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[E-Learning Programme] New Edition of “Security and Protection Management for Human Rights Defenders and Social Organisations”

17 March 2021
Protection International will be running the new edition of its online course “Security and Protection Management for Human Rights Defenders and Social Organisations” from 10 May to 30 July 2021. The course is available in English, Spanish, and French
For an application form and detailed information about the course, please send an e-mail to Ángela Díaz: e-learning [at] protectioninternational.org

Key Information

  • Deadline for registration: 19 April 2021
  • Director: Mauricio Angel.
  • Tutors: Sylvain Lefebvre and Paola Carmagnani
  • Administrator: Ángela Díaz.
  • Designed for: NGOs, human rights defenders and their communities, social development or social justice organizations and coalitions, and humanitarian aid workers. Applications from groups of 2-3 people will be prioritized.
  • Duration: 72 hours over 12 weeks (approximately 6 hours per week).

Why take this course?

Protection International’s new E-Learning program is an educational and training initiative for all those who face security risks because of the human rights, humanitarian, or social development work they do. The course aims to contribute to the development of a range of skills, capacities, and strategies enabling human rights defenders to better manage the security and protection of their organizations and communities.

The new training program incorporates new approaches and methods, including protection networks and collective protection, which are the result of the experiences and lessons learned by PI over the years. This new course encourages greater interactivity and student participation. Teaching modifications accommodate different learning styles, including gamification allowing a more enjoyable learning experience.

For this new edition, Protection International has adopted an integrated and situated approach to conducting risk analyses and designing protection plans. This means that we will incorporate the physical, digital, and emotional dimensions of security for the course participants. It also means that we include a perspective based on both the concrete situations of risk faced by defenders and the identities of defenders (through a gendered and intersectional approach). Throughout the course, we will approach protection and security in a way that is based on concrete risk situations and from the practices of the defenders themselves.


Who is this course for?

This program is for members of organizations who may experience risk because their work involves human rights, social development and humanitarian aid. Proof of experience working in these fields is required for registration.

This program will prioritize the enrolment of people commissioned by an organization, association, or community, who will be able to apply what they have learned on the course to a broader group or collective. We will also prioritize groups of 2-3 people within said organization, association, or community.


How does it work?

Each week, participants are expected to dedicate approximately 6 hours to working through the course, which includes time spent reading documents and complementary materials and completing written exercises. Under the guidance of a tutor, students will take responsibility for their own learning, using their experiences to identify and acknowledge what they need to improve upon in consideration of their own specific contexts. Beyond the written exercises, we will also work through case studies to allow for exchanges between participants.

What do I need?

  • A computer (PC, Laptop, Tablet or Smartphone);
  • Access to the Internet (Mozilla Firefox is recommended);
  • The ‘’New Protection Manual for Human Rights Defenders’’, can be downloaded for free (in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Arabic, Indonesian, and Swahili) here.

Course Certification

Upon successful completion of the final assessment of the course, students will be able to obtain a certificate. Each module comprises activities and exercises that are mandatory for receiving a certification.


For detailed information about the course, please contact Ángela Díaz  e-learning [at] protectioninternational.org.