Training

HRDiplomacy designs and conducts training and training of trainers on EU advocacy and on human rights defenders and their protection.  Interactive methods include role-plays and exchange of experience among participants.  

Examples are:

  • From February to October 2023, for the Red Cross EU Office (RCEU), researching and writing a "Training Guide on Humanitarian Diplomacy towards the European Union and EU member states," conducting a training of trainers for ten staff members of the RCEU, and observing and providing the RCEU with critical feedback on the first training based on the guide that it gave to representatives of Red Cross national societies.
  • In March 2017 and June 2019 in Brussels, for staff of local and European human rights organizations, on policies and practices of the EU, Norway, Switzerland and Canada in HRD protection and how to get them to take action.  One participant stated "the trainer showed mastery and expertise in the job and facilitates well on new ideas coming from the participants."  This and some other trainings were based on the handbook written for Front Line Defenders, The European Union:  What it can do, getting it to take action.
  • In July 2016, in The Hague, on human rights defenders and their projection, for around 40 staff members of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Netherlands.
  • In September 2015, in Germany, on advocacy for protection of HRDs in the Occupied Palestinian Territories for the German NGO Kurve Wustrow.
  • In June 2015, in Kyiv, on advocacy skills, for HRDs from Russia, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Ukraine.
  • In February 2014, in Hebron, in collaboration with Youth Against Settlements, for Palestinian and international human rights defenders in Hebron, Occupied Palestinian Territories on EU policies and practices in the protection of HRDs.   
  • In November 2013, in Brussels, for the NGO Arseh Sevom, a two-day training workshop on EU human rights advocacy for 12 Europe-based Iranian human rights defenders.  Participants' evaluation of the workshop was very positive.
  • In July 2013, in Amsterdam, a two-hour training workshop on EU protection of human rights defenders for 11 Amnesty International Netherlands staff members.
  • In April 2013, in Kampala, Uganda, on EU protection of HRDs at the regional stakeholder meeting of the East and Horn of African Human Rights Defenders Project.
  • In January 2009, in Utrecht, a one-day training session on human rights defenders for staff of the Dutch NGO ICCO.
  • In July 2008, in Istanbul, at the summer school organized by the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network, training HRDs from the Mediterranean region on documenting human rights violations and on lobby and advocacy.
  • In September 2005, in The Hague, on the EU Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders and how EU governments can be lobbied to help defend and widen NGO space, at Oxfam Novib's "Workshop on NGO Space in Eastern Europe, Caucasus, Central Asia, The Middle East and Maghreb."  A total of 13 organizations from Azerbaijan, Serbia/Montenegro, Egypt, Morocco, the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Georgia participated in this two-and-a-half day workshop.

Leading a training workshop on EU protection of HRDs in cooperation with Youth Against Settlements, Hebron, Occupied Palestinian Terrritories, February 2014