|
SHARE THE LIGHT |
|
|
We, the activists,
are Amnesty’s greatest resource
Amnesty is a membership organization: our effectiveness depends on us. The work we do takes a broad base of committed activists campaigning creatively and strategically on human rights concerns.
Training is an investment in members – student, local, and other group members – strengthening our grassroots, and helping us fulfill the high expectations of Amnesty International by:
- Building up the knowledge and skills we need to perform demanding and nuanced work.
- Bringing together diverse voices to share experiences and skills.
- Helping us act responsibly and in alignment with Amnesty’s mission, strategic goals, and structure.
- Encouraging us to take on leadership and develop leadership skills.
- Fostering our commitment, and encouraging members to climb “the ladder of engagement” within Amnesty and the wider movement.
What is
“empowerment”?
Empowered members have the knowledge and skills to act strategically and creatively, and therefore achieve greater impact in whatever work their groups choose. They are not simply mobilized from the “top-down” to take actions designed by others, but do so much more.
Empowered members develop their own campaigns and action plans, work more independently to plan and execute strategies and tactics, make decisions, and solve problems in ways consistent with AIUSA’s principles and practices. They develop skills for their own work, and also apply those skill to work on AIUSA priorities.
The role of
training
As human rights activists, we must be well informed about the work we take on. Amnesty’s reputation is based on our twin commitments to accuracy and impartiality. Human rights education helps us act responsibly within that legacy, and raise our expectations of each other. But building the capacity of activist members goes beyond that. Training provides skills that allow us to take what we know and use it more effectively. Training strengthens our individual and our collective activism by:
- Connecting members in peer-to-peer
networks that remind us of the breadth of our movement’s members and
opportunities, while unifying us with a common vision and goals .
- Informing us of resources and people we
can seek help from.
- Sharing innovative approaches and
institutional knowledge.
- Making activists more self-sufficient.
- Promoting efficient use of
organizational resources.
- Reducing member demands on AI staff,
while increasing the impact of human rights work.
- Building bridges between new and
long-time activist members.
What is the
Project?
The Membership Empowerment Training Project (METP) is a
three-year project (2016-2018) with the goal of developing an ongoing training
program for AIUSA’s grassroots activists.
Its origins lie in the Training Digitization Project, which gathered,
digitized, and made accessible documents from past AIUSA member training. These documents convinced us that it is time
to reinvigorate the commitment to training AIUSA’s student, local, and other
groups.
From 2016 through 2018, the METP will develop:
- A Training of
Trainers (TOT) program to prepare volunteer trainers to design and conduct
training workshops and facilitate discussions.
- A strong
cadre of volunteer trainers who focus on member groups, but can also
provide training at conferences and other venues.
- A clear
understanding of AIUSA groups’ training needs and interests.
- A core
curriculum of training workshops to address common training needs of
groups.
- Evaluation
metrics to gauge impact of training on group work.
- An advanced
TOT and program to prepare experienced trainers to conduct TOTs.
- AIUSA’s
commitment to providing resources for a continuous, ongoing Membership
Empowerment Training Program.
WE NEED YOU!
The success of the METP depends on membership involvement:
- Tell us about your group’s training needs.
- Help us design AIUSA’s Membership Empowerment Training Program
- Curriculum design.
- Evaluation metrics.
- Other special skills.
- Volunteer to become an AIUSA trainer.
Why should I
consider becoming a trainer?
The benefits of training are clear and numerous, to both
individuals, and the organization. But trainers
themselves also benefit from their work as trainers. As an Amnesty trainer you will:
· Deepen your involvement with Amnesty International.
· Develop leadership skills.
· Learn facilitation, workshop design, and training skills.
· Take your new skills, which are in high demand among employers, to other parts of your life.
· Share experience you’ve gained within and outside Amnesty across the movement.
Share the Light
Request a workshop
with the button at the top of the page, OR Inquire about becoming a trainer at:
metpwg@aivol.org .
Amnesty shines the
light on human rights abuses from Addis Ababa to Zimbabwe. Member training,
built on peer-to-peer knowledge and experience, strengthens our movement and deepens
our impact.
Training empowers us to change a life…
and change our world.
We
are grateful to the Center
for Human Rights Documentation & Research for their kind assistance in
recovering historical training documents.
5/17/2017 14:11:37