(1998). Contemporary Involvement in Political and Civic Life: Trends and Implications of the Romanian Case. Any discussion about present-day involvement in political and civic life in Romania raises challenging questions, for example, the kind of democracy they have and how power relates to public life involvement needs to be examined. Another question is how an all-out education reform can help build a mentality of positive involvement. A 2-year opinion survey for students and professors early on elicited answers about human rights education which persistently ignored the ideas of influencing public decision-making and involvement in community life. Two years later the attitude of participants had changed appreciably, and reference to involvement and civic participation was expressed more often. An interactive teaching approach assisted and promoted by purposefully designed materials and teacher training classes may have brought about the change. The project showed what the prevailing political mentality of the ordinary Romanian citizen was like in 1994-96 and the "wonders"… [PDF]
(1981). Special Programs in Employment: Criteria for Compliance = Programmes speciaux en matiere d'emploi: Criteres de mise en application. The purpose of this publication is to clarify the Canadian Human Rights Commission-approved criteria for special employment programs to eliminate systemic discrimination and to ensure compliance with the Canadian Human Rights Act. The basic principle of the Act is set forth: those sections of the Act that specify discriminatory practices are quoted, and the mandate of the Commission regarding special programs is discussed. In the next four sections, focus is on development of special programs in employment. Topics covered include criteria for special programs, identification of needs (problem areas within the organization in which its labor force is unrepresentative), determination of the relationship between the composition of its existing labor force and elements of its employment system (organizational policies, procedures, and practices), and three essential elements of a special program that will improve opportunities through contributing to a representative labor force…
(1990). Education and Human Rights Violation in Guyana. Texas Papers on Latin America. Pre-publication Working Papers of the Institute of Latin American Studies, University of Texas at Austin. Paper No. 90-03. Education plays a central role in contemporary social development and change. The educational system in a given society assumes a major role in human development by making available to the individual the necessary equipment for interfacing with the network of social relations. In both developed and developing countries, education increasingly has been considered an essential individual right. The situation in Guyana illustrates the issue of human rights violation in education. There, despite the Compulsory Education Act of 1876, an entrenched plantation system obstructed the growth of mass education until after 1940. More recently, a deep and chronic economic crisis has forced a reduction in social spending in Guyana, particularly in the area of education. At the same time, the government has replaced meaningful instructional programs with military training and mass games of dubious educational content in the interest of promoting ideological and propaganda goals. Guyana compares… [PDF]
(1981). Comparative World Issues for Grades 1-12. Comparative Studies Series. This teaching guide on global issues contains 20 activities for students in grades K-12. The global activities focus on the themes of inequality, development and technology, human rights, and basic human needs. For example, an activity called \Human Rights\ shows students the distribution of land in South Africa as compared to the number of black and white inhabitants. A game, \ A Simple Roll of the Dice,\ shows students how chance plays an important role in the concept of inequality. An activity called \Limited World Model\ demonstrates the effect that the arms race, foreign aid, and technology have on both rich and poor countries. A game, \Help or Hinder: How to Give Good Aid,\ helps students explore whether the country receiving or the country giving foreign aid should determine the method of assistance. Each activity includes an introduction and a list of objectives. Specified are the grade level, time required for the activity, and materials needed. Information is given on…
(2005). A Study of Effectiveness of Human Rights Education in Turkey. Journal of Peace Education, v2 n1 p53-68 Mar. The aim of the research is to examine the effectiveness of Civics and Human Rights Education courses taught in primary schools in Turkey. The criteria for the effectiveness of the courses are determined as "content", "educational activities", "teaching methods", "educational materials", and "evaluation of students". A total of 71 teachers teaching these courses participated in the study. The opinions of the teachers for the effectiveness of the courses were gathered by 12 open-ended questions. Content analysis method was used to analyse the views of the teachers. To conclude, more than half of the teachers think that the courses are not effective due to having mainly an informative purpose. (Contains 1 table.)… [Direct]
(1998). The Indigenous World, 1997-98 = El Mundo Indigena, 1997-98. This annual publication (published separately in English and Spanish) examines political, legal, social, environmental, and educational issues concerning indigenous peoples around the world during 1997-98. Part I highlights news events and ongoing situations in specific countries in nine world regions. In the Arctic and North America, these include a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that "Indian Country" does not exist in Alaska; funding cuts for education, health, and social services in the Northwest Territories; planning for the creation of the new Canadian territory of Nunavut; a Canadian Supreme Court decision affirming aboriginal land rights in the absence of treaties; threats by developers, mining, and drilling to Indian sacred sites and lands used for subsistence activities; cultural and environmental education for Western Shoshone youth; and the Leonard Peltier case. Other sections cover Mexico and Central America, South America, the Pacific and Australia, East Asia,…
