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

Dear Ellie, Hugh, Vasanthi and all the friends and colleagues of our
wonderful network

Ellie has written a very deep and interesting reflexion of one of my main
concern in HRE: What does it mean to address HRE as a political education?

I don't think that in a short time and space I could refer to all the
aspects that Ellie is dealing with. Let me only say that is important for
human rights educators to addrees this issue if we really want to make HRE
an education that transforms and emancipates people. We can not avoid the
problems and dilemmas. On the contrary we have to bring them into the
class and face them without fear. We will no be indoctrinating but
teaching how to be critial, in relation with political issues of the
country, and the international and the domestic dimensions of it. We will
encourage students to find out what are the reasons that human rights are
been violated in spite of the existence of a great corpus of normative
national and international instruments; why there is so much talk that is
not been translated into action. HRE will bring them to understand that we
live in a world of contradictions, conflict and tension. HRE will teach
them to understand and deal with contradiction and to suggest changes.

Well, I have to finish. There is so much to say. It might well be that
there is an imperative necessity to sit down and reflex on this issue. HRE
as political and an education for transformation.

Ellie, I will find time to react on your wonderful messages, on many of
the issues that you bring in your reflection.

With love

Abraham
Abraham Magendzo
Chile



On 10/10/05, Ellie Keen wrote:

>
> It always takes me a long time to absorb what you have all been 
> discussing, so I must apologise to the moderators – and to all ofyou 
> – for returning to last week's theme when we should be discussingthis 
> week's. But there were a number of issues that I found interesting,
> and which I wanted time to explore in more depth. My message is longer 
> than it should be, so the following paragraph provides a summary of
> the main points, for those not inclined to read to the end.
>
> In general, I wanted to address some of Abraham's excellent thoughts 
> about HRE as a 'network of political power', capable of influencing
> politics on a day-to-day basis. I agree with him wholeheartedly, but I 
> was concerned that the remark did not provoke more debate (and 
> disagreement). I don't actually believe that most people engage in HRE 
> in this way: I think that we are hindered by politics for various 
> pragmatic, strategic and sometimes ethical reasons, and that most HRE 
> tries to avoid the important political questions. I strongly believe 
> that we need to find a way around this, and I have a small concern 
> that 'mainstreaming' HRE can blind us to certain problems that not 
> only should not be ignored, but that should actually be first and 
> foremost in our minds.

 

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