hosting community conversations ovm volunteer training
TRANSCRIPT
Hosting Community Conversations
OVM Volunteer Training
AGENDA
OVM Monitoring Project
Human Rights Monitoring
How to Host a Conversation
Conversation Practice
One Voice Minnesota Monitoring Project
Investigate
Document
Assess
how fully Minnesota welcomes all residents of our state
What is a welcoming state?All people can live with dignity = HUMAN
RIGHTS Equality Life Family Physical integrity Right to adequate food,
clothing, and housing Freedom from slavery Right to education Freedom from arbitrary
arrest, detention or exile Right to health care
Freedom of movement Due process Right to form trade
unions and to strike Asylum Freedom of expression Freedom of association Right to safe & healthy
working conditions Right to social security Right to privacy
Community Monitoring
Statistics and Other Data
Systems Analysis
Volunteer RoleThe Advocates for Human Rights Volunteer Agreement:
• No compensation for volunteers• Confidentiality• Advocates holds copyright
Community Human Rights Monitor Volunteer Agreement – Conversation Host
• Volunteer is responsible for recruiting conversation participants
• Complete work within 6-8 weeks• Communicate with Advocates• Confidentiality• Media inquiries
What is Human Rights Monitoring?
Human rights monitoring is a method used to see, in a systematic, unbiased, and factual manner, whether human rights are fully respected.
Through monitoring, information is collected, verified, analyzed, and used to identify and address human rights problems.
What is Human Rights Monitoring?
Human rights monitors seek to identify and investigate the gap between the international standards and those standards in reality.
What is Human Rights Monitoring?
Why Monitor Human Rights?
• Help victims
• Raise awareness
• Influence public policy
• Provide early warning of potential
violations
• Pressure government to fulfill
obligations
• Empower rights-holders
• Build the human rights movement
Human Rights Fundamentals
Safety and Security: Political, legal, economic, cultural, and social systems exist that, when combined, give people the building blocks for survival, livelihood, and dignity.
Non-discrimination: All people are entitled to the same human rights without distinction based on race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, or other status.
Accountability: Human rights must be protected by the rule of law. Governments must comply with the legal norms and standards enshrined in human rights instruments.
Participation: Every person is entitled to active, free, and meaningful participation in, contribution to, and enjoyment of political, economic, social, and cultural development.
Strategies of a Human Rights Approach
Address root causes
Empower rights-holders
Work with responsible authorities
Protect marginalized groups
Safety and Security
Non-discrimination
Accountability
Participation
Address the root causes of the problem
Uncover the political, legal, social, economic, and cultural conditions that perpetuate human rights violations.
Safety and SecurityHUMAN RIGHTS STRATEGY 1
Getting the Whole Story
Address Root Causes in Action
To identify systemic barriers to welcome, the OVM Monitoring Project brings together:
• Analysis of laws and policies• Interviews with government officials,
community leaders, and other “systems” people
• Community interviews and conversations
• Data and statistics on problem areas
Protect marginalized groups
The investigation of human rights violations should not cause further damage to those who have already
suffered human rights violations.
Non-discrimination
HUMAN RIGHTS STRATEGY 2
Human Rights Monitoring Principles
• DO NO HARM (ensure safety and security)• Consider the unintended consequences• Respect the mandate• Know the international human rights
standards• Understand the community and seek their
consultation• Protect confidentiality of information• Always exercise good judgment/ act
professionally• Be impartial, objective, accurate, and
patient• Ensure credibility
Protect Marginalized Groups in Action
OVM Monitoring Project Confidentiality Policy:
• All information gathered from community conversations will be used anonymously in the report – no names or identifying information.
• All records will be kept at The Advocates office – do not keep any records of the conversations after submitting them.
Identify responsible authorities
Cooperate with and encourage positive changes in the response of government and other responsible
authorities to human rights situations.
Accountability
HUMAN RIGHTS STRATEGY 3
Identify Responsible Authorities in Action
After the report is finished, the One Voice Minnesota project will undertake:
• Public education to raise awareness and change values around immigration
• Legal reform so laws reflect human rights
• Training for responsible authorities so they have knowledge and skills to uphold rights
• Coalition-building to expand the movement for immigrant rights in Minnesota
Understand the community you are working with and seek their consultation and involvement in the
monitoring process.
Empower rights-holders
Participation
HUMAN RIGHTS STRATEGY 4
Empower Rights-Holders in Action
Community members are at the heart of the OVM Monitoring Project
• Community-based fact-findingo Interviews o Community conversations
• Training for community members to build human rights knowledge and skills (YOU!)
• Findings from community help guide other research and shape recommendations
What does a welcoming community mean to you?
How to Host a Community Conversation
Arranging the Conversation
• Choose a target group of participants
• Either recruit specific individuals or do broader outreach
• Goal is 20-30 people – Can be as few as 5 or as many as 80
• Date, time, and location is up to you
Setting Up
• Room should be organized into small groups (around tables is best)
• Space at the front for host to present with flip chart for taking notes
• No AV needed!
• Food?
Hosting the Conversation
• Okay to deviate from the sample agenda
– Add your own items– Skip suggested activities
• Highlighted parts are key to conversation
– Try to stay close to intent, but can adapt for time/content/cultural considerations
Goal of Conversation• Build connections
– Allow community members to share knowledge and experiences to strengthen relationships
– Identify areas for collective action
• Gather data– General trends of areas where immigrants
and others do not feel included/welcomed/rights respected
– Specific examples of incidents people have experienced
– Goals for change/future action– Three levels: individual, legal/political
and societal/cultural
Small Group Facilitation Tips• Keep people on topic by gently
redirecting – “That was a great point. Let’s circle back to our
question…”– “We just have 10 minutes to address this, so I
want to make sure we really focus in on this particular question...”
– “You’ve got some great points, but I want to make sure we hear from other people who may have something to say on this issue.”
• Restate question to clarify• Ask for participation but don’t force
it• DETAILS!!
Ending the Conversation
• Fill out demographic questionnaire• Restate timeframe• Allow for questions – anything you can’t
answer, refer to The Advocates– Give participant our contact info– Take participant contact info to pass along
After the Conversation
• Write up and finalize your notes ASAP (that day or week if possible)
• Add any notes about process and observations on participants
• Identify any follow-up• Communicate results with The
Advocates
Conversation Practice