Human Rights Education A Manual for National Human Rights Institutions Course objectives By the end of the course human rights defenders will be able to: • outline foundation human rights issues, as well as the national and international system for promoting and protecting human rights • identify the rights of specific vulnerable groups in Nepal, including women, children and minority groups • describe human rights issues “on the ground”, through field visits to prisons, detention centres, children’s homes and other places • discuss the role and functions of human rights defenders, human rights protection mechanisms, human rights dialogue and advocacy and a human rights-based approach to development • document human rights violations more effectively. More information is available at http://nhrcnepal.org/nhrc_new/doc/newsletter/NHRC%20 Newsletter%20March%20issue16Apr_2012(1).pdf. Structure This is the plan for the activity’s content and its process. It may be a session plan for a workshop, the outline of a website or written resource or an agenda for a meeting. Part IV of the Manual includes several techniques for structuring an activity. Environmental considerations This is about where the activity will take place, whether it has a physical presence or is online, and understanding what impacts the environment may have on the activity. What possibilities or opportunities does the environment offer? Does it create barriers to accessibility for some people? Logistics This includes all the arrangements that are required to ensure that the activity runs smoothly. Logistics may include developing a formal agreement with a partner group, booking a venue, organizing catering, ensuring that people know how to get to a venue, informing the media of the activity and holding a meeting with the planning group. The educator is often juggling many things at the same time. Although there are a number of planning tools and instruments available, a basic list of what needs to happen, when it needs to happen and who will make it happen will usually be enough. Communications and reporting This sets out who needs to know about the activity, how and when to inform them and who should be the communicator. Communication should be relevant and accessible. It is also about ensuring the educator receives information that may be relevant to the activity during all its stages.112 112 62 Communication can be with internal and external stakeholders and be outwards and inwards, sent and received. The level of formality and structure will depend on the nature of the activity. For example, a session with a class of students may only require email as needed, while a major activity may require a structured communications plan. One of the most important aspects of communication for a human rights educator is to report important human rights information gathered from individuals, organizations and communities back to her or his managers in the NHRI.