Although "measures of prevention, education, and protection aimed at the eradication of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance" had been declared a central theme of the World Conference Against Racism (WCAR), this observer found disappointingly little examination of how education or any kind, especially human rights education, as a tool to prevent and combat racism. Indeed, human rights education was so neglected in the preparatory meetings that preceded the WCAR that as of June the UN’s own Decade for Human Rights Education was not even mentioned in the draft Declaration and Plan of Action.

Most of the discussion of human rights education at the WCAR was to be found in the workshops and exhibits offered by NGOs. Listed below in Appendix A is a short summary of some of these workshops, with apologies for any that may have been overlooked. Logistics and unannounced schedule changes at Durban frustrated even the most dedicated educators from locating promising workshops and panels.

Among NGOs sponsored information booths in the Exhibition Hall offering excellent resources for human rights education were –

• Amnesty International South Africa
• The Consultative Council of Jewish Organizations
• Human Rights Watch
• The Street Law Project of South Africa
• The Global Alliance for HRE [*]
• A coalition of South African educational groups, including The Electoral Institute of Southern Africa and The Teacher magazine, Kagiso Educational Television, and the SA Human Rights Commission. [**]

Education was also the subject of several sessions planned by the conference organizers. Among these, one titled "Peace Education, Conflict Resolution, and the WCAR" did discuss the importance of education to prevent racism, but according to one participant, the programme approached education from the limited perspective of "respect for others" and "respect for the law," without any reference to the role of non-formal or human rights education. Also missing was any recognition of both the personal, transformative process that is necessary to change attitudes and the role of education in facilitating that essential process. According to Sarah Ford, of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee and Amnesty International USA’s HRE Steering Committee, "Other official sessions seldom mentioned the role of education in creating the kind of personal changes that are necessary to end racism."

The principal official forum for education at the conference was the Commission on Education, Media and Information, one of several such commissions formed to hold public hearings on specific aspects of racism and to draft additions to the NGO Declaration and Plan of Action (See Appendix B for the names of members of this commission). At the meeting of the Commission on Education, Media and Information, members of the Commission made brief presentations on the relevance of these topics to racism. See Appendix C for the text the presentation on HRE made, and Werner Peter Ludermann, International Association for Human Values, and by Kazunari Fugii, Soka Gakkai International.

These were followed by interventions from members of the audience of more than 100 people, many of whom underscored the importance of these topics to the particular advocacy group they represented. Among these were especially moving presentations from representatives of migrant workers, the Roma of Europe, indigenous peoples of Asia and the Americas, the Dallits of India, and other ethnic and religious minority groups.

The main work of the Commission on Education, Media and Information took place when the audience divided into two separate breakout groups, "media" and "education," and worked line by line through the draft Declaration and Plan of Action. Within the education group, these were some of the principal areas of discussion and concern:

• To emphasize that education is a fundamental human right and indispensable to realizing all human rights and achieving equality and nondiscrimination.
• To emphasize the importance of the UN Decade for HRE and to recommend the formation of a second such decade with greater resources.
• To prevent children from being denied the right to education on the basis of cultural practices.

Almost all of these concerns were reflected in the final NGO Declaration and Plan of Action. In that hotly disputed document, the section on education is, in the opinion of Kazunari Fugii of Soka Gakkai International, "the least controversial section of the document." (See the web site of the OHCHR for the full text: http://www.unhchr.ch/html/racism/. See Appendix D for articles specific to HRE).

This observer had some concern, however, that the imprecision of the language used in some articles of the document weakens the effectiveness of the recommendations. For example Article 289 states:

Whereas human rights principles are specific and codified in the human rights legal framework, the interpretation of phrases like "human values" and "universal values" seems open to wide contradiction and manipulation. In an official document like this Declaration and Plan of Action, such vague language provides reluctant governments the opportunity either to claim that they are already meeting this standard or to dismiss the recommendation altogether.

While in the opinion of this observer the WCAR did not greatly advance the specific cause of HRE, educators can take encouragement from the positive attention given to the role of education in the NGO Declaration and Plan of Action. However, at this date, nearly a month after the close of the conference, the final government Declaration and Plan of Action has not been published by the Office of the High Commissioner. When it is released, human rights educators should carefully compare its articles on education with those in the NGO Declaration, both to note the changes and omissions made and to familiarize themselves with the document. Because governments that sign this document obligate themselves to uphold these recommendations, it can prove a valuable tool in advocating for human rights education at every level.

