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International Approaches in Human Rights Education
Dipl. Päd. Claudia Lohrenscheit 08 / 2000
Content •
Foundations for a Human Rights Education in international Declarations and Conventions
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Trying to define Human Rights Education: Learning for and about human rights
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Various actors in the heterogenous field of human rights education
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Outlook: Problems and questions we need to ask
Summary This paper was presented at a working group 'Human Rights Education' (HRE), shared by Volker Lenhart and Christel Adick, as part of the annual Conference of the German Society for Educational Research (DGfE) 2000 in Göttingen. In the spirit of the United Nations Deacade for Human Rights Education (1995-2004) it contributes to the global discourse about HRE by summarizing its foundations in the 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 Ph.D. project in the field of HRE and presents only an 'in-betweenresumé' of her recent work
Foundations for a Human Rights Education in international Declarations and Conventions Three years ago, 1998, when the United Nations celebrated the 50. birthday of the International Declaration on Human Rights (1948) many publications summarized different, somehow not combinable approaches in the development of Human Rights . 'Yes', so it was stated on the one side, human rights inherit the universal character of the declaration. This could already be proven by the fact that a total number of 184 memberstates have signed the decalaration until today. Human rights advocates have developed useful instruments for creating a better world where human dignity is the central value. At the same time the document comprises a hope which many liberation movements in the past and present used to built up their own visions and perspectives for the future. But 'No', so it was stated on the other side, reality shows a different face. Pointing out to the abuse and violation of human rights they could only show promises which have not been fullfilled yet. Therefor human rights belong to the field of unreal utopia or morality. Either or - this question shall not be answered in this context. Nevertheless it is clear that the developments in the field of human rights will continue with the specification of concrete needs of diverse groups and the continuing evolution in 2
social, economical and political contexts as for example in the field of genetic technologies and research. Human Rights Education underlies similar developments. Here, too, the genesis of a global concept for HRE has not come to terms yet. Efforts for research activities and for the evaluation of existing curricula and pilot projects are needed to form the basis for a core concept of HRE. The right to education and human rights education as an important instrument for the worldwide realisation of human rights are included in a number of international documents and declarations of the United Nations and other regional or supranational organisations. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948 (UDHR) and the Civil and Social Conventions (1976) form together the Universal Bill of Rights. Many more documents have been signed which are not as famous and well known as these three. Education and Training play an important role in the worldwide implementation and awareness process for human rights. The year 2000 marks the mid-term of the United Nations Decade for HRE which was supported by many different actors, alliances and social movements as e.g. the People's Decade for Human Rights Education. In the framework of this decade educators, trainers and politicans were asked to develop useful concepts and material as well as evaluate the existing national practice for the teaching and learning of Human Rights in diverse fields (e.g. Schools, Police, Law). The Universal Declaration itself can be seen as a curriculum in thirty steps or paragraphs which are decisive to any programme of human rights education. They include the fundamental rights and freedoms as well as the moral values which support them. The italian philosopher and educationalist Flores d'Arcais sees the development process of the UDHR and its genesis after World War II. as a worldwide learning process by which a minority accepts the arguments of the majority (by means of a convincere = a common victory) . Hence, the UDHR has laid the foundations of the rights to education as well as Human Rights Education as it states in § 26: "Everyone has the right to education. ... Education shall be directed to the full development of human personality and to the strengthening of respect for huamn rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace." Aspects of the foundations for human rights education and the rights to education can be found in more than 40 international and regional documents as listed by Fernandez/Jenker 1995. It is not my aim to interprete the diverse documents. But, generally stated, these documents already give some concrete direction to the mission, the contents, the role of teachers or facilitators as well as methodological-didactical aspects of Human Rights Education. The overall goals of any HRE are raising 3
concsiousness and an acting or active respect for Human Rights as formulated in the UDHR. This can be seen as a contribution to the knowledge and belief that the fullfillment of human rights can only be furthered if all individuals are subjects to human rights and make them the background for their individual acting and valuing as for instance expressed by Friedrichs (1999) : "The hope for the fullfillment of human rights lies therefore in each individuum itself: each one has to watch actively the protection of human rights in all areas. Each one should be conscious about the fact that his/her individual social and political attitudes/actions can form an important part of the universal realisation of human rights." Besides these described foundations the UNESCO developed a World Plan of Action for HRE which was adopted in 1993 by the World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna. It is obvious that HRE on a global level is subject to a development process which shall be continued: Until now there is no binding agreement on forms and contents of HRE and only in very few national education systems can HRE be found in the curricula. In Germany, the debate about human rights education is not as far developed as for instance in the anglophone world. As one of the first well known educational experts Lenhart (1999: 20) defines the working areas of human rights education. Following the international discourse about human rights education (basically in the context of the United Nations and UNESCO) he characterizes four major fields of human rights pedagogics: 1. education as a medium for the promotion and realisation of human rights, 2. education as a human right, 3. the rights of the child and 4. the training of professionals in human rights related professions.
