AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY: EDC & HRE

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Article 26.

• Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.
• Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance, and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.
• Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.

Active, committed, and responsible participation at one's community, defense of the human rights, solidarity, empathy, interest for other's issues, multicultural understanding, the ability to analyze the world thru history, Media and other sources, self-critic, and the construction of solid arguments to defend one's opinion, are some of the skills that personally I would like to help to develop in my classroom, while giving them tools to listen and argue their points of view pacifically, and making a responsible use of the rhetoric. I have prepared a little program based on The three dimensions of EDC/HRE (Gollob 2011, p. 29 - 31) that integrates theory, practice, training, and activities. 

1)  The cognitive dimension, learning "about" democracy and HR. Definition of concepts:

POLITICS: (from the Greek word Politikos, means "of, for, or relating to citizens") it refers to achieving and exercising positions of governance (organized control over the human community, particularly a state). Is the study or practice of the distribution of power and resources within a given community and the interrelationship between other communities.

At some countries, the mainstream picture of the word "politics" follow the words "government", "healthcare issues" "competition between parties, where verbally attack each other" "taxes", and all other bunch of words that seem too far away for a young citizen to feel it a part of their lives. Yes, but...

...what else may be politics?

Politics may be to meet with your neighbors to pose a problem: "We would like to have a basketball court, because the closest one is too far from here, and there are enough children interested to practice this sport". Politics is to make good planning explaining why, how many people, and how and where would it be built. And to take the necessary steps to present the project to the relevant administration, which has the resources to carry out the project. This could be a simple way of explaining democracy and promote interest in change things that they might be concerned and feel close to their lives.

Politics is to observe around us and detect problems and solutions that will bring social benefits to the community, things that may or not affect us directly. What would you like to change in your community?

HUMAN RIGHTS: are individual entitlements derived from human needs and capacities. The most accepted classification is that they can be: civil, political, social, economic and cultural, and no one is more/less important than others. They are universal, which means that no one person in the whole world is excluded from this rights, and therefore all countries in the world should be responsible to apply them within their policies (regardless of their political, economic and cultural system). (Beetham 2009, p. 41 - 44) 

• Another definition: "moral principles that set out certain standards of human behavior, and are regularly protected as legal rights in national and international law. They are commonly understood as "inalienable, fundamental, universal, and egalitarian rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being"". 
• THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS. It is the main source of human rights ideas in the modern world, adopted by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on 10 December 1948.

It is important and necessary for students to know about these 3 Articles from the Universal Declaration of Human rights being as:

- They need to know that every person enjoys the right of free thought and expression, and free access to information with exceptional occasions, understanding that this particular right is indispensable for a democratic system (Article 10)

- Understand the key principle of equality and non-discrimination: women and men, rich and poor, young and old, nationals and immigrants - we all equally possess these rights (Article 14)

- Understand why liberties require a framework of laws and also carry responsibilities. Freedom of expression allows citizens to promote their interests in a pluralist society, and in such a competitive setting, there will be winners and losers. A constitution, rules, and laws must provide a framework that limits the liberties of the strong and protects the weak, without legalizing differences (Article 29).

(Gollob 2011, p. 30)

DEMOCRACY is collective decision-making. It embodies the idea that the decisions affecting the association as a whole, should be taken by all its members (the goals to be pursued, the rules to be followed, the distribution of responsibilities and benefits between members), and that each member should have an equal right to take part of such decisions. (Beetham 2009, p. 13)

Article 21

1. Everyone has the right to take a part in the government of his/her country, directly or through freely chosen representatives.

2. Everyone has the right to equal access to public service in his/her country.

3. The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of the government; this will be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures. (Beetham 2009, p. 6)

Basic principles of democracy:

In Abraham Lincoln’s famous quotation (1863), democracy is “government of the people, by the
people, for the people”; the three definitions can be understood as follows:

– “of”: power comes from the people – the people are the sovereign power that exercises power or
gives the mandate to do so, and whoever is part of authority may be held responsible by the
people;
– “by”: power is exercised either through elected representatives or direct rule by the citizens;
– “for”: power is exercised to serve the interests of the people, that is, the common good. (Gollob 2011, p. 15)

So, is it a system with absolute freedom, where everybody can do anything they want?

No. Democracy is based on the standards and principles of human rights, which recognize individual rights and liberties, inherent in being human. And these human rights itself obliged to respect the freedoms of others, which already determine some limits. Democracy processes help to set up processes that facilitate the freedom of people and set the necessary limits as well. (Gollob 2011, p. 16)

In most modern democracies, the whole body of all eligible citizens remain the sovereign power but political power is exercised indirectly through elected representatives (Indirect/representative democracy). Core elements include:

– A constitution, usually in written form, that sets the institutional framework for democracy protected in some countries by an independent, high court; human rights, usually not all, are protected as civil rights;

– human rights are referred to in the constitution and then relegated to civil rights as guaranteed constitutionally. Governments that have signed human rights conventions are obligated to uphold the range of rights they have ratified, regardless of whether they are specifically referred to in the constitution;

– the equal legal status of all citizens: all citizens are equally protected by the law through the principle of non-discrimination and are to fulfill their duties as defined by the law.

