CRIN - Child Rights Information Network
Many agencies and institutions in the development community have now
started to integrate human rights principles and standards into their
programming. Given that these organisations face many of the same
challenges – and are attempting to implement a relatively consistent
rights–based approach – it is not surprising that the tools they use show
similarities.
However, the varied nature of these organisations – be they government
departments, aid agencies, inter-governmental institutions, non-
governmental organisations, charities, civil society organisations,
professional bodies, religious groups, campaigning initiatives, or media
outfits – can result in different organisational needs in terms of the tools
and training materials they require.
Human rights
At its most basic, an introduction to human rights enables the trainee to
appreciate what human rights are and their implications for development,
and make them aware of the international human rights instruments
relevant to their work area.
Many training manuals also endeavour to inspire development
practitioners
to take up the cause of human rights, not only by understanding but also
internalising and adopting human rights principles such as participation,
equity, and dignity in their approach to development work.
Organisations working within a particular field may have also developed
training courses that aim to familiarise trainees with a specific human
rights
instrument, for example the UNCRC or CEDAW. In such instances the
training manual may aim to provide a more detailed understanding of the
specific principles that apply in certain circumstances, or of a particular set
of standards articulated within the instrument, or of the means by which
the human rights instrument can be used to challenge violations of rights.
For example, The International Save the Children’s Alliance’s UNCRC
Training Kit is available from Save the Children UK
Rights-Based Development
In addition to the traditional disciplines of politics, economics, anthropology
and other social sciences, a number of tools exist to help organisations
analyse their focal area from a right-based perspective, which are based
on a combination of human rights as well as good development practice.
These may include different forms of analysis based on obligation and
responsibility, causality analysis, analysis of power (eg gender and
adult/child relations), and the identification of capacities and constraints to
realise rights. There are also tools to assist in mapping violations of rights.
Other tools and techniques aim to achieve change in the realisation of
rights. In some instances these may be adapted development tools, or
adapted human rights activism tools, for instance those used in advocacy
and campaigning. Finally, tools and techniques can be used to monitor
achievements within a rights-based framework, both in terms of the
process by which change is achieved, and the degree to which rights are
realised.
Starting points
These links are to manuals that have an organisational focus. They are all
of good quality. However, they would have to be adapted to suit different
organisations’ needs.
CARE’s Manual
Action-Aid’s Manual
Save the Children Alliance’s CRP Handbook
The RBA Toolkit of Save the Children Denmark
UNDP Phillipines RBA Training
UNICEF’s Human Rights Principles for Programming
SCUK’s Global Impact Monitoring Guidelines
Leave No Child Out’s Rights Based Approaches resource kit
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