|
|
|
Human Rights
Global Issue, Personal Connection
 | | Source: U.S. National Archives images available in Flickr Creative Commons |
Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,
Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,
Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law...
From the Preamble to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (United Nations, 1948)
In this month's Global Update, we explore the subject of human rights by offering a look at the importance of human rights to us as Americans, teachers, and students. We also provide links to resources and materials for teaching human rights as well as ideas on how students can get involved.
Jump To:
1. Introduction
2. Why Teach Human Rights?
3. Resources for Lessons and Activities
4. Getting Involved
5. Discussion Questions
A special thank you to Chris Casberg, a UNC at Chapel Hill student intern from Carolina Navigators for authoring this month's issue of Global Updates.
|
 Introduction:
Are Human Rights Issues Relevant |
What do you picture when you think of human rights? We've all heard the phrase before, and we all have a basic sense of what human rights are: "rights" for "humans." But what are they, exactly? Where do they come from? And aren't human rights just an issue in foreign countries with bad governments?
From the Declaration of Independence (1776)
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, which among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
From the very beginning, Americans believed in the idea that human beings are born with certain rights, or guaranteed freedoms. These rights are natural; that is, they are not bestowed by any government, but by virtue of being human. While these rights were seen as natural to human beings, they were paradoxically not always seen as universal. Consider how long slavery remained legal after the Constitution was written! Even after the abolition of slavery, minorities and women struggled for equal recognition and dignity before the law.
 | |
Source: U.S. National Archives
|
Though slavery has long been abolished and suffrage granted to all Americans over the age of 18, the struggles for rights continues even now. The natural rights of human beings are inextricably tethered to many hot button issues today. When we discuss marriage, welfare, immigration, education, or war, we are discussing human rights.
|
| Why Teach Human Rights? |
1. Human rights are topical, relevant, and deeply important to students.
Whether your students realize it or not, they are constantly engaged in a conversation on human rights in their own lives. By teaching your students about human rights, they gain a broader understanding of topical issues they feel they have a stake in. Students become better equipped to not just discuss an issue, but actively participate in its resolution.
2. Human rights are a global issue.
They are held by all people regardless of ethnicity, nationality, race, gender, beliefs, color, or sexuality. We live in an ever-shrinking world, and the success our students depends on their ability to recognize and interpret the issues of our globalized world. Therefore, it benefits students to study a subject of such global applicability.
3. Human rights are multidisciplinary.
The application and relevance of human rights to academic subjects like social studies, history, civics, political science and philosophy is self-evident. What about the "hard" subjects, like math and sciences? Human rights are intangible, but they are applied in the physical world. The concept may stem from philosophy, but their application falls on members of all professions. Everyone from geographers to statisticians, from economists to scientists have roles to play in addressing human rights issues.
|
Resources:
How Do We Teach Human Rights |
1. Define Human Rights.
What are the human rights? What do they say? Who decided on them? The following resources provide teachers with material for lesson plans and activities meant to explore these questions with students.
U.N. Cyber School Bus - Human Rights in Action!
Created by the United Nations, this website gives teachers and students a guided tour of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Each of the 30 articles is presented in the official text with a plain text version for easy student comprehension. Also included are notes, definitions, and classroom activities for engaging students. Activities range from finger painting and self-reflection exercises to writing speeches and contacting local advocacy groups.
Oxfam - Children's Rights
www.oxfam.org.uk/education/resources/rights/?42 Oxfam, an international confederation of 17 organizations that work to relieve global poverty, has created a series of lesson plans on children's rights, a subset of human rights. From their website: "Explore the difference between wants, needs, and rights with this series of lessons for ages 8-10. Activities include designing a poster, debating the issues, and writing letters in support of children's rights. Designed for English and Literacy teaching and the National Literacy Strategy.
2. Explore Human Rights
How do human rights apply to the lives of people? Do they always apply, like in times of war? How well do countries of the world respect human rights?