– universal suffrage: this gives adult citizens, men, and women, the right to vote for parties and/ or candidates in parliamentary elections. In addition, some systems include a referendum or plebiscite, that is, the right for citizens to make decisions on a certain issue by direct vote;

– citizens enjoy human rights that give access to a wide range of ways to participate. This includes the freedom of the media from censorship and state control, the freedom of thought, expression and peaceful assembly, and the right of minorities and the political opposition to act freely;

– pluralism and competition of interests and political objectives: individual citizens and groups may form or join parties or interest groups (lobbies), non-governmental organizations, etc. to promote their interests or political objectives. There is competition in promoting interests and unequal distribution of power and opportunities in realizing them;

- parliament: the body of elected representatives has the power of legislation, that is, to pass laws that are generally binding. The authority of parliament rests on the will of the majority of voters. If the majority in a parliamentary system shifts from one election to the next, a new government takes office. In presidential systems the head of government, the president, is elected separately by direct vote;

– majority rule: the majority decides, the minority must accept the decision. Constitutions define limits for majority rule that protect the rights and interests of minorities. The quorum for the majority may vary, depending on the issue – for example, two-thirds for amendments to the constitution;

– checks and balances: democracies combine two principles: the authority to exercise force rests with the state, amounting to a “disarmament of citizens”. However, to prevent the power of force to turn into an autocratic or dictatorial rule, all democratic systems include checks and balances. The classic model divides state powers into legislation, executive powers, and jurisdiction (horizontal dimension); many systems take further precautions: a two-chamber system for legislation, and federal or cantonal autonomy, amounting to an additional vertical dimension of checks and balances (such as in Switzerland, the USA or Germany);

– temporary authority: a further means of controlling power is by bestowing authority for a fixed period of time only. Every election has this effect, and in some cases, the total period of office may be limited, as in the case of the US president, who must step down after two four-year terms of office. In ancient Rome, consuls were appointed in tandem and left office after one year. (Gollob 2011, p. 16)

I have named the main concepts that students should understand at the end of the lesson, but it is important as well that they familiarize with concepts such as: constitution, constructive criticism, self-criticism, self-determination, referendum, solidarity, universality, universal suffrage, parliamentary proposal, absolute majority, lobby, civil rights, altruism, dictatorship, and autocracy (among others) that we can explain, for instance, while explaining the core elements of modern constitutional democracies. I would as well pay special attention to the 9 key concepts named at the book Educating for democracy: identity, diversity and pluralism, responsibility, conflict, rules and law, government and politics, equality, liberty, and Media. (Gollob 2011, p. 42)

2) The participative dimension: learning "for" democracy and HR. Activities and debates.

In this aspect, I would encourage children to dare to talk about their thoughts and opinions, teaching them to expose them politely and listen to others respectfully thru debates. Organizing activities with the objective of making them develop their empathy and see specific situations from different angles thru the exposition of real stories and activities. As well as encourage them to take part in possible resolutions for different issues.

• Activity 1: Quiz. Jeopardy could be a good source for the teacher to test whether the students have understood the concepts of the theory. It could be about matching words with the correct definitions: democracy, constitution, universal, equality, utopia, solidarity, rights, civil rights, human rights, etc. 

• Activity 2: Research. Go to the website: http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/ and find 3 rights for each category, according to the classification of the book Introducing democracy by David Beetham and Kevin Boyle (p. 42-44)

• Activity 3: Debate. Why are Human Rights so important? What it means that Human Rights are Universal?could be a good source as well for the teacher to test whether the students have understood the concepts of the theory. 

• Activity 4: Research. Strengths and weaknesses of democracy and possible solutions. 

• Activity 5: Research. How would you define the political system in your country and how does it technically work? Is it fear?Why/why not? Is HR being respected for everyone? If not, which ones are being violated? It requires previous research from the students. I could give them a little guidance about how to find this information. They could explain it orally to the rest of the class, and end it up with a debate, where it should be asked their opinions and ideas and close it with the question: What could we, as citizens, do to change the injustices that are being committed in other communities/countries?

