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Our
vision of Human Rights Education
Human rights education is the raison d'être
of Equitas. The Universal Declaration of Human
Rights, considered by many to be the starting
point of human rights education, is the document
upon which Equitas is founded, and it has
guided our work since 1967.
The focus of Equitas' current work is primarily
in the area of non-formal human rights education
in Canada and around the world. Our human
rights training programs are based on needs
identified in consultation with our international
and Canadian partners and are designed for
particular target groups such as NGOs, public
officials, and human rights educators.
Our vision of human rights and our understanding
of education are reflected in how we carry
out our work. The content of our programs
centers around the knowledge, skills, values,
attitudes and behaviours required for individuals
to understand, assert and defend their human
rights as well as to respect the rights of
others. Human rights education involves the
exploration of human rights principles and
instruments and the promotion of critical
reflection and inquiry. Ultimately, human
rights education inspires people to take control
of their own lives and the decisions that
affect their lives. This process cannot happen
without participants questioning their assumptions
about human rights. By critically examining
these underlying assumptions from which stem
their beliefs, values and feelings, participants
engage in a process of "transformative
learning". The process, which encourages
participants to be more discriminating, open,
and reflective, leads to a new interpretation
of experience to guide future action. Some
of the common themes of transformative learning
are the centrality of participants' experiences,
critical reflection, and rational discourse.
How does Equitas foster transformative learning
in its programs? At the heart of all our training
programs is a curriculum design model based
on principles of adult experiential learning.
It is an experience-based model where participants
and facilitators commit themselves to engage
in a process of mutual teaching and learning.
The emphasis is on practical application and
on the development of strategies for future
action. Continual reflection and evaluation
are central to the learning process.
What does this mean in terms of developing
and carrying out a learning event? The basic
assumption is that much of the content will
come from the participants and that the "program"
will serve as the framework for drawing out
this content. Participants bring their analyses
and experiences to the program while we, as
educators, bring a knowledge of theory and
practice of participatory education. The learning
event provides the opportunity for rich exchange.
Responsibility for interaction and for learning,
therefore, is placed squarely in the hands
of the participants. The purpose or goal of
human rights education is "empowerment"
in order to bring about social change. The
participatory learning process serves not
only as a means of achieving this goal but
is, in and of itself, an expression of this
empowerment.
Some underlying beliefs of a participatory
learning process are that people learn more
effectively when: their own capacity and knowledge
is valued; they are able to share, analyze,
and critically reflect on their experiences
in a safe and collective environment; and
they are active participants in the learning
process, which includes feedback on each others'
work and self-assessment. Respect, inclusiveness,
and empathy are values which are fundamental
to human rights education. These ideals must
not remain at the theoretical level and Equitas
strives to integrate them into every aspect
of the design, development and delivery of
our human rights education programs.
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| The role
of human rights educators is
to foster within each person an awareness
of human rights and a sense of the individual's
capacity to affect change. It is the
responsibility of human rights educators
to provide a supportive environment
where people are free to define which
issues are at the heart of their own
human rights struggles. |
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The practice
of human rights education is
founded on mutual respect and reciprocal
learning. Participatory methods that
promote the sharing of personal knowledge
and experience are fundamental. The
modes of communication are numerous
(from brainstorming and discussion to
street theater and festivals, to name
but a few) but the challenge lies in
discovering how to truly communicate
across differing cultures, values, and
perspectives.
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