Certainly no one who attended could fail to be touched by the passionate activism for human rights reflected at the WCAR and the diversity of voices heard. As Shulamith Koenig of the PHDRE, the People’s Movement for HRE, observed, "We should regard the conference as a vital step in the process toward building a culture of human rights. People were there to tell their stories, voices were heard that have long been silenced, and they knew that they were not alone. In this way, the WCAR was a very positive meeting."

Many at the WCAR took heart from the pervasive linking of dignity with social-economic rights and the constant invocation of human rights in the struggle against racism. It brought home day after day the truth that underlies our work as human rights educators: people who know their rights will struggle to defend them!

[**] For some very useful classroom activities on "Bringing the WCAR to Your Classroom" published by The Teacher, see their web site: http://www.teacher.co.za/200109/celebrate12b.html 

Sponsor: Global Alliance for HRE

This workshop demonstrated how HRE can be used to affect personal transformation and help prevent and combat racism. Participants from many part of the world told stories of successful struggles again racism and noted how success often depended on the solidarity of others and a willingness to challenge state oppression of rights. Participants shared their experiences, describing effective practices and discussing the challenges and potentials of HRE as a tool against racism.

Sponsors: PDHRE, Peoples Movement for HRE and the Human Rights Institute of South Africa

Facilitator: Shulamith Koenig, PDHRE, People's Movement for Human Rights Education

This workshop examined the oppression of women as a prevailing system that underlies racism and socializes people from a very young age to accept discrimination as a social given. An open discussion among human rights educators explored how the patriarchal system – in which we all comply- perpetuates racism, classism and many other human rights violations both against women and men. The participants strategized how the human rights framework can be used to achieve full equality and overcome discrimination of all kinds, asserting that HRE for social transformation has been proven to be a powerful tool for people to take action and participate in claiming economic and social justice.

Sponsor: the Center for Human Rights Education, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Presenters:
Loretta Ross, Center for Human Rights Education
Bahati Ansari, National Racism Free Zone Project
Orly Lubin, Tel Aviv University
Betty Reardon, Columbia University
Jamala Rodgers, Organization for Black Struggle
Isa Williams, Agnes Scott College

This workshop stressed the importance of human rights education in building unity among social justice activists, especially in combating racism. It challenged the "tolerance paradigm" of the conference, which implies that we judge and "tolerate" others on the basis of their likeness to us. Human rights theory would instead propose a starting point of human equality. Presenters also emphasized the paradigm of the victimized violator as a tool for analysis and response to racism and the revolutionary and transformative power of human rights education.

Sponsor: Mikeljohn Civil Liberties Institute

Presenters:
Activists: 
Claudia Morcom
Dorothy Smith Patterson
Carole Kennerly

Attorneys: 
Guyatry Singh
Howard Moore
Jane Bond Moore
Charles Bonner
Colleen Rohan
Anne Fagan Ginger

Students: 
Gabral Bonner

Professors: 
Charles Henry
Kusum Singh

This workshop addressed these topics and activities:

• Urging officials and people generally to become informed about CERD: e.g., to train employees and others to make periodical reports on violations by individuals and corporation.
• Giving examples of successful efforts by the City of Berkeley, California, the State Bar Association of California, labor unions and media to implement, report and monitor CERD.
• Discussion of the growing movement to demand that the US government and corporations admit their racist actions throughout history and make reparations.
• Brainstorming for new, dramatic, effective strageties on heath care, including labor unions in India, using the mobilization of shame and wide media coverage.

Sponsor: Comite de Apolol a las Trabojadores Argicolas

Executive Director, International Association for Human Values

Education is the key to ensuring respect for diversity and restoring human dignity and can provide a remedy to cure the ills of prejudice and discrimination within society.

A comprehensive education must be grounded in universal human values that transcend culture, tradition and religion. Human values are inherent in everybody, and to re-awaken them we need an education capable of transforming values into attitudes and behavior.

Education must begin in the family and extend to all areas of the community.

It must help individuals identify and adopt personal and social values, which can guide their decisions, relationships and work, and assure their social, emotional and spiritual well-being.

