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Register now: Take Action – From Protest to Policy (Online Course)

Learn how you can take action to create tangible positive change.

In this course, you will learn several strategies to transform your activism into policy change. You will explore tools and methods to raise awareness, claim and defend your rights, mobilize constituents, research information, utilize power dynamics, and change laws. This course is tailor-made for aspiring activists who want to be better equipped to create change in their communities and beyond.

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This online course will cover some of the most pressing issues of our time: Climate change, racial injustice, and mass incarceration. And it will inspire you to create your own action plan about an issue you are passionate about. In this course, you will develop a deeper understanding of the courts and justice systems in the United States, and you will discover how change-makers network with policymakers and use power dynamics to their advantage.

The course will guide you on creating a compelling social media strategy to maximize reach and engagement and to inspire public support for your cause. You will learn how local actors can be the key to solve complex social problems and how you can turn them into your allies. At the end of this course, you will be able to create your own stakeholder analysis alongside a comprehensive action plan for real-world change. You will be familiar with important terms and procedures around policymaking, and you will be better equipped to interpret and analyze policy documents and legal texts.

You will also learn to evaluate the efficiency of policymaking actors and how to appraise the effectiveness of policy-oriented communications. This will enable you to make informed decisions when developing your own strategies underpinning your actions. This course is offered by Wesleyan University and takes roughly 34 hours to complete. The course is taught by Mary Alice Haddad, Professor of Government, and Sarah Ryan, Attorney and Associate Professor of the Practice in Oral Communication. You can audit the course for free or opt-in for a paid verified certificate for an extra fee.

This course is also part of Coursera Plus, which enables you to obtain certificates in more than 3000+ courses. Many of these courses are focused on human rights, social justice, and activism. The course is self-paced, and you can start instantly and complete the course at your own schedule.

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Human Rights Careers

Human Rights Careers (HRC) provides information about online courses, jobs, paid internships, masters degrees, scholarships and other opportunities in the human rights sector and related areas.