Rule of Law Courses
part of the Rule of Law
Featured
Meet the Rule of Law Training Project Advisory Group (PDF/76.5KB). The group consists of leading rule of law practitioners and academics and provides guidance and support in the design, development and delivery of the USIP rule of law training courses.
Program Experts
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Senior Program Officer, Rule of Law Center
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Establishing the rule of law in conflict-affected states is a challenging and complex task. To work effectively, practitioners require a myriad of legal and non-legal skills. In other fields, professionals would develop these skills through specialized education and training programs. However, within the rule of law field, available training is limited, and practitioners generally receive no formal training.
There is, therefore, a growing awareness within the rule of law community of the need to professionalize the field and to develop training resources for practitioners.
In October 2007, building upon its many years of experience in zones of conflict, the Rule of Law Center, as part of USIP’s broader Academy for International Conflict Management and Peacebuilding, began to develop a series of training courses tailored to the needs of rule of law practitioners, with the aim of professionalizing the field. The courses are open to those who are new to the field or seasoned rule of law professionals from legal, development, military, government, NGO, international organization, private sector, or academic backgrounds.
Current Courses
Rule of Law Practitioners Course
Drawing upon on-the-ground experiences, lessons learned and best practice examples from conflict-affected states, such as Iraq, Liberia, Timor-Leste, Kosovo, Haiti, Cambodia, Afghanistan, Kenya, Uganda, and Bangladesh, the course offers a comprehensive introduction to the rule of law from theory to practical application. This course goes beyond the traditional parameters of rule of law training, which is often solely focused on law and legal solutions, and draws upon a multitude of complementary fields of practice to offer examples of creative approaches to promoting the rule of law.
The Rule of Law Practitioners Course is conducted twice a year at USIP headquarters. For more information and future fourse dates, see the course schedule or contact voconnor@usip.org.
Land, Property and Conflict Course
Disputes and grievances over land and property are implicated in practically all conflicts. This course provides policy makers and practitioners with analytical tools for assessing and addressing an array of complex land and property disputes, from competing ownership claims and restitution to customary land rights and illegal urban settlements. Drawing on case studies of peace operations and peacebuilding efforts, participants explore the range of entry points (humanitarian, human rights, state-building, development etc.) and options for dispute resolution and structural reform.
The Rule of Law Practitioners Course is conducted twice a year at USIP headquarters. For more information and future fourse dates, see the course schedule or contactvoconnor@usip.org.
Past Courses
Rule of Law and Access to Justice Practitioners Course (United Kingdom)
From 2007 until 2009, USIP worked in cooperation with the UK Department for International Development (DFID) to develop a three-day, UK-based "Rule of Law and Access to Justice Practitioners Course." The course was tailored to the needs of the UK Justice Assistance Network, a cooperative of UK government departments that work on justice assistance in developing and conflict-affected countries. The course was similar in approach, delivery methodology and content to the USIP Practitioners Course, although it draws heavily on UK policy and practice. From February 2007 until the end of its run, USIP and DFID co-delivered six such courses, attended by UK government representatives and representatives from foreign governments and the United Nations.
Click here for photos of the DFID courses held in England and the United States.
Contact
For more information about the Rule of Law Courses, please contact education@usip.org.