Edeos - Human Rights Videos
Video 2: www.youtube.com/watch?v=3L4r47WiqMwEdeos is a Berlin-based e-learning company that produces multi-language web content that teach political topics. They've released two videos in an intended 4-part series dealing with human rights. The videos are informative and engaging summaries of different areas of the topic of human rights. The material is suitable for older students and is an excellent starting point for learning about human rights.
 | |
Source: U.S. National Archives
|
Red Cross - Humanitarian Law
The Red Cross has produced a free, curriculum for teachers on the subject of humanitarian law, the war-time component of human rights law. This curriculum provides an extensive set of lesson plans and resources that give teachers the tools to educate students on the necessities and implications of humanitarian laws.
Oxfam - Resources
Oxfam has many more lesson plans available to teachers than on just children's rights! They offer a variety of lesson plans that cover multiple age groups and topics like Darfur, Nelson Mandela, and issues of military conflict.
U.S. State Department - humanrights.gov
The State Department, the diplomatic arm of the federal government, created this website to provide useful news and reports on the department's efforts to advance the cause of human rights in U.S. foreign policy. Included is a link to country reports, which allows students to explore the status of human rights in other countries. Also included is a link to a U.N. Universal Periodic Review, a human rights report on the United States.
Human Rights Watch - Multimedia
This organization's official website provides written reports similar to those found on humanrights.gov but also hosts a variety of videos, slideshows, photos, and podcasts that cover human rights issues around the globe. HRW also covers human rights issues within the U.S. with a more critical eye than the State Department's page.
Amnesty International - Human Rights Education Resources
Amnesty International is another human rights organization. Their website provides several lesson plans and learning materials for a variety of topics and settings. Compared to the other websites listed here, however, Amnesty International's resource page is less structured and more difficult to navigate.
World Health Organization - Resources
Science offers many ways for students to get involved in human rights issues, too. For example, consider a project that examines how pollution affects the health of the poor or their living environment. Math students could analyze statistics about education, poverty rates, and other human rights-related factors. WHO provides comprehensive data sets useful for teachers who prefer calculators, models, and charts when teaching students.
Amnesty International USA - Science for Human Rights
While this page has no classroom resources, it demonstrates one way that science (geospatial technologies in particular) can be used in service of human rights campaigns. From the website: "These new tools allow us to gain access to previously inaccessible conflict zones, provide compelling visual evidence and present information in a new and engaging way, all of which assists our activists in their campaigning efforts."
U.N. Human Rights Day
The U.N.'s Human Rights Day, which falls on December 10, celebrates the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The website features several videos made for and with students. As of the publication of this newsletter, the website still feature's 2011's Human Rights Day page.
3. Discuss Limitations and Shortcomings
Theories behind human rights and advocacy groups that work for safeguarding their ideals are not without their share of controversies and criticisms. How do we know we're doing any good? How do we know we're not causing more harm than good?
The following resources were not created for classroom instruction, and thus have no associated lesson plans or activities. They are best used as part of a dialogue with students to remind them that even acting out of the best intentions can lead to a situation where human rights are potentially worse off.
The "Kony 2012" Debate
This well-meaning You Tube phenomenon produced by the organization Invisible Children had one simple goal: to raise public awareness of an African warlord wanted for committing crimes against humanity. Critics question Invisible Children's motivation and information presented in the video, however. For example, the group called for international military intervention despite the example of another well-known military invention, the Iraq war, in which thousands of civilians have been killed. While watching the video with students, consider the question, "Is it possible to do harm while trying to do good?". Encourage students to think critically about all media they view or read and to investigate issues thoroughly, from multiple perspectives.
The United States' Involvement in Human Rights Abuses
In this editorial, former President Jimmy Carter argues that the United States is itself guilty of human rights violations:
"The United States is abandoning its role as the global champion of human rights. Revelations that top officials are targeting people to be assassinated abroad, including American citizens, are only the most recent, disturbing proof of how far our nation's violation of human rights has extended," he writes.
