METHOD 12: HEARINGS AND TRIBUNALS

Public testimony can give a human face to both human rights defenders and victims and serve to both educate and motivate those who attend.

1. Live Testimony: To be effective, hearings with "real" witnesses require careful orchestration of time, speakers, and situation. Take care, of course, to respect both the dignity and privacy of speakers. Hearings might be set up to draw public attention to a problem, raise awareness of a targeted group (e.g., legislative body), or provide an alternative perspective on an issue. Conclude with some action opportunities.

2. Quoted Testimony: Having participants create a hearing using recordings of live testimony or reading transcripts in the voices of others can be a powerful learning tool. See Dramatic Readings under "Method 7: Dramatizations," p. 65.

3. Fictional Testimony: Participants might also research and write the testimony based on what a person might have said at a trial or hearing about their experience. This method combines elements of mock trial, creative expression, and dramatization.