Young people need to develop a depth of character and self-esteem that gives them a clear sense of their own worth and value as well as that of others, thus enabling peaceful coexistence among all races, ethnic and religious groups.

Learning methods and environments should respect the dignity, individuality and freedom of the learner from early childhood through to maturity in a process of life-long learning. World citizens of the 21st century deserve education that is relevant to their life situations and that provides the skills for them to become reflective, innovative and critical thinkers. In order to enable individuals to achieve their full potential, education must address both mind and heart. The arts and cultural programs can play a major role in breaking down barriers and bringing back joy, love and the celebration of life’s rich diversity.

An education system that is based on universal human rights is essential to prevent us from repeating the atrocities of the past, and to provide us with a vision of a future world, where human rights will be the unwritten laws, followed naturally as a way of life.

Only then can we be truly free and equal, acting towards one another in a true spirit of unity and respect as embodied in the African concept of ‘Ubuntu’.

We call upon all Governments, to commit themselves to developing and strengthening education programs, that provide solutions to the issues of this conference.

We call upon all sectors of society and individuals, to take up the responsibility to integrate human values into education in its broadest sense.

Thank you Madam / Mr. Chairperson

Contact: IntAOLEurope.Luedemann@t-online.de 

Soka Gakku International

Education is a remedial measure for the victims of what we all are against but more importantly, it is a preventive measure to prejudice, racism, xenophobia, racial discrimination and related intolerance that are, in most cases, the root causes deep in people’s mind that threats a peaceful society and the mutual respect of human dignity. When we look at the aspect, it is understandable that it is not only the socio-legal infrastructures. It is rather the quality of education that determines the future of one race, "the human race." To eliminate a poisonous plant, we have to eliminate not only the stem and leaves but also its poisonous root underground reproductive of the same problem over and over again.

I would also like to underline that education against racism is human rights education. The concept of human rights education has been long recognised of its significance, but its implementation has been insufficient. Rather than creating a new concept like anti-racism education, I would like to suggest to put emphasis on and committee ourselves to take possible actions for human rights education so that it will become the practical approach in the NGO final documents. In this regard, the education part of the NGO final documents must be deliberated, also, with special consideration of the human rights education.

Now, as to the approach, first of all, education as a general term in the NGO final documents, the methodological and strategic aspects of education both formal and non-formal, not exclusively but focusing on them, must be maintained. As you know, many other devoted NGOs and individuals are working on the matter in the issue-oriented direction. Certainly we must keep our attention to the individual issues but in a comprehensive manner and general terms. I suggest that the education part should be more like, practically methodological and strategic approach.

Keeping it in mind, I would like to draw your attention to the following some points on human rights education:

(1) HRE is a "life-long process" for both children and adults and is highly contributory to:

• Mutual respect for the human dignity
• Preventing discriminatory attitudes and behaviour
• Combating bias and prejudices, and
• Appreciating cultural diversity.

(2) HRE needs to be integrated within the school system at the national level. E.g.:

• Integration with the school curricula, textbooks, revision on the regular basis
• Human rights training of school personnel
• Development of extra-curricular activities,

(3) HRE needs to reach out to family units and the community at large.

(4) Human rights should be focused also at the university level which is not quite common yet.

(5) Professionals need the human rights training, too. For example:

• Educating personnel working in the administration of justice, and
• HRE for Business and media sectors.

(6) Public awareness campaigns have been organised in many countries, but the contributory potential by the media, art expression and new information technologies are not yet quite explored.

As one of the sub-approaches:

Focusing on the formal education system may be one realistic approach in particular, the inclusion of human rights in all school curricula. Indeed, it is the mandate of all Governments at least under the UN Decade for Human Rights Education.

Also, we should keep in mind that national strategies for human rights education must be:

• Comprehensive in terms of outreach
• Participatory in terms of involvement of all relevant actors
• Effective in terms of educational methodologies.

It would be helpful to look at the recommendations contained in the OHCHR mid-term evaluation report on the UN Decade for HRE. Not to mention, the fact that they are in a UN document would help the NGOs to lobby the government here in Durban.

NB: The following articles from the NGO Declaration and Plan of Action at the World Conference Against Racism have special relevance to HRE.