The Post-9/11 War on Terror and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have lead to criticism both at home and abroad of the U.S. government's policies. This includes indefinite attention, secret prisons, drone strikes that kill civilians, and interrogation techniques such as waterboarding. Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay are two U.S.-run prisons accused of committing human rights violations, and there are multiple accounts of U.S. military members of engaging in violent acts against civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan.
|
| Getting Involved |
 | |
Source: U.S. National Archives
|
"Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home - so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any map of the world. Yet they are the world of the individual person: the neighborhood he lives in; the school or college he attends; the factory, farm, or office where he works. Such are the places where every man, woman, and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination."Eleanor Roosevelt, 1953.
The issue of human rights is big, and it may be tempting to say it's too big for any one of us! How can we help students to affect positive change in the world? The first thing students can do is get educated on the issues! This newsletter provides links to many resources which do just that. Where do we go from there?
The next best thing we can do is spread the word by exercising the human right of freedom of expression. Students should practice communicating what they've learned for the purpose of educating others. Students are only limited by their imagination when it comes expressing their ideas.
Art is one way in which students can express themselves. The following is a link to the blog of Joel Bergner, an artist whose street paintings highlight "a variety of social issues and presents the stories of those who are ignored or misunderstood by society." actionashe.blogspot.com
Music is another great way for students to get involved. Playing for Change is an organization created to bring peace to the world through music and believes that music has the ability to break down barriers between people.
Use technology to get the word out. Blogs. Podcasts. You Tube. Facebook. Technology today provides many ways for students to express themselves and communicate ideas, and many of them are absolutely free! Consider asking students to record a short video explaining one of the Universal Declaration of Human Right's articles and then post it on You Tube (or a school-oriented alternative, like School Tube). Or, ask your students to participate in a Twitter discussion on human rights with their phones. Here are some school-specific resources:
Volunteer in your community. Your students may find it difficult to affect change in some areas, like human rights abuses in Russian prisons. We must remember that we don't always live up to basic articles in the UDHR in our own communities. For example, many areas have a population without regular access to food or shelter. Students can donate their time to soup kitchens, women's shelters, hospitals, and more. The link below is one helpful resource for finding volunteer opportunities in your community. www.allforgood.org
|
| Discussion Questions |
These are some open-ended questions for teachers to consider when creating lesson plans or a dialogue with students. Most have no right or wrong answer; they are meant to challenge us on the topic of human rights and to go deeper into the issue. Some questions have links to related resources that can help shed light on possible answers.
If human rights are "natural" or "self-evident," why do we have to write them down? Why do we have to enforce them if they're so common sense?
Why did the Declaration of Independence say that "all men are created equal" when slavery was such a widespread institution?
Are there any rights you think should be included from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? Are there any that could be removed?
This Q&A with a U.N. chairman discusses the problems of adding new rights to the UDHR:
Can human rights be suspended in times of emergency, like war?
The Red Cross Humanitarian Law curriculum, mentioned above, argues that they can't.
Who "polices" human rights violations?
Edeos has an answer to that question in this video:
How do we balance the desire to enforce human rights with the destruction of a war fought to preserve human rights?
Has the United States been accused of violating human rights?
Yes. Amnesty International, the American Civil Liberties Union, and Human Rights Watch have all published criticism of human rights abuses by the U.S. government.
|
|
| | | Do you have information to share?
Do you have information that you would like to share with other faculty across the state? You are welcome to submit interesting global education programs that are going on at your school or in your district, announcements about global education seminars, new resources that others might find interesting, etc. Please email Julie at [email protected] with your "update-worthy" items!
Reader Mailbag
If you have comments about any of the information contained in the Global Update, send us an email! Perhaps your comments will appear in this section of the Global Update.
