1. H UMAN RIGHTS TRAINING METHODOLOGY 1. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has been involved for many years in training people working in various professions in areas of human rights which touch on their particular field of competence. Human Rights and Prisons – a human rights training package for prison officials is based on the methodological approach which has been developed as a result of this experience, and which comprises the following fundamental elements: A. Collegial presentations 2. For the selection of resource persons, OHCHR advises drawing from a list of experts which is practical in orientation. Rather than assembling panels composed entirely of teachers and theorists, it is better to opt for practitioners in the relevant field. In the experience of OHCHR, much more can be accomplished through a collegial approach, in which development professionals, police or judges, for example, discuss issues with each other, than by a teacher-student model of training. This approach allows the trainer to access the distinctive professional culture which surrounds each particular audience. At the same time, practitioners/trainers should be accompanied and supported by experts in human rights, thus ensuring that the substance of international human rights standards is fully and consistently reflected in course content. B. Training the trainers 3. Participants in human rights training courses should be selected on the understanding that their responsibilities will continue after completion of the training exercise. Each will be charged with conducting training and dissemination efforts after returning to his or her duty station. In this way, the impact of training courses is multiplied as the information imparted is disseminated throughout the institutions concerned. Accordingly, in addition to substantive content, courses should include training methodology and capacity-building components, such as lessons and materials designed to impart training skills to participants. C. Interactive pedagogical techniques 4. The courses developed by OHCHR and described in this training package include a section designed to introduce a variety of effective techniques for training adults. In particular, suggestions are made for the use of creative, interactive teaching methods, which offer the best hope for securing the active involvement of the programme participants. OHCHR has identified the following techniques as especially appropriate and effective in human rights training for adults: presentation and discussion, panel discussion, working groups, case studies, problem-solving/brainstorming, simulation/role-playing, field trips, practical exercises (including drafting), round-table 5