Human rights education is the structured process of teaching and learning about human rights norms, principles, protections, and responsibilities, with the aim of enabling learners to understand, exercise, and uphold human rights in everyday life and institutional settings [1][2][3][4]. It includes education about rights (knowledge of legal and normative frameworks), through rights (learning environments consistent with dignity, participation, and non-discrimination), and for rights (developing attitudes and capacities to promote and defend rights) [1][2]. Human rights education is characterized by rights-based content, participatory pedagogy, critical reflection, and action-oriented learning linked to equality, justice, and respect for human dignity [2][3][4]. In policy and practice, the term denotes a distinct educational domain grounded in international human rights standards, rather than general civic or moral instruction without explicit human rights foundations [1][2][3][4].
- human rights education
- rights-based education
- citizenship education
- non-discrimination
International Law and Human Rights • Political Science and International Relations • Social Sciences • Social Sciences
References
- United Nations. Universal Declaration of Human Rights; UN General Assembly: Paris, 1948. Available online: https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights.
- United Nations General Assembly. United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training; Resolution A/RES/66/137, 19 December 2011. Available online: https://undocs.org/A/RES/66/137.
- UNESCO; OHCHR. World Programme for Human Rights Education: Fourth Phase, Plan of Action; UNESCO/OHCHR: Paris/Geneva, 2020. Available online: https://www.ohchr.org/en/issues/education/training/pages/programme.aspx.
- Council of Europe. Charter on Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education; Recommendation CM/Rec(2010)7, 2010. Available online: https://rm.coe.int/16803034e5.