Dates: May 17-25, 2003
Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Partner: Desmond Tutu Peace Center
Final report [*note]
Le rapport en français [*note]

Binta "Neneh" Barry, CVT Refugee Mental Health, Sierra Leone
Using a training and supervision model for refugees to rebuild communities after massive human rights atrocities

Beverley Clark, Kubatana Trust, Zimbabwe
Using Informal Networks to Disseminate Civic and Human Rights Information

Mufuliat Fijabi, BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights, Nigeria
Engaging prominent persons in mock tribunals to advance women’s human rights and affect public policy

Oulimata Gaye, Résau Africain de Développement Integré (RADI), Senegal
Using comedy to break the silence around family violence

Cecil Griffiths, Liberia National Law Enforcement Association (LINLEA), Liberia
Development of a network of law enforcement personnel to promote professionalism and human rights among themselves

Lerato Kgamphe, Idasa/Children's Budget Unit, South Africa
Using budgets as a monitoring tool

Emmanuel Nsabimana, African Public Radio (APR), Burundi
Using strategic position (occupation, relationships) to exert pressure on key individuals

Emile Short, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Ghana
Engaging respected leaders to end customary practices that violate human rights

Noel Twagiramungu, La Ligue des Droits de la Personne dans la Region des Grands Lacs (LDGL), Rwanda
Building alliances through strategic mapping and dialogue

Lucrecia Wamba, Rebuilding Hope, Mozambique
Combining traditional healing and western psychology to reintegrate former child soldiers

Glenda Wildschut, former member, South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission, South Africa
Using "briefers" to accompany and support testifiers of gross human rights violations

Using a training and supervision model for refugees to rebuild communities after massive human rights atrocities
The Center for Victims of Torture has instituted a unique and intensive training and supervision model for refugees to develop local capacity for rebuilding their own communities after massive human rights atrocities. This tactic has been instituted in refugee camps in Guinea and Sierra Leone. As these refugee "mental health specialists" build their capacity, they provide mental health services to individuals as well as group therapy for traumatized individuals and use their skills for rebuilding their community and support systems. Currently, there are 122 mental health specialists involved in the project and providing a variety of services to thousands of refugees of all ages.

Using Informal Networks to Disseminate Civic and Human Rights Information
The Kubatana Trust made use of established informal networks–vendors, taxi and bus operators, security guards, retired people/pensioners and housewives–to move voter and human rights information to specific targets and the public at large. For example, Kubatana organized people from some of these informal networks to encourage people to vote. Messages of participation, such as "Vote!" and "Say YES to peace," were also stamped on anything that would pass through public hands–money, envelopes, invoices and even plastic bags and paper wrap from the market. In Zimbabwe, the repressive sociopolitical context made the use of traditional methods of information distribution out of reach. This tactic of using informal networks provided an alternative, accessible and nonthreatening approach to moving information into the hands of as many people as possible.

"I come away feeling a great sense of pride in the work that fellow Africans are doing. Oftentimes we don’t really understand what is going on in our neighboring countries."

Engaging prominent persons in mock tribunals to advance women’s human rights and affect public policy
BAOBAB, in collaboration with the Civil Resource Development and Documentation Center (CIRDDOC), enlisted prominent individuals, such as representatives from the National Human Rights Commission, CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women) representatives for Nigeria, lawyers and a Nigerian Supreme Court Justice, to create a high powered panel of "judges" for a mock tribunal. The tribunal was intended to change the public’s belief that human rights violations against women are normal or even justifiable, as well as to create policy and legal changes. The panel heard the testimonies of women from across Nigeria on various types of violence against women then gave a verdict as well as policy recommendations at both the national and local levels. The event received extensive media coverage and the panel’s recommendations have been instrumental in advocating reform of the laws related to violence against women.

"I will share the idea of new tactics in human rights and the need to decontextualize them for effective transferability. "

Using comedy to break the silence around family violence
Rather than confront the silence of family violence head on, RADI used comedic theater to open the door for discussions on this difficult topic in Senegal. The group’s performances also aimed to demystify the changes in national civil law and give women skills on how to use the law. Women in rural areas had already formed support groups called mbottayes where they would meet weekly to share support on issues that affect their daily lives. RADI used these support groups as a starting point and brought in female paralegals to act out comedic sketches about family violence. RADI’s efforts show that comedy can be used in many contexts with countless issues to raise awareness, understanding and skills in a light, fun way even when the topics are anything but light.

"After all I heard here, I see it is possible to change the situation. I realize that often groups are limited to denouncing human rights abuses. I see that it’s also important for them to learn about ways to improve human rights and get beyond just denouncing."

