{"id":2332,"date":"2017-12-04T20:12:15","date_gmt":"2017-12-04T20:12:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rcstaging.co.uk\/ehrac\/?p=2332"},"modified":"2021-05-21T19:18:19","modified_gmt":"2021-05-21T18:18:19","slug":"webinar-ngos-effective-communicate","status":"publish","type":[72],"link":"http:\/\/ehrac.org.uk\/en_gb\/webinar-ngos-effective-communicate\/","title":{"rendered":"Webinar: How can human rights NGOs communicate their achievements more effectively?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t
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The words \u2018Foreign Agent\u2019 graffitied on the wall of Memorial Human Rights Centre\u2019s offices in Moscow.<\/p><\/div>\n

When dealing with complex, and often distressing, issues, it can be challenging to communicate the positive contribution that human rights NGOs make to society. This is all the more true in EHRAC\u2019s target region \u2013 Russia, Ukraine and the South Caucasus \u2013 where state authorities attempt to vilify those who criticise them. The lack of a truly independent media means that negative stereotypes perpetuated by the state are disseminated widely, while some of our partner NGOs have been harassed by journalists seeking to demonise them for their human rights litigation and advocacy work.<\/p>\n

Against this backdrop, and with few resources to focus on PR and communications, what can NGOs do to present the vast, and often underappreciated, impact of their work, and to counter the tide of misinformation about human rights defenders?<\/p>\n

In December 2017, EHRAC invited NGO communications expert Genia Mineeva to lead a webinar on \u2018Effectively Communicating International Human Rights\u2019 for 16 participants from\u00a0Memorial Human Rights Centre<\/a>\u00a0(Russia), the\u00a0Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union<\/a>, and the\u00a0Helsinki Citizens\u2019 Assembly, Vanadzor<\/a>\u00a0(Armenia), as well as the EHRAC team in London.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s remarkable how dedicated and driven the participants are despite the adversity they face on a daily basis. I hope this webinar gives them the tools they need to raise their profile and gain the recognition they deserve.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Genia Mineeva, Communications expert<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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One of our main aims was to share international best practice for NGO communications, specifically addressing the areas which our participants had previously identified as problematic. Genia covered a wide range of topics, including:<\/p>\n