According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Human Rights Defenders are people who, individually or with others, act to promote or protect human rights. They are people who have the courage to stand up against injustice and are defined by their actions. The 5 courses below are taught by human rights defenders from various walks of life. Learn about the risks and threats they face, their challenges and successes and their tools and tactics. All courses are available to audit for free or you can opt-in for a paid verified certificate.
Narratives of Nonviolence in the American Civil Rights Movement (Emory University)
This course is taught by Rev. Dr. Bernard LaFayette, a longtime civil rights activist, organizer, and an authority on nonviolent social change. He co-founded the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in 1960, and he was a core leader of the civil rights movement in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1960 and in Selma, Alabama, in 1965. In this course you will develop a deeper understanding of the American Civil Rights Movement, it’s history, achievements, struggles and phases. You will learn about various activist groups, their strategies and their methods of nonviolent direct action. This course takes approximately 12 hours to complete and is taught in English.
Defending Dignity: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Amnesty International)
This course offered by Amnesty International provides an introduction to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and explores how it relates to our daily life. The course features a variety of activists from different walks of life who share insights about their personal experiences and how the Universal Declaration of Human Rights empowers everyone to know, claim and defend human rights. In this course you will learn about some of the core principles of human rights including equality, non-discrimination and participation. In this course you have the opportunity to engage in debates and discussions with learners from around the world. The course takes roughly six hours to complete.
Feminism and Social Justice (University of California)
This course is taught by the scholar-activist Bettina Aptheker, who is involved in anti-racist work, and speaking widely about the #metoo movement. Aptheker is also Distinguished Professor Emerita at the Feminist Studies Department, University of California. In this course you will learn about Feminism and Social Justice through analyzing three significant events: the Empire Zinc strike of 1951, the 1971-1972 trial of Angela Davis, and the #metoo Movement. The course takes roughly 7 hours to complete and is self-paced. You can audit the course for free or opt-in for a certificate for an extra fee.
Activism and Citizen Journalism through Media (University of the Witwatersrand)
This course is specifically designed for activists involved in promoting or advocating for a social cause through media. This course is taught by staff of the Citizen Justice Network, which trains paralegals to develop stories on social justice issues in underreported areas. The course will empower you to identify, pitch and publish newsworthy stories in an ethical way both as an activist and a citizen journalist. It will also equip you with the skills to assess the impact of your story. The course takes roughly 10 hours to complete and is taught in English.
Human Rights Defenders (Amnesty International) – Currently unavailable
Find alternatives here: Human Rights Courses Online | Human Rights Careers
This course features several human rights defenders from all around the world. You will explore the diverse situations human rights defenders are exposed to, learn about the threats they are facing and analyze and apply strategies to mitigate risks when taking action for human rights. This course features a variety of human rights defenders who speak first hand about their experiences. The course contains video testimonials of former Amnesty International Secretary General Salil Shetty, the Disability Rights Activist and Blogger Emma Vogelmann, the Transgender Rights Activist Sakris Kupila, the Women Human Rights Defender, Tracy Doig and the Executive Director of Imkaan, Marai Larasi. The course takes roughly 20 hours to complete and is available in English, Spanish, French and Arabic. Throughout the learning experience you are encouraged to develop your own human rights action plan.
