Module 8: Actors' Analysis

When planning and facilitating this session, it is important to consistently apply an intersectional lens to each participant's identity and experiences, and their protection needs. Overlapping systems of discrimination and privilege, such as gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability, racial and/or ethnic origin, economic status/class, marital status, citizenship, age and physical appearance, can have a profound impact on human rights defenders' and their communities' perception of and experience with risks and protection.

Introduction:

Involve the group by asking questions:

• What do we mean by “actors”?
  - Any person or group or institution which has an interest in the work of you as an HRD outside of your now group/organisation/network. Sometimes they are called stakeholders
   
• What are examples of actors or stakeholders?
• - Actors or stakeholders range from family members, other NGOs, media, and religious leaders and organisations to government ministries and institutions, including the police and armed forces.
   
• These actors or stakeholders may be:
  - positive – they support the work you do actively or passively, eg some other NGOs and some international organisations
  - neutral – they have not expressed support or disapproval for your work
  - negative – they actively or passively oppose the work you do, eg possibly some family members, police and armed groups

  Not all actors have the same level of influence – it depends how strong their intentions and capacities are.

  For example take an obvious negative example from the context (eg Minister of Interior) and locate it on the graph where the bottom axis is intention to attack and the side axis is capacity to attack

  Then take a positive example from the context (eg European Union Mission) and locate it on the graph with the bottom axis is intention to support and the side axis is capacity to support.

Group work

Split into 2 groups:

Note: if you have more time, each group can do both sections – opponents and supporters. If you have less time, these can be split.

Group 1:

• List perpetrators of actions against you (opponents), bringing it down to the lowest level (eg not ‘police’ but police commissioner, local police etc).
• Plot these on a graph with axes of ‘Capacity to attack you’ and ‘Intention to attack you’ (from low to high for each)
• Prioritise the top 5 most significant opponents

OR

• Draw a line, showing low intention to attack, medium intention, and high intention.
• For each actor, make a ball of paper, with the biggest ball for the opponent with the greatest capacities (eg guns, impunity) and the smallest ball for the opponent with the least capacities. Write on the ball in marker pen the name of the actor. Place each actor ball on or near the line.

Group 2:

• List your supporters (bringing it down to the lowest level, eg not International Organisations, but Front Line Defenders, Amnesty International etc).
• Plot these on a graph, with axes of ‘Low to high support’ and ‘low to high influence’
• Prioritise the top 5 most able to support you when you face risks.

OR

• Draw a line, showing low intention to support you, medium intention, and high intention.
• For each actor, make a ball of paper, with the biggest ball for the supporter with the greatest capacities (eg influence, funds) and the smallest ball for the supporter with the least capacities. Write on the ball in marker pen the name of the actor. Place each actor ball on or near the line.

Plenary:

Share the results from each group.

Questions for whole group discussion:

1. Did you discover anything surprising or useful?
2. Which of your supporters can influence the most significant opponents?
3. Which of your most influential supporters give you low support – what can you do to increase it?

“We decided to meet with our local Imam, who is quietly supportive, to ask him to speak in favour of our work”

Who is missing from your list who has a strategic role in the protection of HRDs?

What actions do you plan to do as a result of this session?

Conclusion:

• The analysis of actors is best conducted in your own organisation with all your relevant staff. You should follow this with an action list of who will do what to
• Analysis of actors is an ongoing process – when dynamics change, consider again the roles and influences.

Related modules:

This module works best either following the Context Analysis module, or the Threat Assessment module

It is essential because it transfers skills which can be protective long term.