Risk Analysis & Protection Planning

In response to concerns expressed by human rights defenders about the challenges of addressing risks and threats, Front Line Defenders has developed a programme of training on security and protection.

This programme, which includes workshops, courses, seminars, consultations and capacity-building resources, aims to facilitate knowledge, expertise and sharing of skills, to provide HRDs with additional information and tools that may assist in addressing personal and organisational security and protection issues.

Training

Workshops for human rights defenders at risk cover risk assessment, threat analysis, reaction to security incidents, digital security (basic level), dealing with stress, the production of practical security plans geared towards each HRD's unique situation, and how to produce organisational security plans.

"I'm going to sit down immediately with the members of my organisation to pass on this training and put in place a security strategy”

The workshops are highly participatory and include brainstorms, small group work sessions, case studies, role plays and discussions:

Here is the Facilitation Manual for Training on Risk Analysis and Protection Planning for Human Rights Defenders, which contains advice for facilitators, training modules and resources.

Facilitation Manual for Training on Risk Analysis and Protection Planning for Human Rights Defenders

Workbook on Security

Front Line Defenders is also developing a network of HRDs with experience of managing security, who have attended Training of Trainers (ToT) workshops on security and protection and are able to train other defenders in Arabic, English, French, Russian and Spanish.

"I will change my old behaviour and adapt it in line with the knowledge I acquired.”

Please contact the Head of Capacity Development with any queries about how we can best support HRDs: capacitydevelopment@frontlinedefenders.org

Wellbeing & Stress Management

The life of a HRD at risk can be inherently stressful.

This stress may be the result of human rights violations the HRD experiences personally, threats received, risks being faced, witnessing atrocities, assisting people who are traumatised, dealing with the seemingly never-ending demands of work, and the difficulties of balancing work and relationship/family responsibilities.

HRDs have identified the management of stress as one of the factors impacting their security. HRDs who have been through periods of deep stress have explained different security-related aspects, such as: