A group of 47 human rights activists – lawyers, teachers, doctors from countries within the Community of Independent States – participates in the Course. Each Course is divided into 6 sessions, spread over a period of about a year and a half, which amounts to 480 hours of training. The first two theoretical sessions take place in Warsaw, the next two – the practical ones – within the territory of the Community of Independent States. Each session is made up of lectures and practical traning. The 5th session is a study trip; its route includes four cities: Geneva, Strasbourg, The Hague and Amsterdam. In each city the participants visit places and institutions associated with the protection of human rights. During the sixth and final session, the final examinations: the defence of the qualifying thesis, are held.
The main subjects that make up the Advanced Course are: human rights philosophy and history, particular rights and liberties, instruments of human rights protection, constitutionalism. Besides listening to lectures, the students visit courthouses, penitentiaries, psychiatric hospitals, reformatories, watch movies devoted to the subject of human rights, and participate in discussions. The practical training is meant to teach the students the skills vital in their work as human rights defenders. These are workshops in the areas of: human rights education, human rights monitoring, strategic planning of non-government organisation activities, public and legal activities, analysis and conflict resolution, negotiations, work with the media.
The training is carried out by experts from particular areas: outstanding lawyers, scientists, as well as HFHR trainers.
During the course, its participants pass test examinations concerning consecutive blocks of knowledge, and prepare homework /for example: they analyse their country´s constitution/. The entire course is completed by the defence of a thesis, written by each participant. The thesis is based on a project elaboration of a venture, which could solve a chosen problem in the area of human rights in the student´s country. The venture must be planned out in the slightest detail /along with a budget/ by thoroughly analysing the situation and using the knowledge and skills gained during the course.