Trying to define Human Rights Education: Learning for and about human rights Since the late 1980s and early 90s teaching and training materials, handbooks and programmes have been launched in greater numbers. Various UN-organisations, educator-networks and NGOs provided a range of useful instruments and basic texts many of them are free of copyrights and also published in the internet for free download. Various groups like teachers and schools, illiterate adults, children or women are targeted with the central aim that they get to know their rights and are enabled to use them. We can distinguish two basic principals or directions of human rights education: learning about and learning for human rights . 4
Learning about human rights
emphasis on: Knowledge, Understanding, Valuing
Contents: •
genesis, history and relevance of human rights documents
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controversies and conflicts of human rights in the int. Debate
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content of the varous declarations and conventions
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realisation (instruments) and practice of human rights (including national and international actors)
Learning for human rights
emphasis on: Repect, Responsibilty, Solidarity
Contents: •
empowerment
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participation in the transformation of community life and society
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solidarity / "rights of the others"
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tension between adaptation to the established norms of society and the resistance and struggle for the fullfillment of basic rights
The first area, learning about human rights comprises knowledge of the genesis, the history and relevance of human rights and central human rights documents as well as internationally established instruments for their realisation. Learning and teaching about human rights also includes that participants get to know the different facettes and contoversies of the international discourse - including the various actors on national and international levels. This approach is directly linked to the basics of the UDHR as pointed out above. Its emphasis lies in the accumulation of knowledge and cognitive skills and the understanding and positive valuing of human rights. All human rights programmes entail this first dimension of HRE whereas most of them go further to the second dimension: learning for human rights. In the framework of this concept the empowered and active individual is the central goal. Empowerment (combined with emancipative educational concepts like e.g. Paulo Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed) means the process of gaining power on the part of the individual by understanding the nature of one's own needs and the cause and effects of political and social structures which prevent their realisation. Empowered subjects can participate in the transformation of society on the basis of human rights. This understanding of human 5
rights education (education as a practice of freedom and empowerment) combines learning processes not only with the current needs of economy and society. Especially in the framework of neoliberal transformation of the economies (and societies) in the s.c. industrialized countries, education is often reduced to the gaining of knowledge and competencies for the s.c. 'information-and knowledge-society' (Wissens- und Informationsgesellschaft). On the contrary, human rights education as a learning for human rights puts the emphasis on social competencies including solidarity and collective action for the fullfillment of the basic needs of the communitiy. This also entails the discussion and (where it is necessary) dispersion of power and powerstructures. Such an understanding of human rights education has to deal with a tension between the adaptation and/or oppostion of the individual. This means on the one hand that we can make a choice whereas we can understand 'adaptation'not only as a process of functioning in the framework of the established do's and dont's of society but moreover as a critical reflection and valuing of the established status quo. On this basis we can define our fullfilled and not yet fullfilled basic needs. On the other hand, resistance entails further action and solidarity than just acting for one's own needs. It includes the conscious decision for actions of solidarity. This tension lies within the individuum itself. While we have to adapt to existing norms and structures to survive and gain security for our lives we have at the same time the social consciousness and duty to go beyound our personal interests and participate in the transformation of society. The definition of the two main directions of HRE can only form a first step in the process of promoting a comprehensive understanding of HRE. Besides, the direct contents of teaching and learning about and for human rights, indirect components are also important as for instance the learning environment or the existing structures and hierachies in the organisational framework of learning processes. Indirect learning through participation, democratic structures or negotiation and conflict solution can serve as essential contributions for direct learning and development of knowledge. Here, we can also find a starting point for the critical evaluation of existing educational structures and education systems: If we conserve rigid education systems and stiff curricula we prevent spontanous and creative potentials of our learners. They can - through the discussion of their own experiences with discrimination, misuse of power or violence discover important contents of human rights education which are directly linked to their specific learning and living environments. Nevertheless, this definition is already leading the way to a development of a 'core curriculum' and basic competencies to be aquired within the HRE-learning process. Indeed, the basics of HRE were already defined 1987 in a compulsary publication of the Comparative and International Education Series and edited by Norma Bernstein Tarrow . From the global perspective a common core of human rights educations includes 4 basic elements: •
the knowledge of the main international human rights documents (1), 6
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the combination of human rights and human duties that emerge out of them as well as the responsibility of the individuum towards the community, society and the developing 'worldsociety'(2),
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the knowledge about human rights violations (including all forms of inequality and discrimination (3),
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and the various forms of resistance, key events and important persons or organisations of the worldwide struggle for human rights (4).
