Human Rights Education Resources
For Teachers and Students: UN Human Rights Treaties and Programs
This section for teachers and students lists websites and print resources with information regarding UN human rights treaties and educational programs to support a deeper understanding of international human rights.
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Pages/WelcomePage.aspx
The OHCHR spearheads global efforts to protect and promote human rights. The website has quick links to human rights treaties, issues, education and training, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with which the OHCHR works.
A few highlights within this site:
Human Rights by Topic http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Pages/ListOfIssues.aspx
What are Human Rights http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Pages/WhatareHumanRights.aspx
UDHR in 36 languages http://www.ohchr.org/EN/UDHR/Pages/Introduction.aspx
Core Human Rights Treaties http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/index.htm
Human Rights in Action: The United Nations Cyber School Bus
www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/humanrights/index.asp
The U.N. Cyber School Bus project aims to collect inspiring stories of schools defending and promoting human rights in communities, neighborhoods, and cities. Resources include an interactive UDHR and ready-to-print handouts such as a plain language UDHR, vocabulary list and quotes on human rights.
World Programme for Human Rights Education
http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/education/training/programme.htm
As part of the UN High Commission for Human Rights this program promotes a common understanding of the basic principles and methodologies of human rights education provide a framework for action. The website offers concrete strategies and practical ideas for implementing human rights education.
UNICEF
http://www.unicef.org/index.php
UNICEF is the leading international advocate for children’s rights. Their website contains a plethora of resources including photos essays, global statistics on the state of children, Voices of Youth digital diaries, discussion forums for youth, podcasts of young voices from conflict areas, CRC video contest and much more.
Clapham, Andrew. Human Rights: A Very Short Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007.
As the title suggests, Clapham offers an introduction to the historical and philosophical origins of human rights. The book also provides a focus on current issues such as Guantanamo Bay and Darfur.
Fasulo, Linda. An Insider’s Guide to the UN. Yale University Press, 2005.
As the UN correspondent for NBC News and NPR, Fasulo presents a clear and concise summary of the sometimes overwhelming aspects of the world’s premier peace keeping force.
For Teachers: Human Rights Education Organizations
This section contains online and print resources especially for educators. The websites offer teaching ideas, activities, curriculum guides, online communities, classroom posters, handouts and educational research.
Amnesty International USA
Recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, Amnesty International is a grass-roots, global organization dedicated to human rights and is a global leader in Human Rights Education. Their website includes a section for educators complete with lesson plans, curriculum guides, and posters for K-12+. Highly recommended print resources include: Speak Truth to Power; The Kite Runner Companion Curriculum; The Universal Declaration of Human Rights Poster Series and Teachers Guide; Service Learning Lesson Plans and Projects and Crisis Response Guide September 11.
Human Rights Education Association Resource Center
The HREA’s website has an on-line repository of human rights education and training materials, on-line forums, databases, and links to other organizations and resources. Coming soon is a Compendium of Good Practices highlighting HRE in schools across the globe.
Be The Change: Upstanders for Human Rights by Facing History and Ourselves
http://www2.facinghistory.org/campus/BeTheChange.nsf/home?openform
Facing History and Ourselves provides extensive resources for connecting the past with present human rights issues. Be sure to view the section titled “Be the Change,” which includes the stories of five”upstanders” for human rights.
fdr4freedoms Digital Resource
A free, online, multimedia resource on Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt, the Great Depression, World War II and the Four Freedoms, slated to offer 60 content-rich, richly illustrated modules to explore on digital tablets (iPads, etc.) and smartphones.
Human Rights in Action: The United Nations Cyber School Bus
www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/humanrights/index.asp
The U.N. Cyber School Bus project aims to collect inspiring stories of schools defending and promoting human rights in communities, neighborhoods, and cities. Highlights include an interactive UDHR and ready-to-print handouts for students such as a plain language UDHR, vocabulary list and quotes on human rights.
Human Rights Resource Center
Part of the University of Minnesota’s Human Rights Library, the Center makes human rights education resources produced by non-profit organizations and independent publishers publicly accessible. These resources include curriculum guides, documents, videos, and other educational aids. The Human Rights Education Handbook and Raising Children with Roots, Rights & Responsibilities are excellent resources.
A People’s Movement for Human Rights
Dedicated to human rights learning for social and economic transformation, this site offers articles on teaching methodology and learning materials as well as a new film about human rights cities across the globe.