108. Education is critically important in combating and preventing prejudice as well as the protection of individual human rights and specifically with regard to Indigenous Peoples, Dalits and minority and vulnerable groups and further recalling that many State parties have not yet implemented ICERD article 7.

109. Bearing in mind that education is a primary function of understanding human rights and freedoms, we deplore the fact that some educational systems are used as tools for advancing racist, sexist, casteist and supremacists ideologies and in doing so employ texts, documents and other tools of learning that convey pejorative images through omission of facts of past and present realities of Africans, Indigenous Peoples, Asians, Dalits, and their descendants and members of other minority and marginalized communities.

110. Considering that schools and other centers of learning play a critical role in shaping future generations, we recognise that current efforts in schools and other centers of learning to combat racism, including challenging racist and sexist language, pejorative images are woefully inadequate.

111. We also note with concern the lack of school curricula that meets international standards, recognizing the value of having a school curricula that is devoid of discriminatory content and that teaches the principles of equality, dignity, human rights and fundamental freedoms, adopting a holistic approach that includes a balance between a science and technology-based approach and an indigenous knowledge and philosophy based approach.

112. We recognize particularly women and girls of disadvantaged and vulnerable communities. the historical, financial and other institutional barriers faced by Africans, Indigenous Peoples, Asians and their descendants and members of other minority and marginalized communities when they seek to access institutions of higher learning and

186. Children and young people, particularly young Indigenous Peoples, African and African Descendants, Roma Peoples, Dalits, minorities and peoples of oppressed nationalities, ethnicities or caste within their States are discriminated against, excluded from and marginalized in the decision making processes, resulting in the limiting of the full and active participation in the political, economic and cultural sectors. In addition, children and young people, particularly girl children and young women and those with disabilities are discriminated against in education, health, civil and criminal justice, media and the environment.

(ARTICLES 194-472 )

212 Implement Art. 7 of ICERD, which targets education as an essential, mean for combating racism.

233. We demand that educational curricula reflect the accurate historical experiences of both the victims and the perpetrators of the Trans Atlantic SlaveTrade, Trans-Saharan and Trans-Indian Ocean Slave Trade, Slavery and Colonialism.

243. Satisfaction and guarantee of non-repetition includes the public acknowledgment of the crimes against humanity; the correction of the history of Africa, African and African descendants in educational materials and in the media; acknowledgment of the economic base of exploitation of the victims of crimes against humanity and violations of human rights and the unjust enrichment of the perpetrators;

Education as a means of redress should be viewed from the broad perspective of encompassing as a comprehensive strategy:

• Formal Education;
• Non Formal education
• Adult Education;
• Awareness Campaigns;
• Information dissemination (access to information);
• Education for the transformation of Public Sector Officials; and
• The Media and information technology.

287. Implement the U.N. Decade for Human Rights Education 1995-2004, and support its continuation for a further Decade with increased human and financial resources.

243. Ensure equal access to education at all levels, including higher education, without discrimination on any ground, for all persons irrespective of their legal status and abolish policies and practices promoting or leading to racial segregation in education.

States and governments should:

304. Conduct nationwide campaigns to raise awareness among State organs, such as the judiciary, and law enforcement agencies, public officials, including legislators, as well as civil society organisations, including associations involved with migrants and other vulnerable groups, concerning the provisions of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

305. Train police and immigration officials in the application of international human rights standards and that the successful completion of such training programmes be made one of the criteria for promotion.

306. Implement training programmes on the dangers of racism and intolerance, including sexist prejudices, disability discrimination stereotyping and multiple discrimination and promote respect for cultural diversity by officials in all spheres of public life, in particular the police and the military, the judiciary and other agents of the administration of justice, teachers and other educationalists, and officials working in the sphere of health and social welfare.

307. Develop specific measures for agents of the criminal justice system, in particular the police and other law enforcement officers, for their interactions with target groups and minorities.

308. Governments and states should promote research addressing the roots and manifestations of all forms of contemporary racism, including those not rooted in slavery, and to introduce educational programmes for both civil servants and the general public based on the principle of priority of human rights and multiculturalism.

313. We urge States to fully recognize all fundamental human rights for members of ethnic and national groups, and especially full equal citizenship for them in all fields of public life. States should repeal legislation that facilitates discrimination against ethnic and racial minorities and prevents them from enjoying their identity, culture, religion and language or renders members of minority communities stateless.

