Human Rights Syllabi: Institute of International Studies, University of California, Berkeley

Columbia University

Human Rights Education: Educational Planing
in International Educational Development

Spring 2002 - TF 4094y Sec II, 53387 ITSF - M 7:10-8:50

Instructors

Dr. J. Paul Martin
Office Hours: Thursdays 3-5, 1108 IAB
E-mail: jpm2@columbia.edu
Tel. (212) 854-2479

Dr. Cos Gitta
Office Hours: 6:30-7 P.M. Mondays
E-mail: cosmas.gitta@undp.org

Educational Objectives of the Course

The course is designed to develop skills in educational planning and critical analysis with regard to human rights education programs at different levels, especially those in developing countries. Taking as its reference point for content the International Bill of Rights, the course (a) examines selected rights and their relationship to contemporary national and international social problems, and (b) focuses on the role of human rights education, its planning and evaluation within the formal education system.

This course is designed both for students familiar with human rights but without a knowledge theory and practice in education and vice-versa. Its purpose to prepare both categories to interact effectively with each other and to produce creative programs in human rights education as part of the formal education system. The course-process is a prototype for such activities in the field. Activities will focus on human rights education in the US and abroad.

The promotion of human rights and human rights education in particular requires multiple skills and breadth of knowledge, including familiarity with the methodologies and findings of different academic disciplines, notably law, public policy and political science, economics, moral philosophy and ethics as well as history and the other social sciences. The course emphasizes planning, design and evaluation skills. In particular it will require an analysis of a given formal education system with a view to identifying how human rights issues can be effectively incorporated.

While all cannot be covered in the classes, the following are the major learning goals for students in the course:

I. With regard to the content of human rights education:

knowledge of the substance and theories of international human rights, including familiarity with the preparation and evaluation of reports and with the major monitoring methods and systems,

an understanding of the social, political and economic context of, and potential remedial actions for, human rights violations,

an understanding of the basic principles of international human rights law and legal institutions, including the ability to enunciate a position on the universalist and cultural relativist debates and ways to promote South-South dialogue on the definition and promotion of human rights

a knowledge of current debates and processes associated with political and economic development and the promotion of civil society, including the work of local and international NGOs, with especial emphasis on rights-based education and rights-based development

a knowledge of basic advocacy processes and familiarity with their use in both domestic and international fora as well as with the activities of the major human rights and humanitarian organizations such Amnesty International and International Committee of the Red Cross

a knowledge of the United Nations and its human rights processes as well as ways to make use of the system in the promotion of human rights,

II. With regard to the methods of human rights education

• the acquisition of skills that encompass planning, design, and evaluation of effective programs to promote human rights education in circumstances likely to be encountered on the ground
• an understanding and competence in the use of the main components of educational planning: needs assessment, goal setting, strategy development, personnel and materials selection and development, assessment of outcomes and program evaluation,
• the ability to analyze a public/state education system and identify ways in which human rights is relevant and useful and how it can be effectively integrated into the system, including marshaling the necessary political and educational arguments
• an understanding of the impact on planning of the socio-psychological characteristics of target groups,using professionals contact among practitioners and organizations in the field of human rights
• a knowledge of different pedagogical approaches (This course uses primarily active/group learning approaches.)
• a knowledge of, and preparedness to participate in, debates on the formation of national and local curricula with respect of human rights education
• a familiarity with the use of old and some new technologies in the classroom

Course requirements:

Students will be required to:

1. complete assigned readings and participate in classroom discussions
   
2. pass an early semester test on basic human rights concepts
   
3. research a formal education system
   
4. participate in a one-hour group classroom presentation on one of the assigned topics listed below. (Group will provide short additional readings to rest of the class two weeks prior to the class. Each member of the group must speak for ten minutes.)
   
5. prepare as a group a final written paper outlining a human rights education project (each must contribute at least four pages), and
   
6. submit one class evaluation report (I page) discussing evaluating the ways both the content and process of the class presentations and materials.
   
7. use email to circulate and be briefed on contributions from and to other members of the class prior to each class.

