HRE in Amnesty International Includes Full Spectrum of Rights
Human Rights Education (HRE) is an integral part of Amnesty International’s work. Members who are familiar with the organization’s focused mandate with respect to action work, and others who frequently associate Amnesty International (AI) with prisoners of conscience and anti-death penalty work frequently misunderstand, or are unaware of, the nature of AI’s education efforts.
Decisions made at International Council Meetings (the policy-making body of the international organization) have reaffirmed and clarified the relevance of Human Rights Education to AI’s mission. In a policy paper issued in 1996, the Human Rights Education Team at the International Secretariat in London highlights the two parts of AI’s mission, as embodied in its Statute:
• to promote awareness of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights and adherence to human rights standards
• to actively campaign against violations of certain civil
and political rights
The AI mandate limits its oppositional work (work that opposes human rights violations) to campaigning against certain civil and political rights violations, such as the right to assemble and to freedom of speech and religion. However, AI’s HRE mission includes promotion of the full spectrum of rights as set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in the international covenants, treaties, and conventions that further elaborate those rights.
Promoting awareness of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and other human rights standards is the heart of Human Rights Education. The policy paper describes Human Rights Education as:
. . . the range of activities designed to enable individuals to acquire knowledge about and an understanding of:
• human rights concepts and the underlying values and attitudes that lead to the respect of human rights
• the instruments which record and protect human rights
• the skills aimed at upholding human rights and fostering values and attitudes that uphold the same rights for all and encouraging action in defense of these rights
AI’s educational work involves teaching about the civil and political rights that are the focus of its oppositional work. It also includes educating about the economic, social, and cultural rights outlined in the UDHR, such as the right to housing, health care, food, education, and employment — even though AI does not actively campaign against violations of these rights.
In the April ’96 paper the HRE Team states that in its human rights education work, “AI puts great emphasis on the universality, indivisibility, and interdependence of all human rights.” Indeed, civil and political rights and economic, social, and cultural rights cannot be separated. In any society where individuals are denied civil and political rights — such as the right to free expression or the right to participate in the government — those individuals have no means of protecting the economic, social, and cultural rights that guarantee them their basic needs. Similarly, in a society where basic survival needs are not met, civil and political rights can be meaningless to individuals whose primary concerns are food, shelter, and health care.
When we teach about rights, it is essential that we emphasize the interdependence and
indivisibility of rights by treating them as an integrated whole. When the full complement
of rights articulated in the UDHR is respected, upheld, and promoted, the full human
dignity of every individual is affirmed.
The History of HRE in AIUSA
In 1986 the AIUSA Board of Directors appointed a Human Rights Education Task Force, which
led to the establishment of the national HRE Steering Committee in 1987. Since then,
Steering Committee and Educators’ Network members have written and published
articles, lessons, bibliographies, and curricula on human rights topics. They have
presented workshops to teachers, AI members, and other human rights activists; held
week-long summer HRE institutes; and designed activities to accompany AIUSA campaign
materials. And, since 1988, the Educators’ Network has published this journal, Human
Rights Education: The Fourth R.
The HRE Steering Committee confers regularly to set goals and design strategies with respect to Human Rights Education both within and outside of AI. Areas targeted for continued and future work include: developing and promulgating innovative and effective methodologies for teaching about human rights; enhancing the abilities of AIUSA Board members, staff, and activists to serve as educators in every aspect of their work; collaborating with other AI members and structures as well as with individuals and organizations outside of AI; and participating in HRE internationally, both with other AI sections and other non-governmental organizations.
The current UDHR 50 campaign has played a pivotal role in bringing HRE into a sharper focus in AI. Goals of the campaign include educating the public about the UDHR and forming alliances with local social justice organizations and activists whose work involves protecting and promoting the rights in the UDHR. AI activists who have considerable experience doing oppositional work are now further developing their abilities and experience as human rights educators. Through UDHR 50 activities they are helping activist colleagues in their communities see how the international human rights framework can inform and enhance social justice work. One of the best ways to learn something is to teach it. AI members are rediscovering the power and significance of the UDHR as they educate others.
Human Rights Education can foster a deeper understanding of all of the rights outlined
in the UDHR and other human rights documents. HRE is preventative human rights work, just
as essential as efforts to fight human rights violations that have already occurred. In
the same way that rights are indivisible and interdependent, so are education about rights
and active opposition of violations of those rights. The synergy between AI’s
oppositional and promotional work will strengthen the human rights movement, helping to
achieve greater respect for human dignity and rights in communities throughout the world.
Janet Schmidt is Advisor to AIUSA’s Human Rights Educators’ Network Steering
Committee.
