New guidelines showcase effective human rights facilitation

The APF's network of human rights facilitators is developing good practice guidelines to support others in the Asia Pacific working to build human rights understanding and practice.

The APF Facilitators Network – which currently includes representatives from 16 APF member institutions [1] – gathered in Bangkok for a three-day meeting in September 2018.

Building on work they had previously undertaken, Network members collaborated to draft the Jakarta Guidelines for Human Rights Facilitators, which sets out core competencies for effective human rights facilitation and includes examples of good practice

They also agreed to use a small pool of resources available to the APF Facilitators Network to translate the Jakarta Guidelines into their local languages.

"It is exciting to see this group set their priorities and look for ways to share their expertise and insights with others working to advance human rights," APF Regional Training Manager Ms Turner-Mann said.

The APF Facilitators Network was established following an APF training course – held in Jakarta in December 2017 – to build knowledge and skills in adult-centred learning and facilitation.

Following the training course, participants who were interested in joining the APF Facilitators Network were required to develop and lead an activity to strengthen the capacity of staff within their respective NHRIs to respond to a pressing human rights issue or an area of need.

"This workshop provided an opportunity for people to share what they learned from that process," said APF Regional Training Manager Kate Turner-Mann.

"They were also able to work together to identify what makes a 'fantastic facilitator', as well as the skills they wanted to further develop to improve the adult learning programs they lead."

Along with practical exercises to strengthen core competencies in facilitation, the workshop also included discussions on how to build an understanding of gender into planning, facilitating and evaluating human rights learning.

Members of the APF Network will continue to collaborate and share ideas using the APF's learning platform, FUSE.

The workshop was held from 24-26 September 2018 and hosted by the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand.

More information on the APF Facilitators' Network is available from Kate Turner-Mann or Fasoha Aishath at the APF secretariat.

Date: 16 October 2018

1. Members of the APF Facilitators Network represent the NHRIs of Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, Oman, Palestine, Samoa, Sri Lanka and Thailand.