Development of a network of law enforcement personnel to promote professionalism and human rights among themselves
Law enforcement personnel are among the most difficult groups to reach regarding human rights. The Liberia National Law Enforcement Association (LINLEA) was established by law enforcement personnel themselves to address issues of poor leadership and blind loyalty which contribute to a poor quality of service and a high incidence of human rights abuses. LINLEA has worked to promote professionalism as a way to enhance human rights standards and reduce incidences of abuse. When the law enforcement profession itself understands the connection between professionalism and human rights – and is ready to expose abuses when they occur – this sends a signal to government that action must be taken to address these abuses.

Using budgets as a monitoring tool
Follow the money. Budgets are an effective tool for evaluating programs and policies to determine whether progress on financial and legal obligations is real or illusory. Idasa’s Children’s Budget Unit (CBU) monitors the South African government’s progress on its legal commitments to advance child-specific socioeconomic rights by analyzing its budgets. The CBU examines the government’s budget allocations, actual spending and program implementation. The power of this tactic lies in its ability to reveal in black and white a government’s true commitment to advancing human rights.

Using strategic position (occupation, relationships) to exert pressure on key individuals
African Public Radio (APR) used its position as a media entity to make the deplorable situation of people detained in hospitals for nonpayment of their bills a public human rights issue. Burundi has long been a war zone and many people are living in poverty. Hundreds of people who could not pay their medical bills were being held as prisoners in hospitals. APR secretly interviewed the detainees and broadcast their testimonies. They also produced messages targeted at specific individuals and groups who could put moral pressure on government officials to respond to the issue. In April 2002, the Council of Ministers forbade the detention of indigent people in hospitals and ordered the release of everyone still being held. Radio is a powerful medium throughout the world and can be actively engaged to advance human rights.

Engaging respected leaders to end customary practices that violate human rights
This tactic engages respected leaders to educate perpetrators, victims and communities about a customary practice that violates human rights. The education campaign undermines the traditional supports of that practice and can lead to its voluntary abandonment. Some of the most difficult human rights violations to eradicate are customary or traditional practices based on the deep-seated beliefs of a people or community, particularly where there is a spiritual dimension to the practice. One such customary practice is trokosi, in Ghana, a system of servitude in which women and young girls are kept in fetish shrines to meet the material and sexual needs of priests, usually in atonement for sins allegedly committed by their relatives. The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice recognized that legislation outlawing such practices might not be effective and might, in some cases, drive the customary practice further underground. Respected leaders spoke directly with perpetrators, victims, other community leaders and the community at large to facilitate understanding of the practice, while providing alternatives and avenues for abandoning the practice without losing status.

Building alliances through strategic mapping and dialogue
La Ligue des Droits de la Personne dans la Region des Grands Lacs (LDGL or the League) has succeeded in building strong alliances among organizations that share information and collaborate effectively in a region deeply affected by civil conflict. The ultimate purpose of the tactic is to enlarge one’s group of allies little by little in order to reduce distrust. The League acts as an umbrella group–gathering together 27 members, from various countries (mainly Burundi, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo). The League has used both dialogue (as a basis for positive interactions with people from different cultures) and strategic mapping to gain the confidence of these member organizations. This makes it possible for them to monitor human rights abuses and to disseminate information quickly. Strategically mapping out potential allies and identifying the most appropriate tactic to establish key relationships can strengthen human rights efforts in many parts of the world.

"I have found that the workshop is very innovative. It demystified human rights and tactics in human rights. Very often when you talk about seminars and workshops people often expect to have experts and learned people who talk about their theories. Here, we saw participants who are themselves the experts. The people were ready to teach others, but were also ready to receive what the others were doing."

Combining traditional healing and western psychology to reintegrate former child soldiers
Rebuilding Hope saw the need for an integrated healing process that would allow families and communities to accept child soldiers back into their lives – even those who had killed their relatives and burnt down villages. Acknowledging that traditional healers are often the first people community members turn to when they need help, Rebuilding Hope psychologists approached the healers as well as other community leaders, such as teachers and traditional leaders, to be partners in healing former child soldiers. The integrated support system combining western psychology and the traditional healing processes helped these children be reintegrated into their families and communities as "purified" people. At the same time, psychologists helped the children begin to regain their mental and emotional well-being. These issues are not unique to Mozambique. Other communities dealing with the reintegration of child solders or other troubled populations may find it helpful to access traditional forms of support and healing along with other available resources.

Using "briefers" to accompany and support testifiers of gross human rights violations
The South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) used "briefers" to offer support to victims before, during and after their testimony. The volunteer briefers – ministers, social workers, nurses and others from the caring professions – were selected from within the affected community. Their efforts helped victims better understand the legal, emotional and practical effects of the commission’s work. The victims thus felt they owned the process and were able to contribute in an important way by making recommendations about reparations. Briefers could be used in many situations where vulnerable victims need mediation and support to overcome traumatic experiences, including those involving domestic violence, rape, tribunals and court systems.

"One of the biggest lessons that I have learned is in regard to the process of tactical thinking. Within one’s own environment, how can we help people to be thinking tactically? I don’t know it’s an art or a science–but it is important."

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