Maitland Stobart, the Deputy Director of Education, Culture and Sport (Council of Europe) summarizes the basic competencies as follows: Human Rights Education "should lead to an understanding of, and sympathy for, the concepts of democraty, justice, equality, freedom, solidarity, peace, dignity, and rights and responsibilities. It should also lead to the aquisition of certain basic skills, in particular: •
skills associated with language development, such as written and oral expression and the ability to discuss and listen;
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skills involving judgements - the collection and analysis of material from various sources, the detection of prejudice and bias (including the mass media), and the ability to arrive at fair and balanced conclusions;
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social skills, including the recognition and acceptance of differences and the ability to form positive and non-oppresive personal relationships;
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action skills such as solving conflict in a non-violent way, taking responsibility, participating in group decisions, and understanding and using the mechanisms for the protection of human rights that exists at local, national, european and world levels."
Although this common core existing of basic contents and competencies is stongly linked to human rights ideas and principals, it is not specific only to HRE. We might also find them in other learning strategies as for instance intercultural education or global learning. Worldwide education is seen as a fundamental instrument for the empowering, respect and dissemination of human rights. One important qualitative aspect of HRE in comparison to other learning strategies is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights itself as a vital basis for any curriculum which has to be adjusted to the specific learning and living environments of the target groups. Whereas other learning strategies (as named above) deal with specific aspects or problems of society as for instance racism or sexism, HRE covers a comprehensive range of all relevant areas of human development and history. It is classified as a branch of global and peace education and therefore it is 7
likely to be a reservoir for various concepts and contents of education (like womens-, childrens-, or migrant issues, social, cultural, economic and political rights). Here, we can find an indicator for a concept of equal aims and contents but different perspectives of action. Although aims of HRE can be similar in a global perspective their related action skills or perpectives should be context-related in view of the different forms and practices of communities and societies. For instance, people and communities in the north have to learn and find different attitudes of solidarity than people and communities in the south. Both learning strategies seem to be the two sides of the same medal: whereas the privileged need to share and reduce their privileges, the marginalized need to gain power to fulfill their basic needs.
Various actors in the heterogenous field of Human Rights Education In viewing the heterogenous field of HRE we can identify mutiple actors with various programmes and target groups as for instance the police, government officials or social workers. Generally NGOs provide an important impact especially within the framework of learning for human rights. Through the new information and communication technologies and as result of the growing possibilities of worldwide communication and cooperation, educators, experts and education initaitives have built up strong networks. A search in the WWW with the keyword 'human rights education' via search engines like 'alta vista' or 'fireball' offers over 5000 sites (english or german) with links to HRE although this can of course show no indication of the quality or relevance of these sites. Many of the newly developed approaches and initiatives generate from new developing democracies or confilct-regions as for instance in ex-Yugoslavian countries. To give a brief overview on the diversity of the various approaches and actors of HRE, two examples, one from a national and one from the international perspective, shall be discussed here:
A. Human Rights Commission South Africa "The widening gap between 'first' world and 'third' world countries can't be ignored any longer - and here lies the future role of South Africa in the international arena. As S.A. shows all elements of the global division and now is struggling to overcome them it could generate a new model for the solution of the north-southgap." (A. Sparks) Allister Sparks, a well known South African journalist and writer, expresses a hope which at that time in 1995 many experts shared. Current journalistic publications about the political development in S.A. - six years after the first free and democratic elections show quite the opposite tones. The international arena nowadays witnesses the backlash of apartheid and racism while the victims who shared their terrible experiences 8
in front of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission are still waiting for any sign or political will for reperation. Nevertheless, human rights developments are strongly emphasized and constitutionalized in S.A. There is a wide variety of human rights organisations and initiatives that have been working during the apartheid regime already - although they might have named themselves differently. Kader Asmal, South African Minister of Education, states that no one has really noticed how strong the language of the resistance movement was linked to the language of human rights. This is often the case when talking about human rights: many organisations working in this field don't always characterize their work as human rights related while they are working in specific areas like for instance street children or homeless people. The Human Rights Commission South Africa (HRCSA) is a governmental organisation based as a s.c. 'Chapter 9 Institution' in the constitution of South Africa, as adapted in May 1996. Chapter nine of the constitution describes the work of six independent state institutions which shall support and strengthen constitutional democracy in the republic. Remarkably two commissions deal especially with specific human rights issues: the Human Rights Commission and the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities. Whereas the second promotes values like peace, respect, tolerance and national unity among cultural, religious and linguistic communities, the HRCSA has a specific function to carry out research and to educate. As stated in paragraph 184 (1) the HRCSA must " •
(a) promote respect for human rights and a culture of human rights;
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(b) promote the protection, development and attainment of human rights; and
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(c) monitor and asses the observance of human rights in the republic."
