Education about human rights: Strengths and weaknesses of the UN Declaration on Human rights education and training (original) (raw)

The World Program for Human Rights Education: Program Overview

On December 10, 2004, at the end of the UN Decade of Human Rights Education, the UN General Assembly announced the three phases of the World Program for Human Rights Education to advance the implementation of the programs of education in human rights in all sectors of society. The programme was built on the basis as well as achievements created by the United Nations´s Decade for Human Rights Education program, which began in 1995 and ended in 2004 (Stigler, 2012). | The purpose of this system is to promote understanding of methodologies and as well as of basic principles of human rights education in member states of United Nations and this understanding should be transformed into actions, which are formed into a concrete action framework forged by cooperation and partnerships of the member states.

Prevention is Better than Cure: The UN and Human Rights Education

For over 60 years, human rights education (HRE) has been a focal point of the UN’s efforts to promote respect for human rights. It seems that the UN recognises the potential for HRE to play a significant role in the prevention of human rights abuses. This paper examines the methods adopted by two UN bodies to monitor and promote HRE. In particular, the approach of a treaty committee (the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights), is contrasted with the approach of an inter-governmental body (the new Human Rights Council), to determine whether the tactics of these different UN organs are consistent or conflicting. The paper concludes with some recommendations about how the UN might reform its practices regarding the promotion of HRE in order to more effectively use HRE as a preventive tool.

International Approaches in Human Rights Education

2002

This paper was presented at a working group on Human Rights Education (HRE), organised by Volker Lenhart and Christel Adick, as part of the biennial conference of the German Society for Educational Research (DGfE), held in 2000 in Göttingen. In the spirit of the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education (1995-2004) it contributes to the global discourse about HRE by summarising its foundations in international declarations and conventions, by discussing some examples for diverse approaches and conceptions of HRE and, finally by introducing some major obstacles or problems. The paper is part of the author's PhD project in the field of HRE and presents only an interim résumé of her recent work. Zusammenfassung-Dieser Artikel wurde bei einer von Volker Lenhart und Christel Adick organisierten Arbeitsgruppe über Menschenrechtserziehung (Human Rights Education-HRE) als Teil einer alle zwei Jahre abgehaltenen Konferenz der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Erziehungswissenschaft (DGfE) im Jahr 2000 in Göttingen vorgestellt. Im Geiste der Dekade der Vereinten Nationen für Menschenrechtserziehung (1995-2004) trägt er zur globalen Debatte über Menschenrechtserziehung bei, indem er deren Ursprünge in internationalen Deklarationen und Konventionen zusammenfasst, indem einige Beispiele für diverse Ansätze und Konventionen der Menschenrechtserziehung zur Diskussion gestellt werden und schließlich, indem einige wesentliche Hindernisse oder Probleme vorgestellt werden. Dieser Artikel ist Teil des Projekts zur Doktorarbeit der Autorin im Bereich Menschenrechtserziehung und gibt lediglich einen Zwischenbericht ihrer jüngsten Arbeiten. Résumé-Cette intervention a été présentée à une groupe de travail dur l'éducation aux droits humains, organisé par Volker Lenhart et Christel Adick dans le cadre de la conférence biennale de la société allemande des sciences éducatives (DgfE), tenue en 2000 à Göttingen. Dans l'esprit de la Décennie des Nations unies pour l'éducation aux droits humains (1995-2004), elle contribue au débat international sur l'éducation aux droits de la personne en rappellant ses fondements acrés dans les différentes méthodes et conceptions de cette éducation, enfin en abordant certains obstacles ou problèmes majeures. L'article fait partie du projet de thèse de l'auteure sur l'éducation aux droits humains et ne contient qu'un résume intermédiaire de son récent travail. Resumen-Este trabajo ha sido presentado en un grupo de trabajo sobre la Educación para los Derechos Humanos organizado por

Contemporary challenges to international human rights law and the role of human rights education

