[hr-education-na] Re: Resources and tools necessary to support actors involved in HRE

Dear Colleagues,

The HREA Global Consultation on human rights education (HRE), with an
emphasis on primary and secondary schools, is a significant contribution
to the General Assembly plenary in December. In this regard I have a
question about the 7 September 2000 report of the UN High Commissioner for
Human Rights to the General Assembly (A/55/360), a mid-term evaluation on
progress made towards achievement of the objectives of the UN Decade for
Human Rights Education (1995-2004). Section V: Recommendations on Human
Rights Education: Concepts and Methods stated:

131: "Value-oriented human rights education alone is insufficient. Human
rights education should make reference to human rights instruments and
mechanisms of protection for ensuring accountability.

132: Creative participatory teaching methods that are relevant to people's
lives should be used, and human rights should be introduced as a holistic
framework."

These recommendations were made five years ago. Does anyone know if they
have been implemented, and with what success?

My expertise is human rights and freedom of religion or belief with a
focus on article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights (ICCPR) and the UN Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of
Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief, for
protection and to ensure accountability. Does anyone know if there are
primary or secondary school curriculum that refers specifically to these
two human rights instruments?

Human rights are human law. Primary and secondary school teachers should
be trained to introduce value-oriented human rights education as a
holistic framework, legally-binding in most cases by multilateral treaty
law, even if specific human rights instruments and mechanisms for
protection are not part of the actual curriculum at the primary and
secondary level.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) website
http://www.ohchr.org is currently being updated for greatly improved
functionality. This new technology does not include the UN Database on
Human Rights Education, at least in the area of Human Rights and Freedom
of Religion or Belief. Under the OHCHR Database Substantive Focus for
Religious Intolerance (it should read Freedom of Religion or Belief to be
in compliance with the Special Rapporteur's title for this Focus), there
are only four entries under Materials, and eleven entries under
Programmes. Entry descriptions do not refer to a holistic framework, or to
specific human rights instruments for protection to ensure accountability.

The General Assembly plenary in December should include ways of
modernizing the UN Database for Human Rights Education, providing funds
and staff to improve functionality for ease of use and quicker reference
to what we hope will be a growing HRE anthology with curricula for primary
and secondary school education.

Michael M. Roan
The Tandem Project
Minneapolis, MN
mroan@tc.umn.edu



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