Module 6 — Monitoring, Documentation, Legal Advocacy and the AFORBO Model

Week 6 of the Certificate Programme in Freedom of Religion or Belief · 10 notional learning hours.

The core skills module: recognising, recording, verifying and reporting ForB violations to professional standards; supporting victims toward legal recourse; and AFORBO’s four-level operational model (grassroots, national, regional, continental).

Learning outcomes

By the end of this module you will be able to:

• Apply sound methodology to monitor and document ForB violations
• Use secure, confidential and ethical reporting practices that protect victims and witnesses
• Map a case to the relevant remedies and institutions
• Situate your own role within AFORBO’s grassroots-to-continental structure

Key topics

• Typology of violations: discrimination, coercion, violence, restriction, hate speech, destruction of property/sites
• Documentation methodology: evidence, sources, verification, do no harm, data protection and consent
• Secure and anonymous reporting; protecting focal persons and witnesses
• From documentation to advocacy: African Commission, African Court, UPR, UN Special Rapporteur
• The AFORBO operational model and the Annual State of Religious Freedom Report
• Local conflict mediation and early warning by religious leaders

How this course is delivered

• A live session (90–120 minutes) on Zoom, Google Meet or Microsoft Teams, with a subject lead
• An interfaith panel addressing the theme from several traditions
• Recorded micro-lectures, readings and resources you can download (low-bandwidth friendly)
• A practical assessment activity

You can take this module on its own, or follow all eight modules through the full Certificate Programme.