Original Publication, 2011

OPSOMMING Hedendaagse uitdagings vir internasionale menseregte en die rol van menseregte-opleiding In hierdie bydrae word vier hedendaagse uitdagings aan international menseregte onder die loep geneem. Hierdie uitdagings is: (1) Die internasionale menseregte-sisteem is oormatig ingewikkeld en gefragmenteerd, dog steeds onvolledig in die substantiewe beskerming wat dit bied. (2) Internasionale menseregte het nie voldoen aan die beloftes wat dit voorgehou het nie. (3) Die staats-gesentreerde aard van menseregte gee aanleiding daartoe dat state die paradoksale posisie inneem as beide menseregte-beskermer en menseregte-skender. (4) Internasionale menseregte het nie voldoende aandag geskenk aan die behoeftes van die mees behoeftige lede van samelewings nie. Hierdie artikel maak die argument uit dat elkeen van hierdie uitdagings beter verstaan en benader kan word indień n multidissiplinêre, eerder as ´n streng judisiële of regsgebaseerde benadering gevolg word. Die inhoud van menseregte-opleiding moet dus krities heroorweeg word, en toelatingsvereistes vir meseregte-programme behoort aangepas te word om so ´n multidissiplinêre benadering te vergestalt. This address explores the broader idea of human rights, and reflects on contemporary challenges to international human rights law and their 208 2011 De Jure relevance for human rights education. 1 Under the term "international human rights law", I understand the human rights treaties and other documents and related institutions and processes at both the global level (under the auspices of the United Nations) and at the regional level (under the African Union). During the last century, in particular after the fall of the Berlin Wall, human rights were celebrated as the "idea of our time". 2 International human rights had become the new universalised or "worldwide secular religion", 3 and its acceptance by states a prerequisite for "good governance" and international legitimacy. 4 However, with the dawn of this century, critical voices have increasingly questioned whether "human rights can survive" 5 and even postulated the "end of human rights". 6 2 Contemporary Challenges to International Human Rights Law International human rights law has been problematised from different vantage points, and for various reasons. 7 A few of the contemporary challenges are the following: (1) In the post-9/11 era, as human rights became increasingly fused with security concerns in the United States and elsewhere, legislation and executive action purporting to counter terrorism instead eroded principles as firmly entrenched as the prohibition of torture. (2) The prominent role of China in international affairs, especially in Africa, is tied to the resurgence of a crude understanding of the principle of noninterference in the domestic affairs of states, allowing states to cloak human rights violations from international scrutiny despite their acceptance of international standards. Prominent infrastructure developments initiated by the Chinese, which may paradoxically assist in realising socioeconomic rights, may also increase the strength of their leverage. 1 The adoption of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training by the UN Human Rights Council, on 23 March 2011, testifies to the growing importance attached to human rights education globally (UN Doc A/ HRC/RES/16/1, 2011-04-08). It is expected that the UN General Assembly will endorse this draft and adopt this as a UN Declaration in 2012. 2 Henkin The age of rights (1990) ix sates "Human rights is the idea of our time, the only political-moral idea that has received universal acceptance". 3 Wiesel "A tribute to human rights" in The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Fifty years and beyond Y (eds Danieli, Stamatopoulou & Dias)(1999) 3. 4 See eg Teson Humanitarian Intervention (1988) 15 ("a government that engages in substantial violation of human rights betrays the very purpose for which it exists"). 5 Gearty Can human rights survive? (2006). 6 Douzinas The end of human rights: Critical legal thought at the turn of the century (2000).

Report on 8th International Conference on Human Rights Education

2018

is a writer and consultant for human rights education. She has worked to develop Amnesty International's education program and is a co-founder of Human Rights Educators USA. As a consultant to governments, NGOs, and UN agencies, she has helped establish networks of educators, develop materials, and train activists and professionals in many countries. She is the author and editor of articles and books on human rights education, most recently Towards a Just Society: The Personal Journeys of Human Rights Educators (Minnesota, 2016). *** Kristi Rudelius-Palmer is a human rights education consultant. She has led teams in designing state, national, and global human rights education, civic engagement, and leadership models for community change and enhancing collaboration among communities to address public issues. She serves on numerous boards and steering committees, including Human Rights Education USA and the University and College Consortium for Human Rights Education. Kristi served as Co-Director of the