The educational work of the commission is entailed in all three dimensions of the HRCSA's work as education can be an instrument for each of the named areas. " If we talk about human rights its like talking about UBUNTU - there is no delight in seeing other peole suffering." (T. Nquabayi, 1999) This statement originates from a dialogue with Mr. Tembile Nquabayi, a colleague of the HRCSA's bureau in Port Elizabeth (Eastern Cape Provinve, South Africa). It characterizes the work of the HRCSA as a struggle against poverty, violence and the deprivation of rights which is based in South African culture and language (in this case isiXhosa). Ubuntu is a Xhosa word for: "You are because I am, and I am because you are." The HRCSA's work is specifically focussed on South African issues although it is well informed about the development in other african countries and uses partly educational 9
materials and training sources from international organisations (like UNESCO and Amnesty International). The statement above shows a generally important principal of any human rights education programme: If we want to reach people and sensitize them for the ideas of human rights and values we have to transfer human rights principals to their concrete languages, cultures and needs. The Commissions activities covers a wide range of different programmes and target groups as for instance schools and teachers, communities and community organisations, unions, women, HIV-positives, handicapped and the rural population. The main educational emphasis of the work lies in three to five day workshops and seminars for NGOs, CBOs (community based organisations) and professionals who shall then function as multiplicators in their own institutions. Public campaigns like for instance a 'Human Rights Week' round up the Commissions work and ensure their presence in the public arena. Additionally, the HRCSA tries to establish good contacts and networking with local institutions (e.g. the police) and partly participates in the training and in-service training of colleagues. As there are not many publications or evaluations of the HRCSA's work avalable yet, only few comments can be made about the methodological-didactical principals of the Commission's educational activities . Four basic principals can be found in the following: •
"get to know what people know themselves": (every programme should start from, and begin with the already existing knowledge and consciousness of the participants);
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"each one teach one": (focus on the training of multiplicators);
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"first local than global": (programmes should be linked to the direct environment of the learning groups and their self-defined important issues, problems etc.);
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"climate of trust" (especially important for governmental initiatives; meaning that they should not demonstrate their powers but instead build up a culture of networking).