Voice of Witness: Illuminating Human Rights Crises Through Oral History
http://www.voiceofwitness.com/index.php
The Voice of Witness series seeks to illuminate human rights crises by humanizing the victims. The oral history series includes Surviving Justice: America’s Wrongfully Convicted and Exonerated and Underground America: Narratives of Undocumented Lives. Voice of Witness is a project of 826 Valencia, aimed at engaging readers of all levels – from high school and college students to policymakers.
The Advocates for Human Rights: Discover Human Rights Institute
http://discoverhumanrights.org/About.html
The Institute offers teacher workshops, a human rights poster contest, list of human rights issues by topic area, project ideas and free toolkits on human rights issues. The toolkit on the rights of women is especially good.
Human Rights Education Wiki
Created by classroom teachers, the website has “Ready-to-use Human Rights Education Resources” and links to additional human rights resources. You may want to share your lessons on human rights or ask questions of fellow teachers.
Human Rights Educators USA (HRE USA)
www.hreusa.net
HRE USA is a new network dedicated to promoting Human Rights Education in the United States and is open to general membership. Through its website, the network offers educators, activists, scholars, and organizations working with youth a wealth of information, curriculum resources, and current research. The network also provides members with opportunities for direct engagement through its working groups on topics of interest such as policy and advocacy, higher education, after-school and community-based programs, K-12 curriculum, and early childhood education.
Andreopoulous, George J., and Richard Pierre Claude. Human Rights Education for the Twenty-First Century. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1997.
One of very few books dedicated to the practice of human rights education, this collection of essays includes useful discussions regarding strategies for classroom teachers as well as community-based education.
Flowers, Nancy. Human rights here and now: Celebrating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Minneapolis, MN: Human Rights USA Resource Center, 1998.
Flowers offers an easy-to-read, well organized guide for teaching human rights. Chapters include What are Human Rights?, A Short History of Human Rights and Methodologies. The Activity section includes ready-to-use activities including Human Rights Squares, Mapping Human Rights in Our Community and Giving Human Rights a Human Face.
New York Collective of Radical Educators and Education for Liberation Network, Planning to Change the World: A Plan Book for Social Justice Teachers 2009-2010.
Created for teachers by teachers, this is an incredible resource of quotes, teaching ideas and inspiration. The plan book is also a great organizing tool for the classroom.
For Students: Human Rights Issues and Advocacy:
This section is intended to assist students in researching human rights issues. Students may also find useful information through local and national news outlets or by interviewing local activists. Many of the following organizations include opportunities for students to get involved in a human rights issue.
Amnesty International USA
AI provides extensive background information by region and issue. They also have a dedicated section for young activists with opportunities to take action for human rights. Be sure to take a look at their Activist Toolkit, Music for Human Rights campaign and Protect the Human program.
Free the Children
http://www.freethechildren.com/we/index.php
Started by a 12-year old in 1995, Free the Children is an international development organization that is focused on youth empowerment. FTC is engaged in community-based development in at least a half-dozen countries.
UNICEF: Voices of Youth
http://www.unicef.org/index.php
UNICEF is the leading international advocate for children’s rights. Their website contains a plethora of resources including photos essays, global statistics on the state of children, Voices of Youth digital diaries, discussion forums for youth, podcasts of young voices from conflict areas, CRC video contest and much more.
Human Rights Watch
One of the world’s leading independent organizations dedicated to defending and protecting human rights, HRW focuses international attention where human rights are violated, gives voice to the oppressed, and hold oppressors accountable for their crimes. The organization hosts an annual International Human Rights Film Festival. Their website lists human rights issues information by region and topic.
WITNESS
WITNESS is a nonprofit organization that uses video and online technologies to build global awareness of human rights violations and empowers people to transform personal stories of abuse into powerful tools for justice, promoting public engagement and policy change. “The Hub” is their online video community where individuals can upload, share, and watch videos about human rights.
Human Rights First
A non-profit, nonpartisan international human rights organization dedicated to protect persons at risk, including human rights advocates. Their focus is on building respect for the rule of law as a tool for protecting human rights. The well documented reports by issue are extremely useful for research.
US Human Rights Network
The website has a section entitled “Treaties & Declarations,” which lists and summarizes human rights treaties, declarations, and international human rights standards with appropriate links to each document.