This post is a summary of a teaching material published at http://www.un.org/wcm/webdav/site/visitors/shared/documents/pdfs/Pub_United%20Nations_ABC_human%20rights.pdf
Teaching Human Rights talks about us as human beings. It talks about the process of teaching and learning the significance of the inherent "dignity and worth of the human person" which is the "foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world" (Universal Declaration of Human Rights, preamble). And it talks about the rights that belongs to us all. These are lessons for life. In this sense, human rights education means not only teaching and learning about human rights, but also for human rights: its fundamental role is to empower individuals to defend their own rights and those of others. The realization of human rights is our common responsibility, and its achievement is entirely dependent on the contribution that each and everyone will be willing to make. Human rights may be generally defined as those rights which are inherent in our nature. They are based on humankind`s increasing demand for a life in which the inherent dignity and worth of each human being are accorded respect and protected. Their denial is not only an individual tragedy but also creates conditions of social and political unrest, sowing the seeds of violence and conflict within and between societies and nations. Since the adoption of the UDHR, human rights have become central to the work of the United Nations. Within the United Nations system, human rights are furthered by a myriad of different mechanisms and procedures. Not least of these activities to promote human rights is human rights education. The U.N. assembly affirmed that "human rights education should involve more than the provision of information and should constitute a comprehensive life-long process by which people in all strata of society learn respect for the dignity of others and the means and methods of ensuring that respect in all societies. Central to this text is the idea that teaching about human rights is not enough. For this reason the largest part of this text consists of activities. These create opportunities for students and teachers to examine the basic elements that make up human rights - life, justice, freedom, equality and the destructive character of deprivation, suffering and pain - and then to use them to work out what they truly think and feel about a wide range of real-world issues. Teachers carries a great responsibility for communication of the human rights message. Opportunities to do this may vary: human rights themes may be infused into existing school subjects, such as history, literature, arts, geography, or may have a specific course allocated to them. Human rights education may also be pursued through less formal education arenas such as after-school activities and youth forums. Ideally, a human rights culture should be built into the whole curriculum, as part of the established curriculum in the social and economic sciences and humanities. The history of human rights tells a detailed story of efforts made to define the basic dignity and worth of the human being and his or her most fundamental entitlements. These efforts continue to this day. Research has shown that some upper primary and secondary school students suffer from lack of confidence that limits their ability to socialize with others. It is difficult to care about someone else`s rights when you do not expect to have any yourself. Where this is the case, teaching for human rights could require going back to the beginning and teaching confidence and tolerance first.The focus of human rights education is not outward but also inward on personal values, attitudes and behaviour. For the basic principles of a human rights culture to survive, people must continue to see a point in defending them: "I have a right to this. It is not just what I need. It is my right." Unless people have the chance to work out such reasons for themselves, they will not claim their rights when they are with-held or taken away, or feel responsibility to defend the rights of others. At its most complex, hypocrisy raises profound questions about how to protect and promote the human dignity. The fact that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights have global validity and applicability is very important for teachers. By promoting human rights standards, the teacher can honestly say that he or she is not preaching. Teachers have a second challenge, however: to teach in such a way as to respect human rights in the school itself. For learning to have practical benefit, students need not only to learn about human rights but to learn in an environment that models them. This means avoiding any hipocrisy. At its simplest, hypocrisy refers to situations where what a teacher is teaching is clearly at odds with how he or she is teaching it. A human rights culture attempts to define principles for the positive conduct of all human behaviour. What follows are issues involved in realizing these principles. As some of these issues may prove to be controversial, the teacher`s sensitivity and discretion are required. Teachers who want to concentrate on specific issues ( e.g. world development, prisoners of conscience, privacy, anti-racism or anti-sexism ) should present them in a human rights context. This general understanding will provide depth. Teachers who specialize in different aspects of human rights should work side by side to provide understanding in depth.