• Activity 6: Analysis and Debate. Responsible Citizens, make responsible decisions.  How do decisions affect us? How does it affect others? It is about reflecting on one or more true stories and expose the different ideas that the students get from it. It is a good source to use here the stories from the book Teachers and Human Rights education by Audrey Osler, and some of his reflections about the need for human solidarity: "(...)the impact of war, conflict, and threats to human rights impact directly or indirectly on the wider global community. The forces of globalization mean that problems in one region affect others elsewhere, whether they live in relatively prosperous or developing nations, through the impact of refugees, economic migrants, trade, environmental damage and shortages of scarce resources." (Osler 2010 p. 4)

• Activity 7: Roleplay activity. "One step forward". It is a game that we have played in class, and I think that it is an excellent exercise to understand how others may feel in a situation where there is not equality. They are given a brief description of a character. The class must be unobscured, and the students line up. The teacher exposes a sentence, and only the ones that do not feel discriminated, according to their character, must take a step forward. It is a great metaphor to see how people may feel staying behind others. At the end of the activity, we could ask: Should we be tolerant? And here is a great opportunity to introduce the idea that tolerance is usually an inadequate response, particularly if it implies neutrality or indifference. (Osler 2010, p. 11-12)And the difference between tolerance and solidarity, sometimes confused. 

• Activity 8: Analysis and Debate. Analysis of Media and other sources. Choosing some videos from the Media and from the internet, we could encourage the students to analyze critically different sources of information, allowing them to be able to identify whether they have solid arguments or whether are trying to manipulate the audience, etc. It could be very useful as well, to make them choose an article that they feel interested about, from the newspaper, to comment it on the class. All this can help them to create a coherent sense of criticism and to identify and analyze in a constructive way other opinions and point of views so they can create theirs owns based on solid arguments. 

The following video could be an interesting starting for a debate in the classroom, related to How true/false it is the concept of democracy that they are suggesting, and why. It could also come up with the topic of weaknesses of democracy, and the exposition of different solutions to eradicate these problems.

Thru a video like this we could, for instance, explain that democracy should be based first of all on human rights, and therefore, nobody would ever be excluded depending on their race, nationality, gender, or sexual orientation, as this video suggests. It is very important that students understand as well the cultural dimension of human rights and which are the mechanisms of protection established by the UN and by regional human rights institutions when a state fails to uphold its human rights promises (Gollob 2011, p. 26)

All the activities and debates should be held under the three principles of the professional ethics of EDC/HRE teachers, which are:

• The principle of non-indoctrination: do not attempt to indoctrinate the students in any way to make them adopt the desired opinion. 

• The principle of controversial discussion: whatever is a controversial issue in science or politics must be presented as such in EDC/HRE classes. 

• Empowering students to promote their interests: students must be able to analyze a political situation and to identify their interest and to find ways and means to influence such a situation in favor of their interests. It may only be achieved if the two other principles are observed. (Gollob 2011, p. 40-41)

3) The cultural dimension, learning "through" democracy and HR. Learning through experience 

The school should be organized according to the values that are being taught. For example, showing that their opinions and rights are being respected, and allowing them to participate in a democratic environment. Giving them a certain freedom to take decisions and responsibilities on their own, to put up their self-esteem and give them the opportunity to show to themselves that are capable to carry out any rational idea purposed. Giving them the freedom to decide certain changes from their environment would be one of the ways where they could live and understand better these concepts and give them the courage to defend their beliefs, while we create hopefull citizens that believe that they can make a difference. As an example I will name an activity that I especially like: 

• Live role-play activity. What would you like to change in your community? It is about the creation of a political party, where they work out actual plannings to make changes at their community, to send them afterward to the city hall. It is an activity that I observed during my teaching practice in Kulsbjerg Skole, and it seemed to be a successful activity where they were actually achieving in real life some of the proposals. 

As a conclusion I would say that it is very important that EDC and HRE by its three dimensions are well integrated as a part of the academic program in the schools because the concept of democracy itself will not work without some principles (as the application of the human rights). And it may not be seen as a good political system in certain situations, or simply misunderstood. So it is important to emphasize that teaching how to be a democratic citizen must go hand by hand with the teaching of certain knowledge and values, and the encouragement of certain behaviors (as the goals of the program for EDC suggests) helping this way to create fair, responsible and committed citizens, willing to go one step forward to build every day a better society.

I also think that it is not enough to "talk and know about" democracy and human rights, the pupils should be surrounded as well by an environment where all these concepts are being applied (or at least where they are encouraged to build one).

Personally, I think that EDC and HRE are very important if we want to create a fairer world, where the application of the human rights, the altruism, and a supportive collaboration between nations/communities/interrelationships are the bases. And the best way to start it is at the schools, helping children to acquire the necessary skills to understand the world around them, to feel interested, and create what I personally like to call, constructive dreamers: positive people willing to fight against injustices, dreaming of an increasingly collaborative and caring society where the "utopian vision of the UDHR" of Audrey Osler, is not called a utopia anymore, but with the necessary skills and knowledge to be ready to conduct the defense of those values consistently. In other words: citizens with "the head in the clouds, and the feet on the ground".