The Justice Based Approach is the only holistic approach to development and humanitarian work that responds to an age of rising authoritarianism, plummeting funding, and lost trust in human rights. We need resilient organisations with preplaced resources, visionary leaders, and inspired teams that have the new skills to go beyond our current approaches. This celebrated interactive curriculum provides theory, practice, case studies, tools, and discussions with fellow participants and facilitators from around the world that will revolutionize the way you work on humanitarian, development, social change, and environmental justice initiatives in ways that will impact both your work and your life.
As we face a time of intense and rapid change, we must create space to step back and consider some of the most pressing issues facing the world. This course will explore new approaches, real life examples, tools, and perspectives that will re-energize you with new knowledge and skills, as well as renewed hope and direction.
THE ESSENTIALS
- Course length: 7 weeks
- Time commitment: 6-7 hours per week, except first week
- Week 1.
- Live session: 2 hours, for orientation
- Weeks 2 - 7.
- Live sessions: 6 hours per week, every Tuesday and Thursday for 3 hours each
- Self-guided: up to 1 hour per week
- Optional sessions: Monday for networking, Friday for reflection, plus additional Q&A
- Week 1.
- Subsidised Price: $595 USD per person
- Groups of 10+: $535 USD per person
- Language: English
- Delivery method: Live participatory online sessions | Interactive online learning tools | Small team discussions | Online forum | 1-2-1 with Facilitators | Self-led learning and reflection | Facilitator Q&As | 10+ optional group events such as networking, film screenings, weekly regional reflections, and panel discussions
- Next course dates: May 2 - June 12 or August 29 - 9 October, 2025
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THE COURSE
With a Justice Based Approach, we reflect on why -- after 25 years of rights-based approaches -- inequality, environmental destruction, oppression, and impunity are bigger challenges than ever before. We will critically challenge and explore many assumptions about methodology and practice in the following areas:
- All Five Pillars of the Justice Based Approach
- Power and oppression
- Strategic and personal leadership
- Effective programme design
- Development theory and history
- Evidence-based decision-making
- Participatory approaches
- System analysis
- Localization and decolonizing aid
- Rights-based programming
- Monitoring and evaluation for learning
- Ethical programming and accountability
- Climate and gender mainstreaming
We will also explore a number of innovative and exciting alternative approaches to social and environmental change that you can apply to your work. The course will challenge you, inspire you and give you the tools to support communities and partners to lead change that is truly transformative.
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THE APPROACH
Our style of online delivery creates genuine human connection, facilitates deeply reflective and thoughtful discussions, and leads to real impact and effectiveness.
The course uses mixed methodologies including participatory live sessions, interactive online tools, reflection, movement, games, small group discussions, an online forum, and self-led learning and reflection. Our facilitators run weekly Q&A sessions and you have the opportunity to book one-to-one calls with them throughout the course. We also send inspiring, short daily emails with additional resources for those that want more!
Each week we also offer a variety of optional sessions to dive deeper into some of the key themes of the course, to have fun and get to know each other better. Previous sessions have included panel discussions, regional meetups, hackathons, and film screenings.
Our Facilitators are joined by a global group of Team Leaders, all of whom have completed the course previously and are experts in their field. They support small groups during the course to explore the themes in more depth during team discussions.
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THE PARTICIPANTS
The course is for every humanitarian, development, social change, or environmental justice worker. It’s for organisations and individuals, governments, activists, businesses, unions, leaders, thinkers, doers – anyone working for change.
A highlight of the course for many participants is the opportunity to connect with and learn from people from across the world. Our last round of courses had participants from over 70 countries!
We welcome participants from all levels of organizations and from diverse departments to the course, which creates a rich mix of experience and perspectives. We encourage senior staff to join the course with their teams. The course will be conducted in English.
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ACCESS & INCLUSION
We take great care to create a safe and welcoming space for all of our course participants. We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to ensure that anyone with an additional need is able to participate. If you have any additional needs or access requirements please let us know on your booking form.
Fee information
THE SUBSIDISED PRICE$595 USD per person (or $535 USD per person for groups). This includes:
- 36 hours of live facilitated learning led by highly experienced facilitators with decades of combined experience in this field
- Orientation session to build confidence and skills in remote learning approaches
- Access to exclusive optional events throughout the duration of the course
- One-to-one discussions with course facilitators
- Ongoing small-team discussions and team events
- Daily emails with learning, reflection, and action suggestions based on each week's content
- Exclusive access to a JBA Foundation Course forum where participants can share and learn from one another
- Justice Based Approach Resource Pack, containing notes from every session and a pre-prepared presentation so that you can hold a sharing session back with your colleagues
- Justice Toolkit to help you reflect on your own work and embed the lessons from the course
- Ongoing access to our online community of social change makers, including frequent resource sharing and direct links to our regular learning events for ongoing professional development
- Certificate to verify your course completion and increase your job prospects
- Exclusive opportunity to join the Advanced Course on the Justice Based Approach and become a United Edge Associate
GROUP RATE: $535 USD per person
Group attendance is a wonderful way to learn and develop together as a team and organization. Receive 10% off when you book 10 or more places on a course. Groups can be from multiple organizations if they book the course together. Donors and organizations have used this as an opportunity to support partners and whole teams to attend our courses together.
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
We proudly offer a limited amount of financial assistance to help cover part of the fee for people who may otherwise find it difficult to attend. Since 2017, we have provided almost $100,000 worth of financial assistance to participants, ensuring that grassroots and local organisations with limited funds and big aspirations can develop their work for greater impact and positive social change.
We strive to prioritize support for those from the majority world/global south, women, black and indigenous people, those from ethnic minorities, LGBTQIA+ people, young people, disabled people, refugees, and grassroots activists. However, we accept applications from anyone who is keen to learn about the approach! To apply for financial assistance, please contact us.
How to register
Register here as soon as possible to secure your place before it fills up: https://united-edge.typeform.com/to/DabuyH
If you have any further questions please don't hesitate to get in touch or email info@unitededge.net