Right(s) Way Forward has a new look!

“My first contact with the Right(s) Way Forward method was when I worked for a partner organisation to ForumCiv in Tanzania. During this time, they were testing the tool and I was the contact person in charge of giving input and ideas of improvement. The organisation I worked for was using it in our communities and saw the potential of this method.” Wilson was later recruited by ForumCiv to continue to develop the methodology together with colleagues from Colombia, Cambodia and Sweden. 

What is Right(s) Way Forward?

In short, Right(s) Way Forward (RWF) is a community-based, interactive tool that seeks to empower community members to improve their capacity to formulate, advocate and claim their rights for sustainable development. The tool aims at creating a space for dialogue between rights-holders and duty-bearers to address different community concerns collaboratively.

“We wanted it to reflect the core purpose of the material which is to address human rights issues. When people in a community can claim their rights, they can move forward and improve their situation, one would say it is simply the right way forward”, says Wilson when asked about the name of the methodology. 

ForumCiv believes that resilient communities with strong support networks that are built on mutual respect and shared visions are best equipped to deal with their respective challenges. That is why Right(s) Way Forward was developed.

A success story from Kenya

“We have been able to use this tool together with several partner organisations in Colombia, Cambodia, India, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Kenya, Liberia, Sweden and more. One of the successes of this methodology is its simplicity. We have spent a lot of time developing the practical exercises for the participants and made it adaptable to different contexts”, says Wilson.     

He continues to tell us how Right(s) Way Forward has brought about change in Kenya. The organisation Dandelion is working in an area in Kenya that has been deprived of essential resources such as access to clean water and health services. Through the Right(s) Way Forward method they were eventually able to get a health centre in the area. By using the processes and techniques outlined in the material to bring together different actors and advocating for the health centre and access to clean water. 

“This is the kind of development that is possible when people and duty-bearers come together and discuss the challenges faced by the community in a non-confrontational way, through dialogue for change”, explains Wilson.