“How Appreciative Inquiry Approach can help to foster Human Rights” a round table discussion was held in National Human Rights Commission among the newly promoted human rights officers. Dr. RC Lamichhane the CEO of the Eastern Research Institute of Positive Science (ERIPS) facilitate the session. The conclusion of the discussion was as follows;
Appreciative Inquiry can help to promote human rights by providing a positive and constructive framework for addressing issues related to human rights, particularly in organizations and communities.
1. Focus on strengths and possibilities: Appreciative Inquiry begins by identifying the strengths and positive aspects of a situation, which helps to shift the focus from identifying problems to seeking solutions. By emphasizing the positive elements of human rights work, AI can provide a powerful foundation for promoting and advancing human rights.
2. Collaboration and Empowerment: AI involves engaging all stakeholders in the process of exploring and shaping the desired future. By involving individuals and communities directly affected by human rights issues, AI promotes collaboration, inclusivity, and empowerment. This approach helps to ensure the voices of those impacted by human rights violations are heard and valued, leading to more effective solutions.
3. Building a shared vision: Through the AI process, participants collectively develop a shared vision for the future. This shared vision can serve as a guiding force in promoting human rights. It helps to align efforts, motivate individuals and organizations to take action and create a sense of unity towards achieving common goals related to human rights.
4. Strength-Based Approach to Problem-Solving: AI encourages a strengths-based approach to problem-solving where the focus is on identifying and building on existing resources, capacities, and positive experiences. This approach enables individuals and organizations to tap into their own potential, finding innovative ways to address human rights challenges and fostering sustainable change.
5. Positive Transformation: AI aims to create positive and sustainable change by focusing on what is possible rather than dwelling on what is wrong. By shifting the narrative around human rights from a deficit-based perspective to a strengthen-based persective, AI can inspire individuals, organizations, and communities to work towards creating a human rights culture where everyones’s rights are respected and protected.
In a nutshell, Appreciative Inquiry can be a powerful tool for promoting and nurturing human rights by fostering collaboration, empowerment, shared vision, and strengths-based problem-solving. It offers a positive and inclusive approach that helps shift mindsets, inspire action, and lead to transformative change.
