(2014). Adult Education in Retrospective: 60 Years of CONFINTEA. Online Submission The present document on the Sixty Years of CONFINTEA was inspired by the desire to register the long fecund history of a global movement which has spanned six decades. Official records and documents produced by and for the conferences, in particular the final reports, elaborated by UNESCO were used as an important source. This process of historical recovery became equally important as a means of undertaking a transversal reading of the development of the concept of adult education, embracing the post-war years, the period of decolonization, the Cold War and the attack on the twin towers in New York. In Knoll's words, it "(…) demonstrates the changes in perceptions of adult education, from literacy to lifelong learning, in which adult education is seen as both part of the continuum of education and an entity in itself." In addition to the CONFINTEA documents, other documents were included which possess a fundamental link with the Conferences and what they represent in terms… [PDF]
(2007). Bearing Witness: Citizen Journalism and Human Rights Issues. Globalisation, Societies and Education, v5 n3 p373-389 Nov. This article assesses the potential of online news reporting to create discursive spaces for emphatic engagement–of bearing witness–at a distance, especially where human rights violations are concerned. Taking as its focus the emergent forms and practices of citizen journalism, it examines the spontaneous actions of ordinary people compelled to adopt the role of news reporter in order to bear witness to human suffering. Specifically, findings derived from three case studies of citizen journalism are presented: 1) the 2004 South Asian Tsunami; 2) human rights abuses in India's north-east region; and 3) the Palestinian Crisis in the Occupied Territories. In each instance, it is argued, citizen journalism engendered new approaches to eyewitness reporting, a process shown to have important implications for challenging familiar "us and them" dichotomies in news reports. (Contains 8 notes.)… [Direct]
(2007). Democracy, Human Rights and the Role of Teachers. Pedagogy, Culture and Society, v15 n1 p119-128. This paper focuses on the historical review of neo-liberalism in Korean education with relevance to human rights education and teachers movement. In transition to post-colonial society, Korea confronts polarization of education. From the first stage just after the independence from Japanese Colonization in 1945 to the fifth present stage, Korean education has expanded so quickly and the gap between the haves and the have-nots has widened. Thus stakeholders of educational reform have been divided according to the political stance of neo-liberalism. One of the strongest stakeholders, Korean Teachers Union (KTU) has to redefine its historical role as transforming agent for the educational reform, because KTU had impacted on the educational solidarity for the peace, human rights and democracy education in terms of Chamkyoyook since its inauguration in the 1990s. (Contains 1 note and 2 tables.)… [Direct]
(2010). The "Other" Internment: Teaching the Hidden Story of Japanese Latin Americans during WWII. Rethinking Schools, v25 n1 p40-46 Fall. This article describes how the author teaches 8th graders to imagine the experiences of people from another time in history and make connections to today. Through a role play, the author teaches the hidden story of Japanese Latin Americans during WWII. The role play engages students in exploration of a little-known piece of history–the deportation of people of Japanese origin from Latin American countries to U.S. internment camps and back to Japan as POWs. Most importantly, through their discussions and writing, students began to reflect on how race affects their own lives, often incorporating the history of their own families to see how racism is not just an issue for some groups, but is an issue of human rights for all people. (Contains 6 resources and 1 note.)… [Direct]
(2010). Community-Level Responses to Disability and Education in Rwanda. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, v57 n3 p267-278 Sep. This article explores the meaning of community and perceptions of disability in Rwanda, as revealed through a community-based ethnographic study. This study took place in Rwanda in an educational policy context driven by international rhetoric about human rights, inclusion and the arguably unachievable Education for All targets. We argue that the emphasis on the inclusion of marginalised groups in Rwanda's current education policy is a reality on paper, but not in practice. However, we explore the potential for a deeper understanding of community responses to disability, and ways in which the rhetoric and reality gap can be bridged. We consider some of the attitudinal and infrastructural barriers in educational settings and argue that Rwandan communities are resourceful, and can be supported to respond appropriately to children with disabilities. (Contains 1 table.)… [Direct]
(2010). Teaching about Ethnicities in China. Social Education, v74 n1 p45-48 Jan-Feb. A unit on China's ethnicities provides students rich opportunities to explore multiple themes in the social studies while helping them to develop a deeper understanding of recent events in western China. Studying China's ethnic minorities encompasses such topics as stereotyping, cultural diversity, the creation of ethnic identities, and key historical and geographic concepts. The rise to dominance of Han Chinese culture within East Asia, the nature of Han/non-Han relations, the emergence of nation-states and nationalism, and the development of ethnic and political identities are major threads in world history. Finally, a study of the modern period presents students with opportunities to examine questions of power, authority, governance, human and civil rights, and international relations. Regardless of which thematic vehicle students use, they should be able to demonstrate an understanding of these key points: (1) Definitions of diversity vary among cultures and change over time; (2)… [Direct]
(2006). Assessing Risk and Opportunity in Conflict Studies: A Human Rights Analysis. Journal of Conflict Resolution, v50 n4 p484-507. Over the past two decades, substantial progress has been made toward a theoretical understanding of why physical integrity abuses are committed. Unfortunately, these theoretical developments have been devoid of much practical application. In this article, the authors explore the feasibility of risk assessment in the study of these human rights. Borrowing an approach by Gurr and Moore, they construct a risk assessment vehicle that uses existing models and data to develop expectations about future increases and decreases in human rights abuses. Their results indicate that we can isolate a set of cases that are at a higher risk of experiencing increased human rights abuse in the following year, as well as those that are ripe for better protection of human rights. The authors expect these risk and opportunity assessments to be of interest to students of conflict and peace studies, as well as to human rights activists and policy makers. (Contains 4 tables and 8 footnotes.)… [Direct]
