Human Rights Education and Advocacy

What are Human Rights?

Human rights are international norms that help to protect all people everywhere from severe political, legal, and social abuses. Examples of human rights are the right to freedom of religion, the right to a fair trial when charged with a crime, the right not to be tortured, and the right to engage in political activity. These rights exist in morality and in law at the national and international levels. They are addressed primarily to governments, requiring compliance and enforcement. The main sources of the contemporary conception of human rights are the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (United Nations, 1948b) and the many human rights documents and treaties that followed in international organizations such as the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the Organization of American States, and the African Union.

Human Rights Education.

Human rights education is an integral part of the right to education and is increasingly gaining recognition as a human right in itself. Knowledge of rights and freedoms is considered a fundamental tool to guarantee respect for the rights of all. Education should encompass values such as peace, non-discrimination, equality, justice, non-violence, tolerance and respect for human dignity. Quality education based on a human rights approach means that rights are implemented throughout the whole education system and in all learning environments.

Benefits of Human Rights Education.

• A citizenry educated in human rights is perhaps the most fundamental criteria for a civil society

• Provide an ethical and moral framework for living in a community.
• Not only helps create an educated citizenry with the communication skills and informed critical thinking essential to a democracy, but also provides the populace with global historical perspectives on the universal struggle for dignity and justice.
• Education for human rights also gives people a sense of responsibility for respecting and defending human rights and empowers them through skills to take appropriate action.
• Develops critical understanding of life situations realizing that unjust situations can be improved.
• Those who do not know their rights are more vulnerable to having them abused and often lack the language and conceptual framework to effectively advocate for them.
• Students also gain insight and commitment to those factors that help create and maintain a non-violent society, a society of peaceful and open interaction and association, in which citizens have the certainty that their fundamental rights are protected.
• Human rights education also benefits society as it encourages students to take action where appropriate to formulate and evaluate alternative solutions and remedy the problem.
• The knowledge, skills, values, and understandings gained through such learning help prepare students for the complex problems of the twenty-first century and empower them to tackle some of the real problems plaguing society.
• Human rights education not only benefits society and encourages complex cognitive and affective learning, but also helps meet the challenges.

Peace Worldwide believes that learning about Human Rights can make difference in the lives of people. It’s a first step towards respect, promotion of Human Rights and tolerance. We arrange special seminars, campaigns, functions and events especially for minorities and youth to educate them about basic Human Rights education, information and conceptual clarity of Human Rights.

ADVOCACY

What Is Advocacy?
Advocacy represents the strategies devised, actions taken and solutions proposed to influence decision-making at the local & state level to create positive change for people and their environment

PURPOSE OF ADVOCACY 

• Advocacy is speaking up for, or acting on behalf of, yourself or another person.
• The other person is often receiving a service from a statutory or voluntary organisation and is referred to throughout this handbook as the service user. 
• Advocacy can help service users to: make clear their own views and wishes; express and present their views effectively and faithfully; obtaining independent advice and accurate information; negotiate and resolve of conflict. 
• Some people aren’t clear about of their rights as citizens, or have difficulty in fully understanding these rights. Others may find it hard to speak up for themselves. Advocacy can enable people to take more responsibility and control for the decisions which affect their lives.