Human Rights Education

Article 26
July/August 2007

Dear Educator Activist,

In a town with an abundance of up and coming progressive policy advocates set against a back-drop of inadequate public education, Amnesty International USA's (AIUSA) Human Rights Education Service Corps (HRESC) program has found a way to bring these 2 worlds together. As Deputy Director of AIUSA's Mid-Atlantic Regional Office, I have had the honor of working with an outstanding group of dedicated, skilled, and passionate volunteers who aim to spread the word about human rights issues in some of the nation's most inadequate public schools.

Each semester HRESC recruits area graduate and undergraduate students, as well as young professionals, to take human rights into the classrooms of several of Washington DC's most challenged public high schools. Facilitators who participate in HRESC come from a variety of backgrounds and universities, including American, Catholic, George Mason, George Washington, Georgetown, Howard, and the University of Maryland. Many are students of human rights policy, while others have no background in human rights work when they enter the program. Despite these differences, the facilitators are bound together by their passion to build the local community, play a role in improving the quality of education in DC schools, and to educate the students (and themselves) about global human rights issues.

Facilitators participate in training sessions to learn about facilitation methods, education theories and practices, human rights issues and policies, and the reality of the schools in which they will work. They are then partnered with another facilitator and hit the schools with a 9 week human rights curriculum designed specifically for this program.

Our facilitators develop astonishing relationships with one another, their students, and the teachers they work with. For me, the most striking positive outcome of this project is the long lasting impact on both the students we teach AND on the outstanding group of up and coming policy makers who volunteer as facilitators. I have heard it many times?once HRESC becomes a part of your life, it takes root and the experience informs your take on a whole spectrum of human rights issues. It is an honor to work on this project and to continue reaching new volunteers and students in such a powerful way.

In Solidarity,
Cecili Thompson-Williams
Deputy Director, Mid-Atlantic Regional Office

Get Involved

In Plain Sight: Many of you have already expressed an interest in field testing the first set of materials of the In Plain Sight project (in partnership with WITNESS) and we thank you for your interest. We are currently finalizing the field test packets and plan to have them in the mail by the end of September. If you have not contacted us and are interested in participating, please send an e-mail to Karen Robinson at krobinson@aiusa.org.

Regional Conferences
Please go to www.amnestyusa.org, click "News and Events" and check out where and when your regional conference will be. Members of the HRE program will be at all of the conferences and will be available to discuss the range of Human Rights Education materials and projects.

New Resources

For more information about the following resources, please check out www.amnestyusa.org/education or contact Melissa Robinson at mrobinson@aiusa.org

Born into Brothels: This companion curriculum guide to the award-winning documentary explores a variety of human rights issues, particularly as they pertain to children. The guide was produced in conjunction with Kids with Cameras and will be available in both hard copy and on our website in PDF format as of September 2007.

Service-Learning and Human Rights Education: This manual provides educators with lesson plans and projects for advancing a human rights based approach to Service-Learning. It is now available in hard copy, free of charge.

Coming Soon:

Stolen Voices: This companion curriculum uses the first-hand accounts from Stolen Voices: Young People's War Diaries from WWI to Iraq, to introduce and engage with the human rights issues that arise from conflict. It also provides students with a framework for positive response and direct action.

Also - Keep an eye out for 2 new issue guides on the Death Penalty and Human Trafficking coming in October 2007.