What Is Newtactics 02 09

The Center for Victims of Torture—New Tactics in Human Rights Project

A Project of the Center for Victims of Torture

Presented by Kristin Antin,

Online Community Builder

THE MISSION: CVT works to heal the wounds of torture on

individuals, their families and their communities and to stop torture worldwide.

New Tactics in Human Rights – www.newtactics.org

Founded in 1985

The first center in the U.S.A.

The third rehabilitation center in the world

Provides assistance to other centers in the U.S. and around the world


New Tactics promotes strategic thinking and tactical innovation within the international human rights community.

We also promote the use and sharing of as wide a range of tactics as possible.

So how do we do this…


Since 1999 – New Tactics has:

created unique resources organized around analysis of possible solutions

strengthened the ability of activists to clearly recognize the unique elements of their situation

gathered promising approaches that have worked elsewhere for potential transferability to new regions or issues

empowered human rights advocates to improve their ability to recognize opportunities to combine a variety of tactics into complex strategies

brought together human rights practitioners to inspire each other in their work


strategy & tactics?

Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.

Sun Tzu

The Center for Victims of Torture—New Tactics Project

More than 2,000 years ago, Sun Tzu taught:

In other words, planning without action is futile, action without planning is fatal.

Strategy defines what is important to do….


Strategy defines what is important to do….

tactics embody how to do it.


Strategy is a gathering of many decisions working toward a plan,

including:

Selecting key objectives and appropriate targets

Constituencies and resources

Defining goals to reach the strategy

Deciding which tactics to use and when.


TACTICS:

A “tactic” is a specific or concrete action taken to affect a given situation.

A tactic is part of a larger strategy.


Importance of tactics

Tactics help determine strategy.


When your only tool is a hammer,


every problem looks like

a nail.


Importance of tactics Tactics help determine strategy.

Tactics bear effectively on different targets.




Tactics appeal to different constituencies.





Tactical flexibility creates surprise.






Tactics teach how to engage in the world.






Tactics teach how to engage in the world.

Tactics are the training systems for new leadership.


“New” Tactics

In reality, “new” tactics are the endless variations that we can make out of the ideas, resources, skills and capacity that we apply to a situation.


There are not more than five primary colors (blue, yellow, red, white, and black), yet in combination they produce more hues than can ever be seen.

In battle, there are not more than two methods of attack--the direct and the indirect; yet these two in combination give rise to an endless series of maneuvers.

The direct and the indirect lead on to each other in turn. It is like moving in a circle - you never come to an end. Who can exhaust the possibilities of their combination?

From Sun Tzu—The Art of War


Sun Tzu

Three important rules for strategic and tactical thinking

KnowYourself

Know theTerrain

Know YourAdversary

From Sun Tzu—the Art of War


What are your goals, strengths and limitations? Who are your allies?

KnowYourself


Know YourAdversary Who is your

adversary?

What are their goals, strategy, strengths, and weaknesses?


Know theTerrain

Where will the battle be fought?

Human relationships and institutions Social / Cultural Psychological / Emotional Spiritual Political Physical (Space / Territory)


The Center for Victims of Torture—New Tactics in Human Rights Project

A tool to understand the “terrain”

Using the

An overview of the tactical map

What is tactical mapping?

Why use this tool?

How do I make a tactical map?


What is tactical mapping?

A method to:

visualize relationships and institutions (the terrain) sustaining human rights abuses and problems

track the nature and effectiveness of tactics

monitor the implementation of strategy


Why use the tactical map tool?

The tactical map process can expose major holes of activity where “new tactics” could be developed to stimulate broader pressures on relationships and systems.

Many times, our efforts:

Are uncoordinated

Use relatively few tactics

Affect narrow parts of systems


Tactical mapping helps you to find and explore:

Key relationships which need to be affected.

Tactics currently being used.

Key relationships, groups or institutions that are unaffected by current tactics.

What allies could be engaged for a more comprehensive and effective strategy.


How do I make a tactical map

?

Resources needed to create a tactical map?

You don't need any fancy resources to make a tactical map.


Tactical map ingredients? A center relationship Other relationships and institutions Connecting lines Tactic targets

Building manager

Tenant: Man

Building Mgr - children

Building Mgr - Wife

LoanOfficer

BranchManager

Landlord

Landlord’sWife

Boss atWork

Other Tenants In the Building

Wife

Man’s Relatives

BankPresident

Wife’sRelatives

Children

Landlord’schildren

Company

Bank Teller

Religious Leader

Religious Community

OtherWorkers

ElementarySchool

Teacher

MNDepartment Of Health

MNDepartment Of Health

MNHUD

(Housing)

ACORN(NGO)

How do I make a tactical map?Center relationship: Determine the relationship you seek to change or disrupt.

Questions to ask yourself to help find this center relationship from an 'issue':

Are you trying to prevent or stop an abuse? What is the barrier of the person in the center of your issue?

Who is in their way?

What is the “smallest level” of relationship you are

seeking to change?


Center relationship

How do I make a tactical map?Relationships and institutions: Brainstorm together – think of all the people that are closely connected

to the two people in the center relationship. These are people that have 'face-to-face time' with the two in the

center. (Family, friends, boss, coworkers, classmates, etc)


ProfessionalAssociations

Education &TrainingSystems

JudicialSystem

GovernmentInstitutions,

bodies available, etc.

Victim-related Family, organizations,Community of faith,

work, etc.

How do I make a tactical map?Other relationships and institutions: Identify people that may or may not be as closely connected to

the center relationship. For example - this level might include national level of actors.

Non-Governmentbusiness, media,

civil society, religiousbodies

Center relationship


http://www.newtactics.org/main.php/PromotingHumanRightsProfessionalismintheLiberianPoliceForce

http://www.newtactics.org/main.php/WK215

http://www.newtactics.org/main.php/AdministrationandthePublic

http://www.newtactics.org/main.php/MakingtheStatePay

http://www.newtactics.org/main.php/AdministrationandthePublic

http://www.newtactics.org/main.php/MakingtheStatePay

United Nations Committees &

Monitoring Bodies

InternationalProfessionalAssociations

InternationalNGOs,

Trade Unions, Religious

organizations, etc.

How do I make a tactical map?More relationships and institutions: Identify international relationships that impact the core that may or

may not have direct contact.

International Economic Bodies

IMF, WB, WTO, Regional Bodies (e.g., EU, ASEAN)Private business Foundations, etc

Center Relationship


How do I make a tactical map?Where do YOU fit in the terrain? Put yourself – your organization – on the map. Where do you fit? Who are you and your colleagues connected to?

Center Relationship

YOU!



RED line Power relationship

BLUE line Mutual benefits

GREEN line Exploitive relationship

GREY line Potential relationship

Yellow line Conflict relationship

Light BLUE line --- Tactic target

Center Relationship

YOU!

Connecting lines: Determine the NATURE of relationships between the different “nodes” by

color-coding lines and arrows.



Center Relationship

YOU!Tactic 1

Tactic 2

Tactic Targets: Identify your targets and brainstorm appropriate tactics to each target. (Looking for tactic ideas? Check out our online Tactics Database on

www.newtactics.org)


Building manager

Tenant: Man

Building Mgr - children

Building Mgr - Wife

Landlord

Landlord’s Wife

Boss atWork

Other Tenants In the Building

Wife

Man’s Relatives

Wife’sRelatives

Children

Landlord’s children

CompanyReligious

Leader

Co-Workers

Example: Unsafe Housing issue

http://www.newtactics.org/main.php/IllWalkBesideYou