(2008). Making Canadian Schools Inclusive: A Call to Action. Education Canada, v48 n2 p62-64, 66 Spr. How to best provide quality educational services to students with disabilities, and other special needs, is a flash point issue for education systems in Canada. The news stories are frequent and engaging. A family or parent demands one thing and a school district offers something else. Sometimes the demand is for more special services and sometimes for more access to regular education. The public often seems confused by the term "inclusion" and by the continuing struggle to establish a fair and equitable–but also sensible–Canadian approach to the matter. In exploring special or inclusive education, the author's point of view has developed over several decades based on his experiences in three distinct roles. First he has an educational perspective based on more than 40 years as a teacher, school principal, district official (special education) and a university instructor (teacher educator). Second, he has an advocacy perspective from his role as a volunteer in parent and… [Direct]
(2012). Complexities in Managing the Child Care Industry: An Observation on Challenges and Potentials. Education, v132 n4 p739-753 Sum. The evolution of programmatic childcare since the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of early 2009, as well as the increasing diversity of childcare recipients, call urgently for novel insight into the morphology of the childcare sector. This paper attempts such elucidation, focusing especially on the structure, accessibility, delivery methods, and policies that affect the sector's various programs. The authors assert that childcare is a public right rather than an elite privilege, and that quality programs should therefore be available to parents at a reasonable cost. So far, this remains an American dream yet to be realized. For far too many families, attaining high quality childcare requires trekking a path riddled with difficult terrain. The authors contend that the burden of navigating such obstacles would subside with a restructuring of the current childcare sector. Issues to be addressed include the following: (a) the coexistence of public, private, and non-profit agencies… [Direct]
(2007). Gendered-Caste Discrimination, Human Rights Education, and the Enforcement of the Prevention of Atrocities Act in India. Alberta Journal of Educational Research, v53 n3 p273-286 Fall. Despite the constitutional ban on the practice of untouchability and caste-based discrimination, this article elaborates on a gendered-caste-based discriminatory reality in rural India, the difficulties of enforcing legal remedies, and on related human rights praxis to address gendered-caste atrocities by drawing on the experiences of a Canadian voluntary development nongovernmental organization (NGO) that has been working with Dalits (downtrodden/scheduled caste groups) in India for over a decade. This experience suggests that although there is a significant role for human rights education in addressing gendered-caste atrocities, there are cultural and political limits to a rights-based approach that privilege the individual and a politics of vocal, open democratic resistance…. [Direct]
(2013). Models of Intellectual Disability: Towards a Perspective of (Poss)ability. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, v57 n4 p370-379 Apr. Background: The social and medical models of disability configure the relationship between disability and impairment differently. Neither of these models has provided a comprehensive theoretical or practical basis for talking about intellectual disability (ID). Models that emphasise the interactive nature of disability appear to be more promising. This study explores the ways in which models of disability are reflected in disability discourse in an empirical discourse analysis conducted in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Methods: Q methodology was used in this study as a discourse analysis tool. Adults with ID, parents of children with ID and professionals who work with people with ID completed a sorting task where they stated the degree to which they agreed or disagreed with statements that are made about people with ID. This exercise resulted in a pattern of responses for each participant, termed a Q sort and these were used as data in a factor analysis using dedicated Q… [Direct]
(2006). Human Rights Education Standards for Teachers and Teacher Education. Teaching Education, v17 n4 p287-298 Dec. This article proposes a set of human rights education standards for classroom teachers and, by implication, outcomes for teacher preparation programs. The discussion includes a brief description of human rights education and concludes with recommendations for teacher preparation programs…. [Direct]
(2021). The Dialectics of Subversion: Prison Theatre, Human Rights, and Social Justice. Research in Drama Education, v26 n3 p419-426. I began my life as a prison theatre artist 25 years ago. Over the years, through first-hand experience with prisoners, their families, and others, I came to understand some of the more oppressive elements of the state prison system, and the relation of that system to the larger prison-industrial complex. This essay is a reflection on the key events and relationships that provoked me into critical awareness, engagement, and activism. I make the argument that a seemingly hyper-conservative prison theatre programme can in fact be an effective breeding ground for critical resistance and transformation…. [Direct]
(2009). Brief Psychoeducational Group Treatment with Re-Traumatized Refugees and Asylum Seekers. Journal for Specialists in Group Work, v34 n2 p137-150 Jun. This article describes the implementation of a psychoeducational group treatment with students with a history of refugee trauma, war, and human rights abuses who were further traumatized by the 9/11 attacks in New York City. The rationale for group intervention and specific techniques utilized to promote emotional and behavioral stabilization and relief, including trauma education and stress management, are discussed. In addition, group-related issues, themes, and challenges are considered. This psychoeducational treatment modality provides an example of the usefulness of group intervention with a re-traumatized population…. [Direct]
(2007). Interrogating the Concentration on the UNCRC Instead of the ECHR in the Development of Children's Rights in England?. Children & Society, v21 n2 p147-153 Mar. This review seeks to question the marked concentration in the work of both government and non-governmental agencies on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which is not part of the law in England, as contrasted with the relative absence of reference to the European Convention on Human Rights, which has, since 2 October 2000, been a part of English law through the implementation of the Human Rights Act 1998. The concentration on the UNCRC both in speeches (Hughes) and guidance emanating from government departments and agencies Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service, Department for Education and Skills, and non-governmental agencies (UNICEF UK) is noteworthy but raises critical questions as to why equal attention is not focused on the European Convention of Human Rights…. [Direct]