This document discusses new opportunities and challenges for human rights education. It explores where human rights education is going today in the context of discussions around hate speech. It outlines that human rights education is an ongoing process that should occur across formal, non-formal, and informal settings to overcome issues like insufficient education in divided societies. The document also provides examples of challenges like limitations within formal educational systems and rising populism in Europe. It argues that long-term approaches to human rights education require changes to social structures and a more just society in addition to education that embeds human rights.

1. New Opportunities and Challenges
for Human Rights Education
Dr. Natalie Alkiviadou
AEQUITAS
University of Central Lancashire Cyprus
Nalkiviadou@aequitas-humanrights.org

2. Aims and objectives
The presentation will try to look at the question of
‘where are we going’ with human rights education
today.
It will not to go into details the meaning and sources
of human rights education
The discussion will be contextualised to fit the current
discussions on hate speech

3. Power of Education
Monitoring Cycle of the commission
Behind the hate-fuelled speech on Facebook and
Youtube against Turkish Cypriots and Turkish people we
could visualise:
1.Education gone wrong in a divided country
2. Insufficient human rights education within the
formal setting

4. What is human rights education?
The Council of Europe defines Human Rights Education
(HRE) as ‘educational programmes and activities that
focus on promoting equality in human dignity, in
conjunction with other programmes such as those
promoting intercultural learning, participation and
empowerment of minorities.’

5. What is human rights education?
The UN Declaration on Human Rights Education and
Training defines HRET as comprising “all education,
training, information, awareness-raising and learning
activities aimed at promoting universal respect for and
observance of human rights and fundamental
freedoms.”

6. Indicative legislation
Article 7 of the International Convention on the
Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination –
entered into force 1969: States Parties to undertake
immediate educational measures to tackle racial
prejudice and intolerance.

7. HRE – Not a new thing!
Its foundations can be traced even before the UN
Decade to the late 40s and UNESCO
Legal obligation for such education integrated into
the ICERD
UN Declaration on Human Rights Education and
Training (2011)

8. What are we talking about and what are the
problems?
An ongoing process: HRE needs to be a process. Not interrupted,
short and random training courses conducted by NGOs because
of available funding under a relevant call. There must be
consecutively constructed activities according to the framework
you are working in. For this we need structural support (not
necessarily money!)
Usual suspects: need to overcome this through strategizing with
stakeholders, increasing incentives and incorporating HRE
further into the formal educational system. Again, for this we
need structural support.

9. What are we talking about and what are the
problems?
HRE can and must take place in a multitude of spheres: HRE is not just for
young people. Although many of the resources are tailor made for that target
group and because it is rationally conceived (and maybe rightly so) that it is
easier to work on issues such as attitudes before these become too embeded,
HRE should be for all. For example:
Police forces, teachers themselves, lawyers, social workers etc – not the
knowledge part of human rights but the skills and attitudes
Example: if police forces of country X was more sensitised on human rights
and aware of the impact of hate speech and hate crime on human rights we
would probably see a correlation with the rise of reports by victims.

10. What are we talking about and what
are the problems?
On a multitude of levels: Formal – non-formal and informal.
Formal educational system should serve the cause of human rights education and
through its curriculum develop the necessary skills, knowledge and attitudes needed.
Case-Study – Cyprus: any learning for teachers on for example HRE is optional and not
a mandatory part of their learning
The situation becomes more complicated when the school takes the role of ‘identity
constructor’ which is not de facto something negative but care must be taken when
my identity is constructed as being better than yours.
And even more complicated when the formal educational system is affected by
aggravated nationalism because of, for example, a far-right populist government or an
institution such as the Church (e.g Cyprus and proper schools for proper people)

11. What are we talking about and what
are the problems?
At the same time it is not possible that non-formal frameworks
are trying to compensate for limitations or outright violations
occuring within the formal educational system because of NGO
structure in terms of reliance on external fundings and apart
from some exceptions are reliant on key staff and volunteers for
a variety of tasks AND at the end of the day every society needs
a healthy education system.
What we need to pursue is the harmonious cooperation (not just
co-existence)

12. What are we talking about and what are
the problems?
Even if the formal (school setting) and non-formal
spheres (like youth work and educational seminars
conducted by NGOs) are doing well, if the informal
setting is thwarted then we continue to have a
problem.
Case study: Cyprus and domestic workers (EUR 320)

13. Case studies
Notwithstanding the recognition and promotion of
HRE by the international community predominantly
since the 90s and the plethora of sources and
activities on a European level, our reality, as
Europeans is not one of dignity for all and solidarity
to all.

14. Look at
Rule of Law crisis in Hungary and Poland (people
believing, voting and (re-voting) far-right populists;
Last European parliament elections were reflective of
right-wing populist rise in the EU; (let us see what
happens soon)
Brexit – racist narrative marking both sides of the
campaign and rise in hate speech and hate crime
after the vote

15. Conclusion
And do not forget…Hate speech must be conceptualised in the
broader framework of things: It is not a phenomenon alone, it
is one form of manifestation of intolerance
As long as we ignore the structures at the very heart of our
societies which are perpetuating intolerances and their
manifestations, all other methods taken will be either of
limited use or relevant on the short-term.
Structures in terms of class, wealth distribution, social and
economic rights, (mis) cultivation of identity, construction of
the ‘other’ and the ‘threat’, construction and presentation of
‘crises.’

16. Conclusion
So, a long-term approach needs a more just social and society
structure plus education which formally embeds human rights
education.
And in designing, campaign, education, focusing on timetables
and outputs, don’t forget the victims

17. Speech – Speech act- Act
Link between speech and violence:

18. Educational Resources
For resources developed by AEQUITAS on:
Human Rights Education visit:
http://www.aequitas-humanrights.org/ (English and Greek)
http://www.human-rights-education.com/ (English, Greek, French and
Spanish)
On Hate Speech visit:
http://www.notohatespeech.com/ (English and Greek)

19. Thank you for your attention!