Participant Evaluation Criteria (Grading)

1. Test (25%): knowledge of basic human rights concepts and institutions.
2. Classroom Presentation (45%): Evidence of research, presentation of evidence, theoretical strength of argument, creativity, clarity, educational components, advocacy skills, and preparation, including the ability to work within the allotted 60 minutes. Use email to have outline of classroom presentation approved by one of the instructors at least four days prior to the class.
3. Written contribution (30%): at least three clearly defined pages in the group's Final Written Proposal: both measured in terms of writing ability, clarity, basic argument and insights on human rights.
4. Groups skills (10%): collaboration, leadership, timeliness etc.
5. Extra Credit will be given for 'effective' use of new media.

Reading Requirements

Recommended to buy:

• Twenty Five Human Rights Documents, Center for the Study of Human Rights, available at the Center for the Study of Human Rights, $10.00 (hereafter 25 DOCs) *
• The Design and Evaluation of Human Rights Education Programs, J. Paul Martin, Center for the Study of Human Rights, 2000 * Available at the Center, $3.00 ( hereafter PMbook)
• Human Rights Education for the Twenty-First Century, George Andreopoulos and Richard Claude, eds., University of Pennsylvania Press, 1997 (TC Bookstore) (hereafter HRE21)
• Human Rights in Theory and Practice, Jack Donnelly, Cornell University Press, 1989 (hereafter Donnelly) *(Either Columbia Bookstore or Labyrinth)

Recommended for reading:

Human Rights:

• The Age of Rights, Louis Henkin, Columbia University Press, 1990 (Henkin)
• International Human Rights in Context, Law Politics and Morals, Henry Steiner and Philip Alston, Oxford University Press, 1995 (Steiner) *
• The Human Rights Agenda for the Twenty-First Century, Louis Henkin et al. ed. American Society for International Law, 1994 #

Human Rights Education

• Educating for Human Dignity, Betty Reardon, University of Pennsylvania Press, 1994 (Reardon) *
• Teaching Human Rights Guide 7-Adult, David Shiman, Denver, Center for Teaching International Relations, 1993 (Shiman) #
  
• Human Rights for All, Edward O'Brien et al., National Institute for Citizen Education in the Law, West Publishing 1996 (NICEL) #
• The Bells of Freedom, Resource Materials on Non-Formal Education and 24 Hour sessions, Action Professionals Association for the People, Addis Ababa, 1996 #
• Curriculum for Continuing Education of Human Rights Activists, Asia Forum for Human Rights and Development, Suaram, Malaysia 1993 #
• Manual de educacion en Derechos Humanos, Inter-American Institute of Human Rights, 1998
• Manual de educacion popular en derechos humanos, ALDHU, Quito 1988
• ABC Teaching Human Rights, United Nations, 1989 #
• Fighting to Learn, Popular Education and the Guerilla War in El Salvador, John L. Hammond, Rutgers University Press 1997
• The Human Rights Education Resource Book, Netherlands Helsinki Committee, 1997
• Annotated Human Rights Education Bibliography, Open Society Institute, Forced Migration Projects, September 1995
• Teaching for Human Rights, Ralph Pettman, Australian Human Rights Commission, 1984 #
• SINIKO, Towards a Human Rights Culture in Africa, London, Amnesty International. 1998
• Weaving Ties of Friendship, Trust, and Commitment to build Democracy and Human Rights in Peru, Marcia Bernbaum, February 1999, Peruvian Institute for Education in Human Rights and Peace
• United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education (1995-2004) Report of the High Commissioner, 7 September 2000 UN A/55/360
• Human Rights Education: The Promise of the Third Millennium? Upendra Baxi, www.pdhre.org/dialogue/third millenium.html
• The Human Rights Education Handbook, Nancy Flowers, Human Rights Resource Center and the Stanley Foundation 2000.

Accessibility of Readings

* = available on reserve in TC Library
# = available in the H.R. Reading Room, Heyman Center, East Campus, Columbia University

Schedule of Classes

Each session (except those on January 22, 29, February 12 and March 19) will consist of:

1. The instructors' or a group's presentation on theme of class (one hour)
   
2. Discussion and Commentaries with Drs. Martin and Gitta (30 minutes)

Monday January 21

Topic: Introduction: Needs Assessment

• Discussion and agreement on course goals and schedule: reconciling above objectives with student needs/interests etc.
• Designations of Groups, their responsibilities and first group meetings.
  
