MINELRES: Distance education courses on Using Internet for Human Rights Work and Project Management in NGO Sector (March-May 2003)

[Frank Elbers]

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

Dear list members,

Please find below a call for applications for two new distance learning 
courses that will start in March:

Using the Internet for Human Rights Work - Introductory course
17 March-11 May 2003
Application deadline: 28 February 2003

Project Development and Management in the NGO Sector
24 March-15 June 2003
Application deadline: 15 February 2003

If, after reading the announcements below, you have any further questions 
about the content of the courses or the application process, please write 
to: <applications@hrea.org>.

Best wishes,

Frank Elbers
Distance Learning Programme, HREA
http://www.hrea.org/courses/

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Course 7E03: USING THE INTERNET FOR HUMAN RIGHTS WORK - INTRODUCTORY COURSE
17 March-11 May 2003
Instructor: Frank Elbers

HREA is offering an introductory course on using the Internet for
human rights work. Participants will be introduced to proven methods
of using the Internet efficiently and effectively, including the use
of search engines, Web browsers, listservs, Web-to-email services,
information management, and security and privacy tools.

This course involves eight weeks (approximately 40 hours) of reading,
exercises, discussion, interaction with students and
instructor/facilitator and assignments. E-mail will be the main
medium for the course, although participants will need to have
periodic access to the Web. The course is based on a participatory,
active learning approach, with an emphasis on peer-to-peer learning.

The course is intended for staff members of human rights and social
justice organisations, researchers and others who regularly use the
Internet in their human rights work or study. Participants will
receive a Certificate of Attendance upon completion of the course.

COURSE OUTLINE

Week 1. Human rights information on the Internet
Week 2. Using e-mail and Web-to-email services
Week 3. Using listservs
Week 4. Basics of Web browsers
Week 5. Basics of Web browsers (continued)
Week 6. Search engines
Week 7. Instant messaging and chat
Week 8. Encryption and other tools to protect privacy

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR/FACILITATOR

Frank Elbers is Deputy Director of Human Rights Education Associates
(HREA) and coordinates distance education programming. He has been
responsible since 1998 for the implementation of HREA's web site and
the on-line Resource Centre and Learning Centre.

Before joining HREA, Frank Elbers worked for the Anne Frank Foundation (the
Netherlands), the Netherlands Helsinki Committee and SATELLIFE, an
international development organisation that promotes the use of ICTs
by health professionals in developing countries. Mr. Elbers has conducted
ICT trainings and workshops for Education Development Center, the
Inter-American Institute for Human Rights and UNESCO. He is moderator
of the HURIDOCS-Tech listserv on the use of new technologies for
human rights work and has facilitated various on-line working groups
for the United Nations Development Fund for Women's (UNIFEM) on
women's human rights.

WHO SHOULD APPLY

The course is intended for staff members of human rights and social
justice organisations, researchers and others who regularly use the
Internet in their human rights work or study. Candidates should have
a good written command of English (the working language of the
course) and have high competence and comfort with computer use.
Please be aware that an advanced course (Course 3E03: Use of
Information and Communication Technologies for Human Rights
Work-Advanced course) will be offered in June-July 2003, intended for staff 
members of human rights and social justice organisations who are responsible
for information and communication (i.e. information officers,
webmasters/webweavers).

COSTS

The course tuition fee is USD 300 and needs to be paid in full by 14
March 2003 in order to guarantee a place in the course. Scholarships
are available for applicants from Africa, Arab World, Asia, Central
and Eastern Europe/Newly Independent States, Latin America/Caribbean.
Payments can be made with international money orders, checks in US
Dollars, via bank transfer, or with major credit cards.

APPLICATION

Deadline for applications is 28 February 2003, however applications
are accepted on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Applications can be completed on-line at http://www.hrea.org/courses/7E.html


*****************

Course 6E03: PROJECT DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT IN THE NGO SECTOR
24 March-15 June 2003
Instructor: Felisa Tibbitts

This course will introduce the basic elements of project development
and management. Step-by-step processes and techniques will be
introduced for the various phases of a project life cycle. The course
is intended for staff of non-governmental organizations who have
responsibility for designing and carrying out a project, but with
relatively little experience. Participants will be assisted in the
development of a project plan that could be submitted to senior
management or a funding agency.

