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Lessons

LESSON

Lesson Learned: Human rights training and capacity-building for indigenous people

A broader strategic approach would have made it possible to go beyond factual information and to use the meetings and trainings organized to identify local intervention strategies effective in a range of settings. The participating indigenous people asked for very functional tools related to the mechanisms they must follow when there are claims of or action linked to human rights abuses. If possible, these tools should take also into consideration the diversity of languages and dialects of Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, and Peru.
Project Partner
International Indian Treaty Council
Project Description
The project aimed to expand the awareness of and ability of indigenous groups to use international human rights standards and mechanisms. The project particularly targeted skilled community leaders who could replicate the training courses. Ultimately the grantee sought to build the indigenous peoples’ ability to participate and organize themselves so that they could challenge discrimination and oppression. The training of trainers succeeded in empowering community leaders and increasing their knowledge of international instruments for the defense of their rights, of which they were previously unaware. Methodological and pedagogical support for disseminating human rights knowledge in indigenous communities was, however, not provided and there is no evidence of any analysis being made of the results and lessons learned during the training, which would contributed to the sustainability of the project and the future usefulness of the training documents.
Evaluation Date
August 2010
Theme
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Underpinning and developing the democratic electoral processes in Azerbaijan

The major weakness of the project from a relevance point of view was that it bore no real relationship to needed governance reforms. The elections process in Azerbaijan is flawed. While increasing women’s participation in a flawed process is a valid goal, the project would have added more value if it had addressed basic issues in governance. While the project may have had some impact on women’s empowerment, it had none on democratization.
Project Partner
Center Women and Modern World (CWMW)
Project Description
The project was conducted by Center Women and Modern World (CWMW) in partnership with Baku Volunteer Center (BVC), and New Shamakhi Foundation (NSHF). The project was directed promote democratic values and mobilize women for participation in elections. I’s primary focus was on involving women in elections with journalists and local NGO heads as secondary beneficiaries. The project was carried out in 10 regions located close to Shamakhi, which is three hours’ drive outside the capital Baku.
Evaluation Date
August 2010
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Strengthening transitional justice processes in Burundi

There was no explicit commitment on the part of the partners to achieving the project’s objective and results - as opposed to implementing the activities - and no formal agreement on operational standards. A formal Memorandum of Understanding between the three partners would have helped ensure more consistent implementation and follow-up of the activities regarding transitional justice in Burundi.
Project Partner
International Centre for Transitional Justice (ICTJ)
Project Description
The project was related to the establishment in Burundi of a National Consultation Steering Committee (NCSC) made up of government, UN and civil society representatives and tasked with addressing issues of national reconciliation and accountability for past large-scale human rights violations. The overall goal of the project was “to help the NCSC to achieve its mandate and promote transitional justice”
Evaluation Date
August 2010
Theme
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Human rights training and capacity-building for indigenous people

Impact was also hampered due to the lack of any coordination and collaboration mechanisms between the project activities taking place in Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, and Peru. Useful modes of collaboration could have included peer-to-peer monitoring, and exchange of experience between the four countries. If such a mechanism had been available, lessons learnt could have been distilled and analysed, thus enhancing the project’s impact.
Project Partner
International Indian Treaty Council
Project Description
The project aimed to expand the awareness of and ability of indigenous groups to use international human rights standards and mechanisms. The project particularly targeted skilled community leaders who could replicate the training courses. Ultimately the grantee sought to build the indigenous peoples’ ability to participate and organize themselves so that they could challenge discrimination and oppression. The training of trainers succeeded in empowering community leaders and increasing their knowledge of international instruments for the defense of their rights, of which they were previously unaware. Methodological and pedagogical support for disseminating human rights knowledge in indigenous communities was, however, not provided and there is no evidence of any analysis being made of the results and lessons learned during the training, which would contributed to the sustainability of the project and the future usefulness of the training documents.
Evaluation Date
August 2010
Theme
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Underpinning and developing the democratic electoral processes in Azerbaijan

Pairing with a more adversarial and higher-capacity NGO would have greatly leveraged project accomplishments and contributed to sustainability by better building capacity. No Memoranda of Understanding setting forth expectations and responsibilities were ever signed between the grantee and partners. The evaluators’ opinion is that these partnerships appear to have been based more on acquaintanceships and familiarity rather than strategic considerations. Neither partner organization had ever been involved in an elections project before.
Project Partner
Center Women and Modern World (CWMW)
Project Description
The project was conducted by Center Women and Modern World (CWMW) in partnership with Baku Volunteer Center (BVC), and New Shamakhi Foundation (NSHF). The project was directed promote democratic values and mobilize women for participation in elections. I’s primary focus was on involving women in elections with journalists and local NGO heads as secondary beneficiaries. The project was carried out in 10 regions located close to Shamakhi, which is three hours’ drive outside the capital Baku.
Evaluation Date
August 2010
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Human rights training and capacity-building for indigenous people

