Human Rights Education

                                                                                 Småland & Copenhagen, August 2013

Network Newsletter No. 5:  "Teach Global Citizenship"

For everyone who is engaged in developing global citizenship.

The focus of this newsletter is Human Rights Education. This can be defined as "a way to build and strengthen human rights knowledge as well as the required attitudes and skills" for right-holders as well as duty-bearers ("Toolbox", p. 8).

This also links strongly with a learner centered pedagogy. Watch inspirational 11 year old Dalton Sherman address over 20,000 educators asking “Do you believe in me?” here

TOP 10 OF HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION: “Human Rights Education should:

1. Build knowledge, skills, values and attitudes.

2. Create action and change to build and promote a universal culture of human rights.

3. Clearly link and refer to the human rights system, instruments and standards.

4. Promote participation and empowerment.

5. Promote accountability and rule of law.

6. Promote non-discrimination, equality and the protection of vulnerable groups.

7. Be learner centred.

8. Be contextualised, concrete and local.

9. Apply interactive and participatory learning methodologies.

10. Be well planned and managed" ("Toolbox" ..., p. 9).

"The Human Rights Education Toolbox. A practitioners guide to planning and managing human rights education"

These 113 pages are based on the work and experience of educators from the Danish Institute for Human Rights whose starting point is: "... if you want your learners to become participatory citizens, you should give them space to voice their opinions and share their experiences. We call it to "walk the talk" or "practice what you preach"".

The content is a very clear description of the aims of human rights education, overview of learner centered pedagogy, and tools to practitioners on planning, implementing and evaluation. Focus is on human rights education activities in adult education courses, but most of it goes for kids,too.

The toolbox can be used by novice educators as a starter of reflection and planning. It can also be used by experienced educators as a tool for reflection and inspiration.Furthermore, this book is also recommendable for use in teacher education as part of theory as well as practical training.

English version: "The Human Rights Education Toolbox"

Spanish version: "Recursos para la education en derechos humanos"

The Story of Human Rights

To watch a 9 minute video detailing the story of human rights (available in 17 different languages) please click here. This video gives an overview of the history of human rights from Cyrus the Great (ca. 600 - 529 BCE) to the UN declaration in 1948. The last 3 minutes focus on why the intentions of universal human rights are still far from being realized today!

Also available on the www.humanrights.com website are 30 US Public Service announcements, ranging from between 30 seconds to 1 minute that are used as thought provokers/to open debate & discussion on human rights. To watch these videos click here.

UN Cyber Schoolbus: Human Rights in Action

Interactive declaration, stories etc. click here

Website for kids: “It takes all kinds. Fighting homophobia in schools."

Danish version click here

English version click here

Introduction to the aims an ideas behind this human rights project Click here ___________________________________________________________________

To read any of my previous newsletters simply visit my blog http://teachglobalcitizenship.blogspot.dk/

Yours

Egon Hedegaard,

Independent instructor and Developer of Education

Email: eghedegaard@gmail.dk

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