B. Human Rights Education Associates (HREA) "I have observed them (the children) become more independent in their attitudes, more self-confident, and more knowledgeable about citizenship, democracy and matters of the world." (Tibbits/Ondrackova 1997) The second example to illustrate the diverse and heterogenous field of human rights education derives from an international perspective. The HREA, I would like to characterize as a global and 'virtual' organisation. It originates from a cooperation between the Netherlands and the United States of America but ever since has 10
developed a strong global network with educationalists and experts working in nearly all continents. The statement above originates from Felisia Tibbits (here, together with Jana Ondrackova), one of the well known human rights advocates and activists in human rights education, and co-funder and director of the Human Rights Education Associates. It indicates some of the admireable results of the HREA's work: to become empowered through self-confidence and knowledge about the basic principals and values of human rights. The Organisation describes themselve as a: "a-political, non-profit organisation whose main mission is to support efforts aimed at introducing human rights concepts and values into educational curricula and teaching practices. HREA is dedicated to quality education and training to promote understanding, attitudes and actions to protect human rights, and to foster the development of peaceable, free and just communities." HREA provides one of the most useful and comprehensive WWW-resources in the field of human rights education. The network publishes a newsletter on a regular basis with current examples of their practical work. They also provide a global listserv which is open to any individual interested in human rights education and a South-East-Northnetwork (SEN) for educators who are especially engaged in cooperative networking in this field. Another internet resource is the online-library with mutiple sources like e.g. general information about human rights education, methodology and research, specific material for formal, non-formal and informal settings, training materials and information for the training of professionals. HREA works with various target groups like governmental, non-governmental or inter-governmental organisations with an interest in implementing human rights education programmes. The services provided by HREA are : •
assistance in curriculum and materials development;
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training of professional groups;
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research and evaluation; · organisational development; and
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networking with human rights education resources and professionals. It is planned to establish an International Association of Human Rights Educators which then would be the first global network in this field. Approaches and concepts supported by HREA cover a wide range of target groups, activities and programmes. Remarkebly, here we can also find information about subjects/programmes which are not as 'popular', for instance informal learning or human rights education for special groups like e.g. women.
Outlook: Problems and questions we need to ask Human rights education is a vital and comprehensive approach which entails many hopes and visions. Its role as a major instrument for the worldwide dissemination of a 'culture of human rights' (UNESCO) is linked with the hope that learners - through the 11
educational process - develop an attitude of being 'human rights advocates' and struggle not only for their own rights but also for the rights of others. At the same time human rights education indicates some contradictions and conflict potentials as it is embedded in the same context as human rights themselves (as described at the beginning above). Here, research and evaluation is needed to find useful indicators for positive results of human rights education on the one hand and obstacles or conflict potentials (as well as ways for their solution) on the other hand: As one HRE expert expresses it: " Human rights education offers more questions than answers." Some of the questions that derive from this article shall be spelled out - instead of a conclusion - as part of the necessary and ongoing debate and development process of human rights education: •
How can human rights education contribute to the transformation of educational institutions and education systems on the basis of human rights principals and democracy?
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Which effects can human rights education offer especially in restrictive or contradictive learning areas or organisations (for instance in schools where corporal punishment still is in rule)?
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How can we ensure empowerment? And how can we prevent learners from feeling disempowered when for instance they are confronted with the many human rights violations?
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How can we learn and teach about all human rights in surroundings where some of them are denied as for instance in smaller patriarchal organised communities where women's rights are denied?
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How can we - on a sustainable basis - integrate human rights education in the existing national education systems? For instance, shall human rights education in schools be a special course, project oriented, or a general principal to be integrated in the whole curriculum?
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What do we tell our learners when they know about their human rights but cannot find meaningful ways for their realisation (e.g. in poorer countries where even basic rights as education, health or housing are not fullfilled)?
References Andreopoulos, George, J./Claude, Richard, P. (ed.): Human Rights Education for the 21st Century. University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1997 von Armin, Gabriele a.o. (ed.): Jahrbuch Menschenrechte 1999. Frankfurt am Main 1998 12
von Armin, Gabriele a.o. (ed.) Jahrbuch Menschenrechte 2000. Frankfurt am Main 1999 Böhm, Winfried (ed.): Erziehung und Menschenrechte. Würzburg 1995. Fernandez, Alfred/Jenker, Siegfried (ed.) Internationale Erklärungen und Übereinkommen zum Recht auf Bildung und zur Freiheit der Erziehung. Frankfurt am Main 1995 Friedrichs, Peter-Michael: Menschenrechtserziehung - Erziehung zur Freiheit. Menschenrechtserziehung als ein Ansatz präventiver Menschenrechtsarbeit. Amnesty International. http://www.amnesty-international.org Flores d'Arcais, Guiseppe: Gründe für eine Pädagogik der Menschenrechte. In: Böhm, Winfried (ed.): Erziehung und Menschenrechte. Würzburg 1995. Hüfner, Klaus: How to file Complaints on Human Rights Violations. A manual for Individuals and NGOs. DGVN-Texte 49. Bonn 1998 Lenhart, Volker: Der Aufgabenkreis einer Pädagogik der Menschenrechte. In: Lorenz, Thorsten, Abele, Albrecht (ed.): Pädagogik als Verantwortung. Zur Aktualität eines unmodernen Begriffs. Weinheim 1998.
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