TAKU MANAWAA Community Development

Approach in Your Region

The New Zealand Human Rights Commission Presents:

“Not about us, without us…”

Goals of this Workshop

• To introduce Taku Manawa

• To discuss the goals of Taku Manawa in the 4 regions and the impact the project has had on the communities – with an emphasis on diversity.

• To examine the underpinning principles of the programme

• To evaluate and profile Taku Manawa as a way human rights community development is working

• To explore What Human Rights community development is and how it benefits communities

Human Rights and Community Development

Human rights community development is Grassroots

Communities

HRC Regional Support

HRC

Government Policy/Planning

A human rights community development approach links two significant practices:

Community Development - empowering people within their communities to use their skills to address issues that they have identified and to have full participation in the process

Human Rights –that which underpins our relationships with others and our functions in society. Human rights and responsibilities make up all aspects of our individual and collective existence

Human Rights Community Development Model

The Human Rights Approach

A ‘human rights approach' has been adopted by the Commission as the conceptual base for all aspects of its work.

The Human Rights Approach involves 6 principles:

1. Linking of decision-making at every level to the agreed human rights norms.

2. Identification of all the relevant human rights of all involved and, in the case of conflict, the balancing of the various rights to maximise respect for all rights and right-holders, prioritising those of the most vulnerable.3. Emphasising the participation of all in decision-making

4. Accountability for actions and decisions, which allows individuals and groups to express concerns about decisions that affect them adversely.

5. Non-discrimination through the equal enjoyment of rights and obligations by all.

6. Empowerment of individuals and groups by encouraging the use of rights as leverage for action and to legitimise their voice in decision-making.

The 3 P’s of Human Rights:• Partnership• Participation• Principles

TAKU MANAWA

Taku Manawa/My Human Rights was designed initially by the NZ Human Rights Commission in 2001 as an educational resource for “grassroots” communities

In 2003, this initiative was extended to become a human rights community development programme based on adult education principles and practices.

The Taku Manawa Human Rights Community Development Programme pilot began in the Bay of Plenty and East Coast of Aotearoa/ New Zealand in July 2003 and has since been implemented in Tai Tokerau Northland, Murihiku Southland and Kirikiriroa Hamilton

Its development over the past seven years has been led by the individuals, organisations and communities that have engaged with it.

This constantly evolving process has included an in-depth evaluation of the training, expectations of members and the HRC, and on going work within the community

• When communities are given knowledge, training and support, they can be empowered to identify, advocate for, and resolve their own human rights issues

• Communities are encouraged to foster human rights approaches in local planning and decision-making

Tairawhiti

Te Tai Tokerau

MURIHIKU

KIRIKIRIROA

KEY POINTS FROM ALL TAKU MANAWA PROGRAMMES

• OWNERSHIP

• EMPOWERMENT

“Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home …” (Eleanor Roosevelt)

• ACCOUNTABILITY

• STRONGER RELATIONSHIPS

• A WAY FORWARD

Evaluation of Taku Manawa

From an independent evaluation process, key practice elements have been identified:

• spending time to build effective and ongoing relationships through face-to-face contact,

• Keeping the wider community / region of the project informed,

• ongoing and intentional reflection, review and evaluation,

• using participatory practices,

• ongoing multi-media narratives.

• ensuring flexibility to meet changes proposed by participants,

• facilitating formal and informal spaces for dialogue, conversation and having fun,

• mentoring and supporting facilitators and organisations throughout the project,

• brokering relationships between HRC staff and Commissioners and the facilitators that don’t rely on ongoing involvement from the project manager,

• sound dialogical processes,

• celebrating successes!

human rights education creates meaningful and sustainable change – building human rights capability amongst those most vulnerable to human rights violations, and building

understanding amongst those most able to violate, or defend, those rights.