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 dilemma-demonstration tactic that was used by a Canadian organization to convince the government to release information that the public had a right to see.  They put pressure on the government by creating a climactic moment that brought media attention onto the issue and embarrassed the government.

This notebook describes the tactics that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Peru implimented to give a voice to victims of governmental human rights abuses.  The purpose of the commission was not an investigation, rather Public Audiences provided victims the opportunity to tell their stories and rewrite history in a sense to include the abuses they suffered.

"Plan B" describes the tactic that Otpor!, a student movement in Serbia, used to break through the governments reign of fear and encourage activists not to be afraid.  They accomplished this by turning government arrests of demonstrators into public spectacles that illustrated the governments repressive regime and turned the arrested into public heroes.

This notebook demonstrates how international mechanisms can be a powerful tool for organizations trying to bring about change in their community.  This notebook uses the example of Northern Ireland and describes how the Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ) was able to successfully utilise the UN Committee Against Torture to pressure the UK to establish mechanisms and standards for human rights.

The Korean Women Workers Associations United (KWWAU) and its partners effectively engaged media to raise public awareness and concern regarding the minimum wage system, thereby assisting in the creation of a social movement that has succeeded in changing the minimum wage law to afford greater protections for workers, especially for women.

In this notebook we learn about the creative and effective use of a mock tribunal to change public perceptions and beliefs regarding violations against women, and to change public policy and law. BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights, in collaboration with CIRDDOC (Civil Resource Development and Documentation Centre), highlighted violations of women’s rights in Nigeria that were viewed by the public as normal or even justifiable abuse.