The Partnership, in cooperation with Sentra HAM-UI and Indonesian police’s elite Mobile Brigade (Brimob) unit, organized two series of human rights training for Brimob Officers in Ambon and Ternate, 14 – 17 October and 20 – 23 October 2009 respectively. The training was continuation of a similar training conducted in 2006 with middle to low level officers as the target participants.
Using the experiential learning method and combined with theory explanation in class, the training’s goals are to increase participants’ (Brimob officers) knowledge and awareness on human rights issue. Furthermore, the participants were expected to share their knowledge to their colleagues. Training module used in this training was the revised version of the 2006 training module.
A total of one hundred (100) Brimob officers, 50 in each city, participated in this training, plus two observers from Universitas Pattimura, Ambon and Universitas Khairun, Ternate. The Partnership provided 4 facilitators and 8 master trainers for the training.
Prior to the training sessions, each participant took the pre-test allowing facilitators and trainers to assess participants’ general knowledge on human rights issues. The test results showed, on average, that the participants had very limited understanding and knowledge with the average score was 54.4 and 42.5 of 100.0 in Ambon and Ternate respectively. At the end of the training, facilitators gave the participants another test, a post-training test, to evaluate the result of the training. It turned out with quiet satisfying results, with increasing average score of 89.3 and 86.13 in Ambon and Ternate respectively.
There are several inputs coming from the participants that the Partnership really needs to take into account to design a better training program in the near future, such as: the Partnership needs to redesign the delivery method in order to resemble real life experience where on field procedural engagement can be vital in determining human rights violations; and to expand the training program to entire police force, not limited to Brimob personnel.
After this training series in Ambon and Ternate, the next training series will take place in Jayapura and Sorong, from 27 to 30 October and from 31 October to 5 November 2009 respectively.