The Economist Educational Foundation is a charity that was set up by The Economist in 2012. It enables young people to be involved in decisions affecting their lives by helping them develop thoughtful voices on social, political and economic issues. We work with ten year olds and upwards in the UK who might otherwise feel forced to stand on the edge of important conversations. Using The Economist’s journalistic expertise, we provide these young people with inspiring opportunities to learn about current affairs and develop the skills to engage with them in an open-minded and constructive way.

1. GROUP ACTIVITY
Clash of Rights
1. Print the activity.
2. Appoint two club members to represent Person A and Person B
for example 1. Cut out and give them their person’s card.
3. Ask the two volunteers to stand at opposite ends of the room.
Then read out the first scenario to the group.
4. Ask the rest of the club to move to the person they agree with most
and then ask them to discuss how any of our three focal human
rights is being affected.
5. Reveal the real life example. Ask them if this changes their mind.
6. Repeat this process for the other examples.

2. Your rights are the things that you are entitled to do or to
have. In this issue we are focusing on three of these rights:
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a list of 30 rights that
everyone, anywhere in the world, is entitled to. The right to safety is
number 3 on the list, the right to privacy is number 12 on the list and
the right to freedom of speech is number 19 on the list.
The arguments people are having about the Investigatory Powers Bill
show that sometimes our rights clash. To protect our right to safety,
government spies might sometimes need to give us less privacy.
This activity gives other examples where our rights to privacy, safety
or freedom of speech clash with each other. They are made up
examples, but we will show you some real life scenarios that were
very similar.
CLASH OF RIGHTS
INTRODUCTION
THE RIGHT TO
PRIVACY
You have the right to keep some things private from
other people if you want to.
THE RIGHT TO
FREEDOM OF SPEECH
You have the right to say (and think) whatever you want.
THE RIGHT TO
SAFETY
You have the right to be safe.

3. PERSON A
A new student at school
THEIR RIGHT:
The right to privacy
PERSON B
A student who has attended
the school for several years
THEIR RIGHT:
The right to freedom
of speech
CLASH OF RIGHTS
EXAMPLE 1
CLASH OF RIGHTS
EXAMPLE 1

4. PERSON A
A new student
at school
THEIR RIGHT:
The right to privacy
PERSON B
A student who has
attended the school
for several years
THEIR RIGHT:
The right to freedom
of speech
SCENARIO: THE DIARY
It is Person A’s first day at school. They don’t answer any of the teacher’s questions
or get involved in class discussions. Instead they choose to sit at the back of the
classroom in every lesson and write in their diary. The rest of the class think this makes
Person A very mysterious.
Person B and their classmates are all very interested in Person A.
Person B decides to find out more about Person A.
At break time, Person B goes into Person A’s bag and reads a few pages of their diary.
They learn that Person A used to go to a nearby school and they had a best friend there
who they are missing.
Person B puts the diary back and tells the class what they have found out. They don’t
think they did anything wrong, as they are free to say whatever they like and their
classmates wanted to know.
Person A is very upset, because they didn’t want anyone to know the last school they
went to or that they are missing their best friend.
REAL LIFE EXAMPLE: PRIVACY VS FREEDOM OF SPEECH
In 2011 a newspaper called The News of the World (NoW) was closed down.
Their journalists had been hacking people’s phones to listen to their private messages,
then printing stories based on what they found out.
When the police discovered what the journalists were doing, they sent several people
to court. Many were found guilty and put in prison.
This was because it was decided that the privacy of the people whose phones were
hacked was more important than the journalists’ right to say whatever they wanted.
Police think over 4,000 people had their phones hacked by NoW journalists, including
celebrities, people who had lost loved ones, and members of the royal family.
CLASH OF RIGHTS - TEACHER’S COPY
EXAMPLE 1

5. PERSON A
Burnet News Club member
THEIR RIGHT:
The right to
freedom of speech
PERSON B
Burnet News Club teacher
THEIR RIGHT:
The right to safety
CLASH OF RIGHTS
EXAMPLE 2
CLASH OF RIGHTS
EXAMPLE 2

6. SCENARIO: THE BLOG POST
Person A writes a post on the Burnet News Club blog expressing the
opinion that it is OK to punch people we do not agree with.
Person B tells Person A they cannot come to the club this week.
They are worried they will hurt somebody else.
Person A is doesn’t think that is fair, because they were just expressing
an opinion.
REAL LIFE EXAMPLE: FREEDOM OF SPEECH VS SAFETY
In 2013 and 2014, Home Secretary Theresa May took away 39 passports from people
believed to be extremists, to stop them travelling abroad to place like Syria and Iraq.
Recently, parents have also been allowed to cancel their children’s passports if they
are worried that they might travel to dangerous places to join terrorist groups.
The passports are being taken away to protect young people who may be at risk of
travelling to dangerous places to meet dangerous people. They are also being taken
away to help prevent people from becoming terrorists, to keep all of us safe.
A worry, though, is that some people may feel less free to express their opinions,
fearing that others might misunderstand them and think they are considering
becoming a terrorist, and then take away their passport.
PERSON A
A Burnet News Club
member
THEIR RIGHT:
The right to
freedom of speech
PERSON B
A Burnet News Club
teacher
THEIR RIGHT:
The right to safety
CLASH OF RIGHTS - TEACHER’S COPY
EXAMPLE 2

7. PERSON A
A student
THEIR RIGHT:
The right to
freedom of speech
PERSON B
A teacher
THEIR RIGHT:
The right to safety
CLASH OF RIGHTS
EXAMPLE 3
CLASH OF RIGHTS
EXAMPLE 3

8. PERSON A
A student
THEIR RIGHT:
The right to
freedom of speech
PERSON B
A teacher
THEIR RIGHT:
The right to safety
SCENARIO: THE GRAFFITI BLOG
Person A has been writing a blog about illegal graffiti, including photos of the graffiti.
Person B finds out about the blog and tells Person A off. They ask Person A to delete
their blog, because they believe it will encourage other students to do illegal graffiti.
They are worried that if students start doing illegal graffiti, not only will they be
committing a crime they’ll also be putting themselves in danger. Sometimes doing
illegal involves going very near to train tracks or climbing to reach high walls.
There is a risk of being hit by a train or falling from a dangerous height.
Person A say they are free to say what they want so they don’t think they have done
anything wrong in writing about graffiti and showing pictures.
REAL LIFE EXAMPLE: FREEDOM OF SPEECH VS SAFETY
In 2015 Marcus Barnes, a graffiti artist, was put on trial for publishing a graffiti magazine
called ‘Keep the Faith.’
This magazine included pictures of his, and other people’s, illegal graffiti. The police
said this would encourage other people to do illegal graffiti.
His lawyer, Yogain Chandarana, argued that by publishing a magazine Marcus was
acting on his right to freedom of speech. Marcus won the case.
CLASH OF RIGHTS - TEACHER’S COPY
EXAMPLE 3