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Capacity Building

EHAHRDP implements comprehensive trainings tailored to the needs of human rights defenders in the region with the aim to equip them with skills that enable them to enhance the efficiency of their work and ensure better individual protection through improved personal capacities and familiarity with handling situations of crisis and threat.
The organisation recognises the specific needs of groups of human rights defenders such as journalists, women human rights defenders, sexual minorities, or defenders working in situation of armed conflict among others.
In the long term, EHAHRDP seeks to conduct national training workshops for human rights defenders in each member country that will not only enhance their capacity but will initiate the formation of national coalitions of HRDs. These coalitions are to act on the challenges faced nationally and feed into the regional work of the Network. Having effectively organised national coalitions will bundle the potential for activism and strengthen intervention for the protection of HRDs on national and regional level.

2009

• Over 40 persons, from across the region (East and Horn of Africa) attended the three day regional workshop convened by the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project (EHAHRDP) to discuss the experiences and challenges facing women and minority human rights defenders. The workshop took place on 12th-14th October 2009 at Imperial Royale Hotel, Kampala, Uganda.
  The purpose of the workshop was to allow Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs) and minority rights defenders (MRDs) to identify the challenges facing them and develop strategies to address these. The workshop also provided an opportunity to expand the network as well as increase EHAHRDP’s sensitivity to gender issues in the implementation of its work in the region. The workshop was organized with support from the Finnish NGO Foundation for Human Rights (KIOS). Report

2008

• In April 2008 EHAHRDP in collaboration with Adili Consulting Nairobi organised the Aim 4 Regional Workshop for its partner Oxfam Novib. The workshop brought together more than 30 Oxfam Novib partners working in the countries of the sub-region. The workshop focused on Aim 4 of Oxfam Novib’s strategic aims, i.e. social and political participation covering governance and democracy building, citizen participation and human rights.

• In April 2008 EHAHRDP hosted its country focal persons for a Strategic Planning Meeting (SPM) designed to offer consultation and discussions on the future course of the Network and its members on a national and sub-regional level and to reinforce networking measures among members, focal persons and the Secretariat for effectively serving HRDs throughout the sub-region. The meeting witnessed the extension of the Network to include Rwanda and Burundi and involve them in the planning process of the Network. Report English / French

2007

• In June 2007, EHAHRDP organized a workshop, for HRDs from conflict-affected areas of Northern and Eastern Uganda. The workshop entitled “Working in Areas of Conflict” aimed at training human rights defenders on existing instruments for their protection, effective use of security tactics appropriate under adverse working conditions; and collecting views on human rights defenders’ needs for better protection and support for communication to relevant stakeholders. The workshop held in Gulu witnessed the attendance of more than 20 human rights defenders and journalists working in the conflict-affected region of Uganda. Report
• In May 2007, the organization carried out the pilot phase of a Campus Campaign programme that targeted 3 universities in Uganda. The campaign aimed at educating students on human rights defence, and instilling in them an understanding of the different protection mechanisms available for human rights defenders thereby contributing to a sustainable culture of human rights protection among the young generation.
• In February 2007, EHAHRDP organized a workshop entitled, “Knowing Your Rights: A workshop for human rights defenders”, which attracted more than 30 human rights defenders from the four regions of Uganda. The workshop aimed at introducing the concept of human rights defenders among the activists operating within the various parts of the country and allowed them to utilize the existing mechanisms for their own protection.

2006

• In November 2006, EHAHRDP organised a four-day conference entitled “Journalists working at the Frontline of Human Rights Defence” attended by over 30 journalists and media workers from the entire region of the East and Horn of Africa. The conference aimed at providing an opportunity to discuss and sensitise journalists about issues of human rights work and opportunities of synergetic linkages between the media and other human rights defenders. The conference was made possible by generous support from the Finnish NGO Foundation for Human Rights. Report
• In April 2006, EHAHRDP invited more than 20 Ugandan journalists for a training session on HRD rights and protection instruments with the intention to enhance their awareness of being frontline human rights defenders as well as deepening the organisation’s contacts with local media for the benefit of its advocacy campaigns. The event supported by the National Endowment for democracy proved essential in establishing strong ties with local media in the defence of human rights and effective information dissemination.

2005

• EHAHRDP organised the conference entitled “Human Rights Defenders Conference for the East and Horn of Africa”  bringing together more than 60 delegates from the sub-region and beyond. Participants were educated on their rights and trained in existing protection mechanisms and security tactics. Discussions evolved around developing a strategy of improved protection for human rights defenders which formed the basis for the creation of the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Network. The conference was organised in collaboration with Amnesty International, Africa Regional Office with support of Oxfam Novib, the International Development Research Centre and the Centre for Refugee Studies at York University. Report