Forever, Seidu Swaray, CVT Liberia
Multi-media Communication Efforts for Public Outreach: The Experience of ACTV, Sharon Lamwaka, ACTV, Uganda
Dealing with Trauma through Collective Bridging Activities, Miriam Fredericks, Trauma Center, South Africa
Advocacy Journalism and Human Rights Protection, Victor Bwire, Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU), Kenya
Beneficiaries Committee and Coffee Ceremonies, Tekeste Ayalew, RCVTE, Ethiopia
Developing a Blue Print for Civil Society Organizations, Benjamin Tarnue, NACCSOL, Liberia

WORKSHOP HOSTS

ABOUT WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS

Liberia Workshop Participants and Staff List
One Day Public Presentation Participant List
Public Day Presentation: Keynote address given by Liberian Minister of Labor Samuel Kofi Woods

WORKSHOP AGENDA

TOP ISSUES OF CONCERN

COMMENTS FROM PARTICIPANTS

MS WORD Document - All materials about this conference (251.5 KB)

Training in Practice

bharris — Fri, 25 May 2007 20:01:01 -0500

Training Tools

Visit the Training Tools page to download many of the training exercises we feature at New Tactics events.

Regional Training Workshops

As part of its effort to promote the use of tactics and strategic thinking, the New Tactics project and its partner organizations have held five regional training workshops. For each workshop, participants (ranging from 10 to 50) with experience in using innovative tactics were selected. Participants then gathered together to train each other in the use of their tactic and to create training materials. Upon returning home, participants shared the tactics they have learned with their colleagues, friends and other organizations in their community. Organizations have incorporated new approaches in their work as a result of sending a member to a workshop. Additionally, in the months following each workshop, a selected number of participants created tactical notebooks with in-depth information on how to use their tactic. For more information on current and future training opportunities, please contact newtactics [at] cvt [dot] org.

Eastern and Central Europe and Turkey
Africa
Eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East and Turkey
West Group
Latin America
Asia

Other New Tactics Workshops

Liberia (A workshop to examine tactics being used in post conflict rebuilding)

Eastern and Central Europe and Turkey

Dates: April 17-24, 2002
Location: Sinaia, Romania
Partner: ICAR Foundation
Participants
Final Report [*note]

"The concept of gathering innovative tactics in the field of human rights and learning from each other is very good. Each of the presentations gave me food for thought." - Rafal Pankowski, Never Again, Poland

Africa

Dates: May 17-25, 2003
Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Partner: Desmond Tutu Peace Center
Participants
Final Report [*note]

"In Turkey there are many organizations that simply denounce human rights violations–but this workshop is encouraging responses and action in order to help prevent and alleviate the negative consequences of human rights violations. In all the countries we have gaps–between civil society and politicians, between intellectuals and non-intellectuals, etc. This project can help to bridge these gaps. This project can bring these all together, and if it is well applied, it will encourage new actions. " - Ali Bayramoglu, Turkey

Liberia

Dates: 19 - 23 February 2007

Location: Monrovia

Partner: LINLEA

Final Report:

Eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East and Turkey

Dates: September 4-7, 2003
Location: Sile, Turkey
Partner: Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly
Participants

"The seminar has paved the way for potential collaborations, setting up a platform for the exchange of information among those working in different fields and in different countries." - Ela Anil, Women for Women’s Human Rights, New Ways Foundation, Istanbul, Turkey

West Group

Dates: November 16-23, 2003
Location: Venice, Italy
Partner: Danish Institute for Human Rights
Participants
Final Report [*note]

"Partnership building- most don’t do it well, and don’t get training around it. One of the most exciting parts of this [New Tactics ] project is that you’re building the space to learn how to work together." - Jo Render, USA

Latin America

Dates: June 13-20, 2004
Location: Lima, Peru
Partner: La Coordinadora Nacional de Derechos Humanos

Asia

Dates: August 5-11, 2005
Location: Chiang Mai, Thailand
Partner: Forum-Asia
[more]

Liberia

Dates: February 19-23, 2007

Location: Monrovia, Liberia

Partner: Liberia National Law Enforcement Association (LINLEA)

[more]

*Note: You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to open the files marked with an asterisk (*). You can download a free version of this program from www.adobe.com.