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Summary

This exercise uses a written questionnaire to help participants assess the security of various aspects of their lives, including safety at home, at the office, in social environments, in their communications and documentation, safety of their family and friends, during travel and in relation to state structures. It can be used either as an exercise in the workshop, or can be a handout to take back home.

Format

Individual and group exercise

Required materials

Copy of ‘threats assessment' written exercise, in appropriate language.

Key explanation points1

  • Ask participants to fill out the written exercise, below, either alone or in pairs.
  • Once the exercise is completed, facilitators can use it as a framework for a group discussion, asking questions about which sections surprised them, were difficult or unusual.

Facilitation notes

  • This exercise can be very useful for more ‘analytical’ groups who prefer to work with written material.
  • Facilitators should make sure to circulate among participants as they work on the written exercise to offer support.
  • For groups that might find this exercise challenging, set up the work in pairs or triads.

ALTERNATIVE OPTION:

This exercise is also a good handout for participants to take back to colleagues and their organisation, as it offers a useful and detailed checklist of security threat considerations.

Download written exercise: Threats assessment

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Exercise developed by Jane Barry, with considerations drawn in part from Chapter 2 of Front Line: International Foundation for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and E. Eguren (2005) Protection Manual for Human Rights Defenders, Front Line, Blackrock, County Dublin, and Peace Brigades International—European Office, Brussels. http://www.frontlinedefenders.org/manuals/protection See Chapter 9 of the manual for more details on assessing your office and home security.