Expert’s Commentary by Nils Rosemann

Human Rights Education as a Preventive Measure Against Racism

From August 31 until September 08, 2001, the Third UN World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance took place in Durban, South Africa. It was the first "World Conference Against Racism” that ended with a consensus on a final document. Its 378 paragraphs now have to be implemented so that the words of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, become true: "...the World Conference is not an end but in fact the beginning of a worldwide movement for diversity and non-discrimination.”

This article is supposed to illustrate the significance of the World Conference Against Racism for human rights education. One must not underestimate the relevance of the final document (UN Doc. A / CONF / 189 / 12), since the signatory countries actually commit themselves to concrete steps towards its implementation. This is how this document differs from the reports of the Secretary General of the United Nations and the High Commissioner for Human Rights, from the General Assembly’s resolutions concerning the UN Decade for Human Rights Education, and from the documents of the Special Correspondent for the human right to education, including human rights education. The World Conference Against Racism assigns a central role to human rights education in the struggle against racism and discrimination. At the same time, it points to a wide spectrum of other preventive measures such as the integration of foreigners or people with migration background, the protection of minorities, self-check of the media and politics, youth exchanges, and the fostering of cultural diversity.

One will also find a few central statements about components of human rights education. Starting from the question of WHO educates WHOM ON WHAT IN WHAT WAY, WHERE, and WHY, an unparalleled concept of human rights education is being drafted. At the same time, Para 135 Program of Action (PoA), is an attempt to somewhat define human rights education as education on international norms and their applicability in domestic law, as well as international human rights obligations. Here, human rights education means support and practiced justice, equality, and fairness (Para 58 PoA).

WHO

Human rights education is to be done by people for people. Statements differ on who is capable to pass on the universal, indivisible, and inalienable values and rights of human rights. Para 118 of the Declaration (Decl.) mentions Non Governmental Organizations first, and supplements them with the state (Para 27 PoA), the private sector (Para 74 PoA), and the media (Para 136 PoA). Also, actual or potential victim groups such as minorities (Para 137 PoA) are mentioned. What is interesting is the choice of specific professions who are supposed to do human rights education. Naturally, pedagogues (Para 136 PoA) are mentioned. However, also the administration, especially the police (Para 74 PoA) and local politicians are perceived to be actors in the field of human rights education.

WHOM

Likewise, the documents‘ statements about the recipients of human rights education are just as multifaceted. First of all, Para 95 Decl. states very generally that human rights education concerns people of all ages – families (Para 95 Decl.), youths (Para 74 PoA), as well as parents (Para 136). There are some distinctions as to what professional groups should do human rights education and therefore acquire the necessary capabilities. Taking into consideration the preventive character of human rights education, not only potential victims but also potential victimizers are being taken into consideration. Thus, apart from mentioning students (Para 136 PoA) and teachers (Para 136 PoA), the administration and public service (Para 133 PoA) are being identified as central addressees of human rights education. Specifically, among these are lawyers, security personal and employees in the health sector as well as migration officials (Para 138 PoA).

WHY

Having thus specified the actors of human rights education, the aim of human rights education is identified as the prevention of human rights violations. Thus, human right education is supposed to change perspectives and behavior patterns (Para 95 Decl.) in order to gain respect of cultural diversity and the prevention and eradication of all forms of intolerance and discrimination (Para 97 Decl.).

It serves to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and promote respect for the values of diversity, pluralism, tolerance, mutual respect, cultural sensitivity, integration and inclusiveness (Para 126 PoA) and to combat violence (Para 74 PoA).

HOW

A human rights education concept needs special methods for its implementation. Human rights education is thus gendersensitive (Para 133 PoA) and practiced formal and nonformal education (Article 132 PoA). It takes place by means of special educational programs (Para 58 PoA) taken from the UN Decade of Human Rights Education (Para 125 PoA), via cultural programs (Para 126 PoA), and also through public information (Para 58 PoA).

Human rights education needs specific educational material such as school books and dictionaries (Para 127 PoA), and it calls for special teacher training (Para 136 PoA) and teacher motivation (Para 136 PoA). Above all, though, human rights education calls for schools that are financially capable of all this (Para 131 PoA) and also possess the necessary space and frame (Para 132 PoA).

WHAT and ON WHAT

The content of human rights education should be concrete and make human rights "hands-on understandable”. Therefore, educational contents should include exemplary judicial cases and their consequences (Para 134 PoA), prejudice and violence (Para 74 PoA), migrants‘ human rights, as well as slave trade (Para 139 PoA).

WHERE

It was shown that human rights education as a preventive measure against racism is a concept of life-long learning with specific demands for certain occupational groups. Understood this way, it is obvious that human rights education should take place wherever education is feasible (Para 95 Decl.).

Thus, after and according to the World Conference Against Racism, human rights education means first of all prevention of human rights violations. With this, human rights education does not stand alone. It has to be integrated into in a broad concept of a culture of dialogue and tolerance.

Index: Podium

Reflections from a Human Rights Educator
by Felice Yeban

in addition to this article: Table: Different Approaches to Human Rights Education

Human Rights Education: Where do we stand?
by Almuth Wietholtz

Tolerance Matters
by Katrin Uhl

The big game of World Politics: The Harvard World Model United Nations
by Eva Rendle

The International Fellowship of Reconciliateion (IFOR)

Human Rights Education as a Preventive Measure Against Racism
by Nils Rosemann