Disclaimer
World View at UNC-Chapel Hill provides information, resources, and announcements for educational purposes only. It does not represent an endorsement of organizations or point of view by World View or The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
|
|
|
 World View
2013 Study Visits
Gain confidence to add global content to your teaching, make lasting connections, and create a global learning environment at your school or college.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR THE 21ST CENTURY EDUCATOR!
THE BALKANS
JUNE 18-JULY 1, 2013
The estimated $3,900* fee includes: - Round-trip airfare from Raleigh-Durham International Airport
- Hotel accommodations
- Some meals in the Balkans
- Ground transfers & transportation in the Balkans
- Entrance fees to cultural and historical sites
- School and non-governmental organization visits
- Services of local guide/translator
- Supplemental health insurance
|
COSTA RICA
JULY 11-20 &
JULY 22-31, 2013
The estimated $2,000* fee includes: - Round-trip airfare from a NC international airport
- 9-night home stay accommodations
- Most meals in Costa Rica
- Ground transfers & transportation in Costa Rica (per itinerary)
- "Spanish for Educators" language lessons
- Participation in community-based projects
- Entrance fees to cultural, historical, and ecological sites
- Activities and collaborations with rural schools and colleges
- Services of local guide/translator
- Supplemental health insurance
*dates subject to change
Please Note: Each trip requires a minimum of 15 participants.
*Add $250 if out of state educator
For more information and an application, contact: Neil Bolick 919/843-5332 or [email protected]
or visit: worldview.unc.edu
|
WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION WEEK?
THIS WEEK all over the world educators will be celebrating International Education Week (IEW). This designated time honors international education and exchange worldwide and promotes programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn, and exchange experiences in the United States. The worldwide celebration of IEW offers the opportunity to reach out to people of every nation and to develop a broader understanding of world cultures and languages. This year's theme is International Education: Striving for a Healthier Future Worldwide.
The IEW 2012 website iew.state.gov includes promotional materials, an interactive quiz, and opportunities to post and view planned events around the world. The IEW Facebook page and group can be accessed through the IEW website.
World View believes that every week is International Education Week. Teachers in North Carolina's schools and colleges are educating students for a global society every day!
|
Fulbright-Hays Seminars Abroad Program: China
Application Deadline: December 10, 2012
Seminar Title: History, Culture and Economic Development in China
Duration: 4 Weeks; exact dates to be determined (typically start late June)
Participants: U.S. K-12 educators, administrators, and media resource specialists who have responsibility for curriculum and instruction in the social sciences, humanities, foreign languages and area studies
Program Content: China's increasing global influence presents a need for U.S. educators to fully understand its transformation into a worldwide economic powerhouse and related challenges. This Fulbright-Hays Seminars Abroad Program will provide a unique in-country study experience for U.S. educators and administrators to examine China's history, culture, society, and economy.
The awards include: round-trip economy airfare, room and board, program-related travel within the host country. Participants are responsible for a cost share of $450, travel insurance and personal passports.
The application package is available at
www.G5.gov. For more information, please click here.
|
GLOBALEDCON: CONNECTING EDUCATORS AND ORGANIZATIONS WORLDWIDE
 November 12-17, 2012
Participate online this week or view recorded sessions after the conference! This free week-long online event brings together educators and innovators from around the world. The entire conference will be held online using the Blackboard Collaborate platform with the support of iEARN worldwide as the conference founding sponsor.
The Global Education Conference is a collaborative, inclusive, world-wide community initiative involving students, educators, and organizations at all levels. It is designed to significantly increase opportunities for building education-related connections around the globe while supporting cultural awareness and recognition of diversity.
globaleducationconference.com
| |
The North Carolina
Council for the Social Studies
The North Carolina Council for the Social Studies (NCCSS) Awards Program seeks to recognize and honor achievements in Social Studies Education.
Student Teacher Scholarship: NCCSS offers a $1,000 scholarship to an undergraduate student in North Carolina who will be student teaching in social studies in 2013 or 2014. Eligibility requirements and applications are posted on the NCCSS website.