314. We recommend that governments and international organizations take urgent action to eradicate the widespread discrimination and persecution of ethnic and national groups, by implementing national public and social policies to redress discrimination, including affirmative action programmes. In particular, States should set up systems of government and administration that allow ethnic and national groups to participate in decision-making and implementation. States engaged in post-conflict transition should adopt systems of power sharing, based, wherever possible, on parties rather than ethnicity.

315. We urge states to enact legislation, including constitutional protection, in order to ensure cultural rights for all, and to protect and promote cultural diversity on their territory. We recommend that governments develop intercultural educational provisions and curricula that are culturally and linguistically appropriate. These should ensure that all groups and individuals have an understanding of their multicultural society, and that they share common values in the public domain, which evolves through democratic participation. States should support and encourage organizations that promote minority cultures and languages, and promote cultural exchanges and understandings between different communities.

330. Education curriculum and armed forces (police) training to include: human rights training, the culture of peace and gender sensitivity.

346. Encourage the UN to set up and fully fund a body to deal with propaganda and media distortion related to racism and racial discrimination, hate crimes, systematic ethnic cleansing, and genocide. Also require that education and training about discrimination, hate crimes, ethnic cleansing and genocide is provided by governments and the UN to enable the liberation of oppressed people and to increase understanding of these heinous crimes in the international community, including requiring offices in the regions outside Geneva and New York. Require the UN to monitor and agitate for this.

351. It is important to monitor education to ensure it is inclusive and prevents perpetuation of discrimination and hate crimes and also to monitor media for accusations, generalisations, stigmatization, stereotyping and bias of particular racial and ethnic minorities, indigenous peoples, castes, especially women, children, those with disabilities, religious minorities and communities advocating for social change and self determination other groups being targeted by hate crimes

370. Urges States to commit financial resources to anti-racism education and media campaigns to promote anti-racism awareness, the values of acceptance, tolerance, diversity and respect for the cultures of all Indigenous Peoples. In particular, States should strive to promote an accurate understanding of the histories and cultures of Indigenous Peoples. States must ensure full access to inter-cultural education at all levels

372. Urges States to recognize the languages of Indigenous peoples and devote resources and establish programs to ensure the survival, promotion, and continuation of such languages. States, in agreement with Indigenous peoples, should design and implement language and education policies that promote the right of Indigenous peoples to assert their cultures and languages.

388. Education, both formal and informal, is one of the cornerstones of the strategies required to eliminate racism in the workplace and in society as a whole. Education strategies must include detailed and measurable plans by both governments and NGOs.

389. Governments must prioritise financial resources to ensure that anti racism education is an integrated and core part of the curriculum within schools. This should be alongside measures which should be taken to ensure that teachers are more reflective of the communities which they represent. Governments should require schools to develop comprehensive and measurable anti racist plans of action which include monitoring arrangements to identify progress.

390. Governments must prioritise financial resources, for NGOs, to support anti racism education programmes and initiatives. These programmes should include education programmes in the workplace

396. Provide gender-sensitive human rights education and anti-racism training programmes for key professionals frequently in contact with immigrants and asylum seekers, including customs and immigration officials.

397. Provide education and capacity building for refugees, asylum seekers, documented and undocumented migrant workers and migrants on their rights, responsibilities, and avenues for redress.

432. All States are called upon to refrain from the perpetration of religion-based intolerance and discrimination, including when linked to race, through a systematic stereotyping of religious minorities in the media, educational curricula and textbooks leading to their further marginalization and distortions.

433. Religious communities and leaders are called upon to play a positive role in bringing spiritual and ethical insights and a commitment to education to effect and promote reconciliation, healing and liberation to address historical and present day inequalities and discrimination;

442. We urge Governments to take concrete measures and support the full development of the Roma children and youth positive self-esteem, the deconstruction of their internalized stigma and the Roma identity awareness, by establishing identity assertive education institutions and by promoting the Roma history, Romani as teaching language and ethnic assertion education programs in the mainstream school.

444. We urge governments to fully support the intercultural education, including the provision of adequate funding, for the inclusion of the Roma history in text books and school curricula