Dates for live sessions: June 17th, 18th, 24th and 25th from 9:30am-1pm EST
Overview: This interactive workshop is designed to strengthen participants' human rights research and documentation skills, primarily for the purposes of human rights policy and advocacy. This workshop teaches the practical skills of a human rights investigator: how to identify and design a research project, how to plan and conduct the research, including field investigations, and how to present the findings effectively to the media and advocacy targets.
Learning Objectives: Covered topics include investigative methodology (interviewing victims, witnesses, and government officials; collection and analysis of photo, video, documentary and material evidence; as well as the use of new technologies, such as satellite imagery). Students will learn to select, conceptualize, and develop human rights research projects, and hone their writing skills to present human rights findings in a clear, concise and compelling manner, whether in internal memos, press releases, or detailed public reports.
Facilitators:
-Dr. Anna Neistat is the Legal Director of The Docket at the Clooney Foundation for Justice and serves as the Chair of the Board at Crisis Action, an international organisation working with global civil society to protect civilians from armed conflict. Previously, she served as the Senior Director for Research at Amnesty International. Before joining Amnesty International, Neistat worked for more than a decade as associate director for Program and Emergencies at Human Rights Watch. Neistat has conducted over 60 investigations in conflict areas around the world, including Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, Zimbabwe, Nepal, Kenya, Yemen, Chechnya, Sri Lanka and Haiti. She has authored or co-authored numerous reports, articles, and opinion pieces. Before joining Human Rights Watch, Neistat worked for "Echo of Moscow," Russia's leading radio station, the Open Society Institute, and as a constitutional law researcher at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Studies. Neistat holds an LL.M. degree from Harvard Law School, a J.D. and Ph.D. in law, and an M.S. in history and philology.
-Ole Solvang is Director of Partnerships and Policy at the Norwegian Refugee Council. Prior to joining NRC, Mr. Solvang spent nearly 10 years documenting violations of international law in armed conflict situations for Human Rights Watch, where he also developed and implemented advocacy plans. Before that, he served as the Executive Director of Russian Justice Initiative, a non-governmental organization providing legal aid to victims of human rights violations in the North Caucasus. He is a member of the board of Russian Justice Initiative. Ole Solvang has a Master's degree in International Affairs from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University in New York. He also holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from Columbia College.
Registration: Regular rate of $450. Early bird rate of $395 for those who register by June 7th with discount code: EARLYBIRD.
Columbia students are eligible for a 40% discount on the regular rate if enrolled by the early bird deadline (please email humanrightsed@columbia.edu for more information). We will also offer a limited number of reduced rates for those with significant financial need.
Upon registration or application for financial need, please complete this survey: https://forms.gle/qGwVo7FYbDMLjhqc8
Certificate: A certificate of participation will be granted to all those who complete training in its entirety.