(2004). "The Most Important Tool You Can Have in Your Work Is Wanting to Understand". Adults Learning, v16 n2 p9-11 Oct. The policy of dispersing refugees and asylum seekers around the country found many agencies unprepared for the difficulties of supporting those who have been subjected to torture. A London-based foundation is setting up branches around the UK to help people whose lives have been torn apart by torture find a way to live with their experiences. This article features the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture, which was established in 1985 as a human rights organisation working to enable survivors of torture "to engage in a healing process to assert their own human dignity and worth." The Medical Foundation has developed what it terms a "human rights model of counselling" which aims to address advocacy and protection issues within the therapeutic relationship. Growing from small beginnings in two rooms in the former National Temperance Hospital in north west London, the organisation now employs 400 paid and volunteer staff, providing a wide range of… [Direct]
(1995). Linguistic Rights and Wrongs. Applied Linguistics, v16 n4 p483-504 Dec. Analyzes linguistic human rights (LHRs) as an inalienable norm needed for speakers of dominated languages. The article reviews work in promoting LHRs in international forums and assesses the extent to which these rights are protected in existing covenants. Respect for LHRs, in particular the right to education via one's mother tongue, is seen as a way to reduce social conflict. (80 references) (Author/CK)…
(2004). Using the Theme of Bullying to Teach about Human Rights in the Social Studies Curriculum: Reports from the Field. McGill Journal of Education, v39 n3 p327-341 Fall. This article argues that bullying is a human rights violation and should be a social studies curriculum concern. It treats bullying not only as a school incident but also as part of any systematic, continuous violence in any context. There is a discussion of legal implications, applicable educational theory, and attempts to deal with bullying in Canada and foreign jurisdictions. Ten classroom lessons present bullying as a social studies issue for teaching about rights. The lessons include history and current events as well as local, national, and international concerns. A supplementary Internet resource section is provided…. [Direct]
(1985). What Does the United Nations Mean to Women? An NGO View. Efforts put forth by the United Nations (UN) and specialized agencies and organs of the UN system to improve the status, nutrition, health, and education of women worldwide are the focus of this publication. The first of five sections, "Human Rights for Women," examines women's rights in the job field; UN steps to bring equality to the sexes (including provisions in the UN Charter and the Declaration of Human Rights, and the formation of the Commission on the Status of Women); conventions of particular concern to women (1949-1979); efforts to prevent prostitution and the exploitation of women; and efforts to eliminate discrimination against women. The second section provides a definition of concepts including "the status" and "a new human right." The third section traces UN efforts "From the International Women's Year (1975) to the UN Decade for Women (1976-1985)." Described are world conferences on women in Mexico City and Copenhagen that…
(2009). "Nostalgia for the Past," or What Lessons Young People Could Have Learned and Did Learn. Russian Education and Society, v51 n6 p3-30 Jun. The hope that young people would accept and quickly learn Western ideas and democratic principles rather than just economic and technological achievements occupied a key place in the conceptions of the liberal and democratic parties in Russia. The possibilities of the modernization of Russian society and its economy were associated directly with the reception of a complex of ideas about human rights, private property ownership, freedom, and protection against arbitrary rule on the part of the state. The assumption was that in the process of the natural succession of the generations, such ideas, having been learned by young people, would become institutionally established and reinforced, and that in time they would spread throughout society, and old Soviet stereotypes and complexes would be driven out. This was the interpretation that was given (within the framework of this logic or ideology of the processes of transformation) to the differences of opinion between young people and… [Direct]
(1990). Education, Culture, Human Rights, and International Understanding: The Promotion of Humanistic, Ethical, and Cultural Values in Education. This document, prepared by the Chief Inspector of Schools in France, is based on work done by UNESCO in enhancing the humanistic, cultural and international dimensions of both formal and non-formal education. The paper consists of a synopsis of the work relating to the various aspects of humanistic education, and a select bibliography. Although this overview has been written from a European standpoint, it highlights universal values based on the standard setting instruments of UNESCO and the United Nations. In addition, it develops an integral concept of humanistic, ethical, and cultural education in an international dimension, and can therefore serve as a reference document for similar planning activities in other regions. The paper discusses human rights education, bioethics, environmental education, intercultural dialogue and a knowledge of other cultures, and education for development. These topics form a conceptual network that can give an overall purpose to any educational…
(1994). Teaching Global Awareness with Simulations and Games. Grades 6-12. This book was designed with activities for students in grades 6-12. The activities are to increase student awareness about the world and the interconnectedness of its people. Each section contains numerous activities. Section titles include: (1) \Introduction\; (2) \Development and Technology\; (3) \World Trade and Interdependency\; (4) \Politics\; and (5) \Human Rights.\ A sources section provides additional information for study. (EH)…
(1975). Open Admissions at CUNY. Integrated Education, 13, 3, 175-179, May-Jun 75. This testimony, by the Chancellor of the New York City Board of Higher Education before a May 1974 public hearing of the New York City Commission on Human Rights, asserts that the open admissions program was a statement by the Board that the traditional admission criteria (high school averages and college board scores) were incomplete, overlooking a tremendous reservoir of potential. (Author/JM)…
(1975). Legal Problems – North and South. Integrated Education, 13, 3, 6-7, May-Jun 75. The focus of this testimony, presented to a public hearing before the New York City Commission on Human Rights in May 1974, is on the legal differences between attacks upon discrimination in the north and in the south; it is noted that the legal problems facing the north and the south have been becoming more and more the same. (Author/JM)…