The course involves approximately 60 hours of reading, on-line
working groups, interaction with students and instructor/facilitator
and assignments, and is offered over a 12-week period, beginning on
24 March 2003. E-mail will be the main medium for the course,
although participants will need to have periodic access to the Web.
The course is based on a participatory, active learning approach,
with an emphasis on peer-to-peer learning. Participants will do the
required readings, prepare interim and final assignments and
participate in group discussions.

The main course text is Marion E. Haynes' Project Management:
Practical Tools for Success (Crisp Learning, 2002, $13.95) and a
resource to be announced. These will need to be obtained by
participants prior to the commencement of the course, and are
available in on-line bookstores.

The maximum number of course participants is 25. Students who
successfully complete the course will receive a Certificate of
Participation. It is also possible to audit the course.

Course outline

Weeks 1-2: Introduction

Week 1. Introduction to Projects and Project Management
Week 2. Role of the Project Managert

Weeks 3-6: Project Development

Week3. Defining Project Objectives and Strategies
Week 4. Overview of Planning and Estimating
Week 5. Preparing a Detailed Project Plan
Week 6. Dealing with Risk and Uncertainty

Weeks 7-12: Project Management

Week 7. Identifying and Supporting Team Members
Week 8. Monitoring the Project
Week 9. Communication and Documentation
Week 10. Relations with Stakeholders
Week 11. Project Evaluation
Week 12. Concluding a Project

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Felisa Tibbitts has successfully developed and managed projects in
the NGO sector for over 12 years, managing over $2 million worth of
projects from "idea development to evaluation" stage. As
project manager, she has assisted partner organizations in their
project design and management, often in the area of new programming.
Ms. Tibbitts is co-founder and Director of Human Rights Education
Associates (HREA) and former coordinator of Human Rights Education
Programming for the Netherlands Helsinki Committee. She has
Master's degrees from Harvard University's Kennedy School
of Government (Public Policy) and from Harvard's Graduate
School of Education (Administration, Planning and Social Policy) and
has published several articles on program planning and development in
the education field.

WHO SHOULD APPLY

The course is intended for staff members of non-governmental
organisations, particularly those working in the human rights and
development sector. Candidates should have a good written command of
English and have high competence and comfort with computers and
Internet use. HREA aims to ensure equal gender and geographical
distribution across the selected participants.

COSTS

The course tuition fee is US$ 455 (tuition for auditors is $200), not
including purchase of the main course textbooks, which should be
arranged by individual participants. Scholarships are available for
applicants from Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe/Newly
Independent States, Latin America/Caribbean through the support of
the Dutch Foreign Ministry.

APPLICATION

Deadline for applications is 15 February 2003. Applications received
after that day unfortunately cannot be accepted. Successful
applicants will be notified by 22 February 2003. Full tuition payment
is due on 14 March 2003.

APPLICATION FORMS

Application forms (in Word and PDF) can be dowloaded from: 
http://www.hrea.org/courses/6E.html

Inquiries about the course can be sent to <applications@hrea.org>.

ABOUT HREA's DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMME

HREA's Distance Learning Programme (DLP) was initiated in 2000 in response
to an unaddressed need for the continuing education of human rights
professionals and practitioners. The programme builds on HREA's extensive
experience in both the training of professionals (teachers, advocates, law
schools) and the use of the new information technologies to provide
resources and to network human rights advocates and educators. By offering
short, practical yet specialised courses via distance learning barriers
that prevent many practitioners from participating in continuing
education, such as a lack of time and/or lack of funds to travel to
regional or national workshops/trainings, can be overcome. HREA annually
organises distance learning courses on human rights monitoring; research &
evaluation in the human rights field; programme development and
management; use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for
human rights work; new developments in international human rights law; and 
human rights advocacy.

Human Rights Education Associates (HREA) is an international
non-governmental organisation that supports human rights learning; the
training of activists and professionals; the development of educational
materials and programming; and community-building through on-line
technologies. HREA works in partnership with education agencies, NGOs,
governments and inter-governmental organisations to implement training
programmes for teachers, NGO staff, jurists and other professionals
involved in human rights work. Current and past partners include, inter
alia, Amnesty International, the Constitutional Legal Policy Institute
(COLPI), Council of Europe, Croatian Ministry of Education, HURIDOCS, the
Inter-American Institute for Human Rights, the Office of the UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights, University of Minnesota Human Rights Center
and UNESCO. HREA is registered as a non-profit organisation in the
Netherlands and the USA. More information on HREA can be found at:
http://www.hrea.org