Outstanding Social Studies Teacher of the Year Award: NCCSS recognizes exemplary teaching in the field of social studies and will recognize one outstanding social studies teacher in 2013. The winner will be presented an award check for $100 at the annual state-wide social studies conference luncheon on February 28. Selection criteria and nomination forms are posted on the NCCSS website.
Teacher Grants: NCCSS provides grants of up to $1,000 to help teachers make an even greater impact in their classroom, school district, and community through innovative social studies programs. Funding priorities, guidelines, and an application are posted on the NCCSS website.
Deadline for all applications and proposals: December 15, 2012.
|
Geography Awareness Week
November 11-17, 2012
|
Geography Awareness Week (GAWeek) is an awareness program focused on highlighting the importance of geo-literacy and geo-education. It is an annual public awareness program organized by National Geographic Education Programs (NGEP) that encourages citizens young and old to think and learn about the interconnectedness of our world. Each third week of November, students, families, and community members focus on the importance of geography through events, lessons, games, and challenges; and often meet with policymakers and business leaders.
This year's theme explores the idea that we are all are connected to the rest of the world through the decisions we make on a daily basis, including what foods we eat and the things we buy.
For more information and to learn how to participate, please click here.
|
NORTH CAROLINA STUDENTS:
Pick up your crayons, pencils, paint brushes for the
22nd Annual International Children's Painting Competition
United Nations
Environmental Programme
2013 Theme: Water: The Source of Life | The United Nations Environment Programme Regional Office for North America (UNEP RONA) and its partner Bayer Corporation invite your students to pick up their crayons, colored pencils and paint brushes and create original artworks for the 22nd annual International Children's Painting Competition (ICPC) on the environment.
This year's theme is one sure to spark students' imagination: "Water: The Source of Life"
This competition offers students environmental education in an out-of-the box way - by asking them to express their ideas about the theme in pictures they themselves create. It also provides them the opportunity to have their artwork displayed in a public exhibition, to win prizes and to become the North American environmental ambassador at the United Nations' global TUNZA youth conference next year.
The ICPC invites elementary and middle school students aged six to 14 from the United States and Canada to explore their views on water as the source for all life. As they create their pictures, students should consider the responsibility we all share to ensure a healthy, secure and sustainable water supply for our communities, environment and economy. After all, without water there would be no life on Earth - plant, animal or human.
The free-style artwork must be submitted on letter or legal-size paper and can be created using crayons, colored pencils, watercolors, oils, etc. Individual students may submit more than one artwork. The deadline for submissions is February 28, 2013. Submissions must be received by that date.
For complete entry rules and conditions, click here or go to: rona.unep.org
To see previous year's winning artworks or for more information, please visit www.unep.org/rona or www.BayerUS.com/MSMS.
You may also contact Daiva Kacenauskaite at [email protected]
or (202) 785-0465.
|
Natural Science Center of Greensboro:
Accidental Mummies of Guanajuato  July 14 to December 30, 2012 | |
They were miners, fathers, mothers, soldiers, farmers and children...
They are revered by their descendants and have been visited by millions. For the first time on the East coast, the traveling exhibition Accidental Mummies of Guanajuato is now open at the Natural Science Center of Greensboro and will be here through December 30, 2012!
This collection of rare and completely accidental mummies combines science, art, history and cultural anthropology to immerse the visitor in a world of a Mexican city over 100 years ago where deceased residents were naturally mummified in their crypts.
For more information or to plan your visit, go to: www.natsci.org
|
|
WORLD VIEW TO YOU!
| |
World View offers Partners one to two hour mini sessions, half or full day workshops, and a series of short on-site sessions to help educators from all grade levels and content areas bring global perspective to the classroom. Click here to see our session offerings.
To request a World View session for your school or district please complete a request form or contact:
|
|
|
