This month, we congratulate the 28 participants from the inaugural re:flexing: Human Rights Advocacy 101 course. Joining us from 11 different countries and a range of movement backgrounds, the cohort built relationships of solidarity through our live discussion sessions and course materials aimed at sharpening our re:flexing skills as advocates.
What is re:flexing?
re:flexing is the ongoing process of critical self-assessment to uncover our beliefs, social positions, relationships to power, and self-interest. A strong re:flexing practice is foundational to effective human rights advocacy, so we can reduce harm, find fulfilling alignment, cultivate strong relationships, and build inviolable solidarity in movements for social, environmental, and economic justice.
The 5-week online course mirrored the thematic curiosity of the virtual artivism exhibition, re:covering (The Reflection Sessions), welcoming participants to explore what they’re covering, uncovering, and re:covering. This introspective course challenged participants to examine the patchwork of their own lives, experiences, and relationships through a powerful theory of change and provocative self-reflection exercises, encouraging them to unsettle, explore, and re:ground themselves.
ICAAD’s Human Rights Education
At ICAAD, we’re committed to offering human rights education that is responsive to the needs of our partners on the ground. Last year, we piloted a comprehensive 50-hour course offering and decided to break it into smaller chunks to create more manageable pathways in which advocates can choose which areas are the most useful to them.
We have also chosen to emphasize live, facilitated sessions in order to connect advocates around the world across movements for justice. The other modules to come will include advocacy strategy, campaign development, and the future of human rights. As the first of the modules, the re:flexing course was a natural starting point, inviting us to come back to ourselves as advocates in order to make our movements stronger.
One human rights advocate from this cohort shared:
“This course opened my worldview. I was able to discuss the work others are doing, fighting oppression and seeking tranquility. I have never been in community with other members outside of the United States. To hear the struggles and to witness the perseverance of hope brought meaning to solidarity. This course allowed me to understand the term in a real way instead of using as a hashtag.”
A development professional from the cohort also shared:
“It was encouraging to know and learn about participants from around the world who share the common interest of a more equitable future. I came in with my own biases however the ability to be able to be present and having that shared space to share and grow together was inspirational and heart warming to see the potential of what we could achieve if we come together in the right way, weaknesses, strengths and all.”