Remember December 19, 2011 as a date to celebrate. We will provide a link to the text of the official version of the Declaration as soon as it is published.
Congratulations to all of us who believe all people have a right to know their rights!
UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY ADOPTS THE
DECLARATION ON HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION AND TRAINING
On December 19, 2011, the General Assembly of the United Nations officially adopted the UN Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training. This landmark document recognizes the right of every one of the plant’s seven billion people to have access to human rights education, a lifelong process involving all ages, all parts of society, and every kind of education, formal and informal.
The Dorothy Cotton Institute, based in Ithaca, NY, has been promoting Human Rights Education and Training in the Tompkins County region for the past 18 months, introducing over 250 teachers, school administrators and community educators to a K-12 human rights curriculum. The DCI is proud to be part of a of a growing human rights education network, promoting awareness and the realization of our full human rights locally, nationally and around the world.
The Declaration specifies not simply what one should learn about human rights, but also how (“through human rights, which includes learning and teaching in a way that respects the rights of both educators and learners”) and also why (“for human rights, which includes empowering persons to enjoy and exercise their rights and to respect and uphold the rights of others”).
For American educators, the Declaration presents a distinct challenge and a great opportunity. It names the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as the primary basis for this learning. Yet a national survey conducted in 1997 showed that over 90% of people in the United Sates had never even heard of this fundamental document. Because you cannot graduate from any high school in this country without a course in US history and government, most Americas can name many of their Constitutional rights. However, very few would recognize health care, shelter, or a living wage as a right, all of which are guaranteed in the Universal Declaration. The Declaration thus provides an opportunity for Americans to expand our understanding of fundamental human rights, the building blocks of representative democracy.
The adoption of this new Declaration also offers the American educators and policy makers an occasion to reassess state and national policies and priorities in the light of international standards. If as the Declaration states, “human rights education and training is essential for the promotion of universal respect for and observance of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all,” then human rights education is not only the entitlement of every American, but also a necessity for responsible citizenship, both of this country and of the world.
The Dorothy Cotton Institute is a project of the Center for Transformative Action (CTA).
To get involved or for more information, please contact Kirby Edmonds, 607.277.3401