• No readings for this class
  
• Sharing of some Human Rights Education Materials

Monday January 28

Topic: Human Rights: The Development of the Idea

Reading:

Donnelly Chapters 1, 2, 4 and 5 or Henkin pp 1-50 and 157-180

Monday February 4

Topic: Human Rights: The Institutional Actors: International Organizations, Governments and NGOs and some of their Educational Materials

THIS CLASS WILL BE HELD IN THE HUMAN RIGHTS READING IN THE HEYMAN CENTER, FLOOR B2 IN THE EAST CAMPUS COMPLEX AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY. ENTER ACROSS THE PLAZA AT SIXTH FLOOR LEVEL OF SIPA. YOU WILL NEED A STUDENT ID AT THE EAST CAMPUS ENTRANCE.

Reading:

Donnelly Chapters 11, 12 and 13

Monday February 11

Topic: Contemporary Debates: Cultural Relativism, Inter-dependency of Rights and HR in Foreign Policy

Readings:

• Donnelly Chapters 6,8,9 and 10 or Henkin pp 65-80
• Human Rights Docs: International Covenants and Declaration on the Rights to Development
• Issa Shivji, The Concept of Human Rights in Africa, CODESRIA, 1989 pp 69-92

Monday February 18

Topic: Conceptualizing and Designing Human Rights Education for Public Education Programs in the US and overseas

Readings:

• Pmbook: Introd. and following five sections
• HRE21 pp 9-79

Monday February 25

Early Semester Test (1 hour) based entirely on readings, handout and classroom discussions.

Topic: The Goals of HRE in Primary and Secondary Education

Readings:

• Pmbook: Educational Goal Setting
• Paul Martin: Human Rights: Education for What? Human Rights Quarterly, 9, (1987) pp. 414-422.*
• Reardon, pp. 1-12
• APAP pp. 2-9
• HRE21 pp 599-609

Monday March 4

Topic: Selecting Priority Topics for Secondary Curricula, notably HRE for adolescent girls

Readings:

• HRE21 pp. 142-154
• HRE21 pp. 469-516, 96-118, 455-468
• Charlotte Bunch. "Women's Rights as Human Rights," Human Rights Quarterly, 12, (1990) pp. 486-498. *
• Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women
• APAP pp. 36-38, 60-61 and 71-73

Mid-Semester Break

Monday March 18

Topic: Choosing and Designing a Human Rights Learning Strategies

Readings:

• Current Issues in Comparative Education, Vol. 2,1, Nov 99 "How can human rights education contribute to international peace-building?" Tania Bernath, Tracey Holland and Paul Martin
• HRE21 pp 21-50
  
• PMBook Defining the Learning Strategy; Appendixes I, and II.
  

Note: The distinction between learning strategies (this class) and pedagogical approaches (next class) is that between (a) a broad analysis of social factors that leads to overall design of the system, and (b) the ways in which the design is implemented in the classroom. One might be called 'macro' and the other 'micro'. They are obviously closely related.

Monday March 25

Topic: Choosing Pedagogical Approaches for Secondary and Teaching Training Curricula

Readings:

• Pmbook: Appendix III, Basic Modes of Learning
• HRE21 pp 176-193 and 416-435
• PMBook "Choosing Pedagogical Approaches and Personnel"
• Paul Martin, "Teaching Human Rights: an Opportunity for Moral Development" Moral Education Forum, 7,4 winter 1982. p.3-10 *
• John J. Patrick, "Principles of Democracy for Education of Citizens" in ERIC Clearing House, Resources on Civic Education for Democracy: International Perspectives *
• Reardon pp. 13-22

Monday April 1

Topic: Evaluating Human Rights Education in Secondary Schools

Readings:

• PMBook: Program Evaluation
• Tracey Holland, "Creating a Metaphorical Bridge: A Theoretical Approach to Human Rights Education for Street and Working Children." Human Rights Quarterly,
• HRE21 pp. 599-609, also pp. 176-193, 221-235, 236-251, 547-564
• APAP pp. 15ff.
• Isaac Stephen, and William B. Michael, Handbook in Research and Evaluation: A Collection of Principles, Methods, And Strategies Useful In

Monday April 8

Topic: Reinforcing HRE: Program Follow Up

Monday April 15

Topic: To be Determined

Monday April 22

Group Classroom Presentations

Monday April 29

Group Classroom Presentations

Monday May 6

Group Classroom Presentations

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