Postgraduate Diploma on Integral Protection for Human Rights Defenders and Social Activists - 2nd Edition
January 2013 - July 2013

The Universidad Pablo de Olavide (Sevilla, Spain) and Protection International jointly organise the online course 'Postgraduate Diploma on Integral Protection for Human Rights Defenders and Social Activists'.
This diploma is the first of its kind, since it is the only international Postgraduate Diploma addressing the need to protect those who work daily to defend human rights and, as a consequence of their work, suffer repression and aggression. The course addresses this protection in a comprehensive way, covering the existing national, international and regional laws and protection mechanisms, whilst studying security management, psychosocial support, the design of protection programmes, etc. The course will also include an introduction to the protection of witnesses and victims (with whom defenders usually work). Distance learning also offers the opportunity to participate from anywhere in the world, without having to leave your usual occupation.

Admission criteria
People involved in the fight for human dignity, NGOs and human rights association activists, civil servants from the different local, community and national administrations; volunteers and staff from international organisations; and citizens willing to be involved in social transformation processes.
Above all, the course is designed for those who, as a result of their studies, activism, daily job, pedagogical work or responsible involvement with their social environment, are looking for material to channel their commitment to human dignity, by protecting social activists and human rights defenders.
Professionals with no university certificate would have to bear in mind the
fact that they shall comply with the following section from the 'Normativa de Títulos Propios': "Exceptionally and in so far as previously authorised by the 'Comisión de Estudios de Postgrado', all those not meeting the academic requirements specified, accredited training circumstances, work experience, scientific qualification or that had not passed the specific test established for the case (Article 3, Section 4 of the 'Normativa sobre Enseñanzas Propias de la Universidad Pablo de Olavide')."
Curricular adaptations will be made for those with special educational needs (NEE).

General objectives
• To improve the human rights situation by strengthening the position of those working in this field (human rights defenders, experts, consultants), through integral training on security and protection.
• To develop an understanding of human rights as a process of struggle aimed at achieving decent living conditions (human rights critical theory).

Specific objectives
To get to know the 3 pillars of defenders’ protection:
• International, regional and national policies and legislation on the protection of defenders (such as adaptation to regional and international instruments, practical experiences, necessities.
• Operational protection of defenders´ security (risk and threats analysis, security incidents, development of security plans for defenders at risk, etc).
• Psychosocial protection for defenders (at an individual, organisational and community level).

Definition
The course is a response to the need to offer a Postgraduate Diploma addressing the protection for human rights defenders and activists. This proposal is an interdisciplinary approach based on the critical theory of human rights. The protection approach we are proposing is not only legal-judicial,
but it focuses more strongly on a political, social and operational component.
This gives the course a greater interest and depth and a wide spectrum of potential participants.

Basic capacities to achieve with this course
• The capacity to understand and analyse the socio-historical processes of the struggle for decent living conditions, from the point of view of the critical theory of human rights.
• The capacity to develop a comprehensive approach in those situations requiring the protection of human rights defenders
• The capacity to apply the knowledge acquired and to solve problems in the changing environments in which human rights work takes place
• The capacity to integrate knowledge and to face the complexity of developing comprehensive approaches to protection.
• The capacity to face at a personal, group, and organisational level a crisis in defenders’ protection.
• The capacity to participate in national and international debates about legislation and public policies in this subject.
• The capacity to communicate conclusions, knowledge and final reasons about defenders’ protection.
• The capacity to keep on learning, drawing from experience for future actions.
• The capacity to develop a researching profile in this field.

Course structure
Unit 1
Introduction to human rights: Human rights from the critical theory perspective (5 ECTS)
Unit 2
International, regional and national mechanisms for the protection of defenders (5 ECTS)
Unit 3
Risk analysis and defenders security (5 ECTS)
Unit 4
Victim and witness protection as a working area for defenders (2 ECTS)
Unit 5
Psychosocial support for defenders (3 ECTS)
Unit 6
Other working tools for defenders’ protection: information, advocacy, and networking (5 ECTS)
Unit 7
Integral protection response: objectives and plans for protection (5 ECTS)
The teachers, in the corresponding teaching guide, will specify typology, methodology and characteristics of the evaluation criteria.
Total: 30 ECTS

Working methodology
The learning materials will be available from our Web CT platform and we will try to get students involved in the course by developing a student-centred methodology, based on case studies, project analysis and problem solving.
All students’ assignments (studying, essays, projects, background reading, presentations, exercises, etc) will be guided by the teacher through the forum and the online tutoring sessions, both for individuals and groups.
During those sessions we will listen to students in order to address specific questions related to their assignments or to try to solve any other difficulties they might have.
The assignments will consist of:
• Critical reading of proposed texts
• Participation on virtual forums: discussion of emerging issues
• Team work
• Completion of proposed exercises and assignments
• Completion of written exercises (reflection, self-evaluation
• Completion of proposed assignments/exams

Evaluation method
The evaluation will be focused on checking the effective development of the capacities described above. Specifically, each student’s final mark will be obtained from adding the marks for the final assignment (60% of total) with the mark for their day-to-day work on the online activities (40% of total). The teachers, in the corresponding teaching guide, will specify typology, methodology and characteristics of the evaluation criteria.

Teachers
Luis Enrique Eguren
President of Protection International
Carlos Martin Beristain
Doctor in Medicine, Psychosocial Support Module
Luisa Vidal Vidal
Psychologist, Psychosocial Support Module
María Martín
Jurist, Protection International, Unidad de Protección a Defensores del Ministerio Público de Guatemala
Jesús Abellán Muñoz
Universidad Pablo de Olavide
Vicente Barragán Robles
Universidad de Huelva.
Manuel Gándara Carballido
Universidad Pablo de Olavide

Enrolment
Enrolment in this course is online. The instructions are in Spanish. Please contact us if you do not understand them and we will help you.

Fee
800,00 Euros (certificate fee not included).

Payment
We offer two payment methods:
• A single payment
• Payment in instalments:
- 320 Euros (40%) on enrolling
- First instalment of 240 Euros (30%) at the start of the course
- Second instalment of 240 Euros (30%) later on in the course

Payment methods
We offer two means of payment:
• Payment to our account with Banco Santander Central Hispano using a Payment Letter that we will supply when you register.
• Online payment

Contact detailsUniversidad Pablo de Olavide
Centro de Estudios de Postgrado
Tel: + 34 954 97 80 67
Fax: +34 954 34 92 39
For administrative queries: postgradoformacioncontinua@upo.es
For academic queries: postgrad@protectioninternational.org
For aditional information on the course, visit the website of the Universidad de Olavide.