Training was effectively leveraged because it allowed participants to go on to organize additional human rights training courses within their own community. Knowledge about how to indigenous peoples’ rights was disseminated more widely at the local level and allowed people to make the links between their own situation and international norms.
Project Partner
International Indian Treaty Council
Project Description
The project aimed to expand the awareness of and ability of indigenous groups to use international human rights standards and mechanisms. The project particularly targeted skilled community leaders who could replicate the training courses. Ultimately the grantee sought to build the indigenous peoples’ ability to participate and organize themselves so that they could challenge discrimination and oppression. The training of trainers succeeded in empowering community leaders and increasing their knowledge of international instruments for the defense of their rights, of which they were previously unaware. Methodological and pedagogical support for disseminating human rights knowledge in indigenous communities was, however, not provided and there is no evidence of any analysis being made of the results and lessons learned during the training, which would contributed to the sustainability of the project and the future usefulness of the training documents.
Evaluation Date
August 2010
Theme
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Underpinning and developing the democratic electoral processes in Azerbaijan

The decision to work in rural districts in Azerbaijan located reasonably close to Baku was a good one, as the needs for women’s empowerment outside the capital are greatest. Directly supporting a local NGO with no Baku base represented an innovative move
Project Partner
Center Women and Modern World (CWMW)
Project Description
The project was conducted by Center Women and Modern World (CWMW) in partnership with Baku Volunteer Center (BVC), and New Shamakhi Foundation (NSHF). The project was directed promote democratic values and mobilize women for participation in elections. I’s primary focus was on involving women in elections with journalists and local NGO heads as secondary beneficiaries. The project was carried out in 10 regions located close to Shamakhi, which is three hours’ drive outside the capital Baku.
Evaluation Date
August 2010
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Strengthening transitional justice processes in Burundi

Victims’ groups were established as a direct result of the project – for example groups of women who suffered from politically motivated sexual violence and survivors of the 1972 killings in Burundi.
Project Partner
International Centre for Transitional Justice (ICTJ)
Project Description
The project was related to the establishment in Burundi of a National Consultation Steering Committee (NCSC) made up of government, UN and civil society representatives and tasked with addressing issues of national reconciliation and accountability for past large-scale human rights violations. The overall goal of the project was “to help the NCSC to achieve its mandate and promote transitional justice”
Evaluation Date
August 2010
Theme
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Strengthening transitional justice processes in Burundi

The project could most probably have been more efficient if it had been more closely managed by the grantee’s office in South Africa. Its greater involvement would have enhanced the value of the project in the eyes of implementing partners and provided valuable assistance to the staff working on Burundi.
Project Partner
International Centre for Transitional Justice (ICTJ)
Project Description
The project was related to the establishment in Burundi of a National Consultation Steering Committee (NCSC) made up of government, UN and civil society representatives and tasked with addressing issues of national reconciliation and accountability for past large-scale human rights violations. The overall goal of the project was “to help the NCSC to achieve its mandate and promote transitional justice”
Evaluation Date
August 2010
Theme
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Human rights training and capacity-building for indigenous people

A local monitoring system would have helped the beneficiary groups tackle the human rights abuses that affect them by putting in practice the knowledge acquired. Beneficiaries from Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, and Peru expressed also the wish to take part in further training, and to receive updates with the latest news on indigenous peoples’ rights
Project Partner
International Indian Treaty Council
Project Description
The project aimed to expand the awareness of and ability of indigenous groups to use international human rights standards and mechanisms. The project particularly targeted skilled community leaders who could replicate the training courses. Ultimately the grantee sought to build the indigenous peoples’ ability to participate and organize themselves so that they could challenge discrimination and oppression. The training of trainers succeeded in empowering community leaders and increasing their knowledge of international instruments for the defense of their rights, of which they were previously unaware. Methodological and pedagogical support for disseminating human rights knowledge in indigenous communities was, however, not provided and there is no evidence of any analysis being made of the results and lessons learned during the training, which would contributed to the sustainability of the project and the future usefulness of the training documents.
Evaluation Date
August 2010
Theme
Country