Protection Training in the Americas
For 5 days in April, 12 HRDs from Central and South America gathered in Costa Rica for a training of trainers on risk assessment and protection planning for HRDs at risk.
The need for training HRDs in the Americas is evident: HRDs in the region face some of the highest rates of killings in the world, attacks, death threats, and psychological and legal persecution. Front Line Defenders reported 216 American HRDs killed in 2016, the vast majority of whom were working on environmental, indigenous peoples' and land rights. The use of excessive force, particularly in the context of demonstrations, happens throughout the region. Smear campaigns are one of the most common tactics used to stifle the impact of HRDs, as they have lasting effects on the reputations of the defenders, their family, and their organisations.
The training of trainers was conducted in response to HRD requests to expand and strengthen the network of Spanish-speaking trainers available to work with other at-risk defenders in protection planning.
The participating HRDs had expert backgrounds in human rights, and diverse skills and experiences in fields such as gender, legal harassment, digital protection, psychosocial assistance, and documenting violations against indigenous people, protesters and others.
The objectives of the training were: to identify and share tools for analysing risks and threats; to share skills and experiences on security and protection; to produce personal security plans and strategies for developing (or enhancing already existing) organisational security plans; and to prepare to train other HRDs on risk analysis and protection planning.
The participants, 50% of whom were women human rights defenders, came from El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela.
"My experience has been enlightening at all levels: new knowledge, bonds, ways to analyze, reflect, work and share. Also new ways of learning and unlearning."
- WHRD, Peru
Tailored to the stated needs of participating HRDs, who were involved in the design of sessions, session topics included defamation, physical attacks, carrying out protests more safely, and how to train indigenous communities on protection.
In the weeks since the training, one of HRDs has conducted a workshop for Nicaraguan WHRDs, while two other workshops will be held in September - one in Central America and the other in South America - organized by training participants.
