This course aims to develop the skills of conducting and reporting impartial and accurate research into human rights abuses. It will be of benefit to anybody in NGOs and other groups promoting rights-based advocacy or seeking to defend human rights.
It is part of an integrated collection of courses developed by Fahamu in conjunction with the University of Oxford.
The course comprises two modules. The foundation module aims to develop participants’ ability to plan and conduct impartial and accurate research and investigations of human rights violations or abuses. The advanced module deals in greater depth with the monitoring and reporting skills required to track the development of important human rights issues, and to observe significant events and report on them.
During the course, participants will have opportunities to practise some of the skills they are learning – especially interviewing, one of the core skills for a factfinder. They will also have to complete ten practical assignments, to help them learn and demonstrate their new skills.
Foundation module course content
1 Factfinding and investigations
- What is human rights factfinding?
- What is its purpose?
- How is it done?
- Who else does it?
2 Standards in factfinding
- What are human rights standards?
- What is a human rights violation?
- Who might commit one?
- Doing background research.
3 Evidence and its use
- The types of evidence used in human rights investigations
- Examples of human rights reports
- Evaluating and corroborating evidence.
4 Collecting information
Gathering information on:
- Torture and ill-treatment
- Sexual violence
- Political killings
- Refugees
- Social and economic rights.
5 Using standard formats
- Preparing simple incident sheets
- Using standard reporting forms
- Using computer databases.
6 Interviewing
- Preparing, conducting and recording interviews with witnesses or victims
- How to deal with different types of interviewees.
7 Missions and on-site investigations
- Planning and preparing a factfinding team
- Preparing and conducting factfinding missions.
8 Working with other institutions
- Working with human rights commissions, other NGOs and the police
- Involving communities in factfinding
- How to deal with stress
- Security and confidentiality.
Advanced module course content
1 Reporting
- How to plan, prepare and write human rights reports
- Developing effective writing skills
- Monitoring governments' compliance with international treaty obligations.
2 Specialised investigative techniques
- Forensic medicine
- Forensic anthropology
- Trial observations
- Quantitative and qualitative social science research methods
- Simple surveys
- Focus group discussions.
3 Monitoring public events
- Preparing to monitor events such as demonstrations and political rallies
- What to look for
- How to monitor.
4 Media monitoring
- Are the media adhering to ethical and professional standards?
- Are the media promoting freedom of expression?
- Using quantitative and qualitative research methods
- Using standard formats.
5 Election monitoring
- Monitoring human rights during election periods
- Monitoring election processes.
By the end of the course
Participants in the foundation module will be able to:
- Gather and evaluate research materials
- Know what sort of evidence to look for on different human rights issues
- Design simple standard formats for recording human rights information
- Conduct interviews with victims of human rights violations and other informants
- Plan research missions and other on-site investigations.
Participants in the advanced module will be able to:
- Plan and write simple human rights reports
- Organise and conduct monitoring of public events
- Organise and conduct basic media monitoring
- Monitor government adherence to international human rights treaty obligations
- Plan to monitor elections.
Course benefits
Every participant will be provided with course materials including a course CDROM, which contains a comprehensive library of all relevant declarations, conventions and documents, as well as useful website addresses. A resources section on the CDROM provides a glossary of frequently used terms, a list of recommended books, copies of documents, links to relevant websites and other useful resources
Every participant who successfully completes a course will be awarded a certificate from the University of Oxford and Fahamu.
Audience
This course is aimed at anybody working for NGOs or other groups promoting rights-based advocacy or seeking to defend human rights. It is particularly suitable for those in institutions such as National Institutes for Human Rights or similar ombuds-bodies that have responsibility for investigating human rights violations.
Course length
Residential course:
Foundation module only: 2 weeks
with Advanced module: 3 weeks
Distance learning course (1–2 hours/day):
Foundation module only: 8 weeks
with Advanced module: 12 weeks
Tuition fee
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