ActionAid is committed to use human rights-based approach (HRBA) to development, transforming power relations in every community and country where we work. This HRBA approach prioritizes the active agency of people living in poverty, supporting them to become conscious of, organize and claim their rights, holding the powerful to account. To improve understanding of program approach of ActionAid, a 4-day-long residential training on HRBA (Human Rights-Based Approach) has been arranged at ActionAid Global Platform (GP) for LRP (Local Rights Program) & AAB (ActionAid Bangladesh) staff.

The training of HRBA enriched in detail understanding of AAB & LRP staff particularly in the following areas:

• By using a HRBA, how we support people living in poverty to understand that many of their most fundamental needs are enshrined in specific human rights frameworks.
• Theory of change of AAI including concept of empowerment, solidarity, campaign and credible alternative for solutions.
• ActionAid’s perspective to understand poverty, exclusion in relation with violation of rights and importance of understanding power relations.
• Why women rights are central to our HRBA
• Importance of putting activity agency of people living in poverty into the center of our work.
• How Reflection Action process, as participatory approach, will facilitate comprehensive analysis by people living in poverty, analyzing their rights, power relations, women’s rights in particular, vulnerabilities, different actors and institutions, their own communication skills and risks.

One of the training participants, Farha Sharmin, Joint Director, Spreeha, from a partner organization of LRP 55 said, “It was a great opportunity for us. This is the first time I attended in the training on Human Rights Based Approach. We are just at the start of a new LRP. So, it could make us clear how we will run our LRP considering the program approach of ActionAid. Along with that, could learn many things from the staff of other LRPs. Thanks for the arrangement.”

Utshob Bairagee, Sponsorship Officer of LRP 51 also shared his feeling. He said, “I read about HRBA from different documents. But I had some confusions. This time attending in the F2F training, helped me to understand the concept clearly. This training helped me to understand the program approach of ActionAid more clearly. I think this training is a compulsory requirement of all who facilitate the program activities of LRPs. It would be very helpful for us if we got this training at the beginning of our LRP journey. Thanks to ActionAid for arranging such an important training for us.”