New APF program builds expertise in group facilitation

A new APF training program has brought together human rights educators from across the Asia Pacific to explore new ways to engage adult learners and equip them with the skills and tools to build strong, fair communities.

The five-day workshop for facilitators – held in Jakarta from 12-16 December 2017, and hosted by Indonesia's National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) – followed four weeks of online learning.

Participants discussed the principles and frameworks of adult learning, as well as practical strategies to design and facilitate effective learning environments.

The practice-based focus of the program also required participants to design projects that they could implement within their respective national human rights institutions (NHRIs) to address a specific need.

The proposed projects included building a focus on gender across different aspects of their NHRI's work, advocating for human rights through digital storytelling and increasing staff engagement with specific issues in the lead up to the UPR reporting process.

Participants who successfully design and implement their project over the next six months will be invited to join the APF Facilitators' Network.

"Skilled educators and facilitators within NHRIs can play a critical role in identifying gaps, supporting and training staff and making real-world change possible," said APF Regional Training Manager Kate Turner-Mann.

"In addition to leading capacity building activities within their NHRIs, members of the APF Facilitators' Network can play a leading role to bolster their NHRI's education and outreach efforts," she said.

Annual meetings of APF Facilitators' Network will allow members to share their experiences, learn from each other and develop good practice approaches.

The first meeting is due to be held in October 2018.

The APF Facilitators' Network will also develop the Jakarta Code of Practice for Human Rights Facilitators, a resource for NHRIs in the region that the group began drafting during the workshop.

The workshop for facilitators included 20 representatives from the NHRIs of Afghanistan, Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, Oman, Palestine, Philippines, Samoa, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

Date: 4 January 2018