[hr-education] Re: Theoretical framework, legal bases and history of HRE

Dear Hugh, and all other good friends and colleagues,

I have the feeling that we have a great need to express ourselves on so
many issues concerning HRE. We are opening a box of many questions and
answers. I am also participating in the Spanish network concerning the
same questions and I have the same feeling.

It is good for us to have the chance, through our network, to think deeply
about our HRE experience and essentially to think on what is the final
purpose of what we are doing. However, I think that in some sense we are
missing the point. The central question, if I have understood it
correctly, was to compare HRE and other education.

I would like to insist on the political, normative and ethical aspects
that characterise HRE. Particularly, I am interested in the ethical and
political aspects. I want to underline how HRE is inspired by an ethical
consideration of the Other. HRE as an education should become a
"vigilance", "responsibility" for the Other. The concrete Other, not the
Other in abstract terms. I am responsible of the sufferings of the Other,
particularly the suffering of millions of people that don't have voice:
the ones that are experiencing in their day to day life violations of
their basic rights; the millions that are living in poverty all over the
world; the ones that are discriminated, the powerless.

When I refer to the political focus of HRE I am thinking of the
possibility to influence not only formal politics but also in our day to
day politics; HRE should became a network of political power. In my
opinion, neither civic education, peace education, and other educations
have this political and ethical role. They have an important role to play
in society and in education, but not the political and ethical role that
HRE has.

With love

Abraham

 
Abraham Magendzo
Chile

 

On 10/4/05, Hugh Starkey wrote:
>
>
> I am responding to Abraham Magendzo's helpful contribution to this 
> debate. I feel that he has expressed the essence of HRE when he states 
> that: 'Human rights are the normative and ethical support for peace
> and citizenship education. HRE is par excellence political education'.
>
> He then refers to the different contexts in which HRE developed. In
> Chile it was possible to speak about peace education but not HRE which 
> was considered too political.
>
> The opposite was the case in Britain. In the 1980s the (Cold War) 
> political climate was such that it became very difficult to promote
> peace education. Powerful political forces, including sections of the 
> media, ridiculed antiracism. Attempts to counter homophobia in schools 
> were banned. Some of us turned to HRE as providing a potentially 
> protected space within this adverse political climate.
>
> HRE promotes 'freedom justice and peace in the world' (UDHR preamble) 
> through education. Although this agenda is the agenda of the United
> Nations and should therefore be uncontroversial, in practice it is 
> often perceived as politically threatening.
>
> HRE has two strategic advantages.
>
> 1. It is based on human rights instruments that governments across the 
> world have signed up to. In promoting HRE we are helping our 
> governments to fulfil their international obligations and 
> undertakings.
>
> 2. We can benefit from international solidarity so that our efforts to 
> provide education for a more just and peaceful world are not in 
> isolation. Inter-governmental organisations such as UNESCO and Council 
> of Europe support and promote HRE and enable the sharing of 
> experience. This is complemented by the work of international NGOs,
> including, of course, HREA.
>

 

 
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