Celebrating Human Rights Day in Your Classroom
Celebrating Human Rights Day in Your Classroom
“It’s time for each of us to step up for human rights. There is no action that is too small: wherever you are, you can make a difference. Together, let’s take a stand for more humanity.”
– Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights
Today’s youth has a broader global perspective than ever before, and a stronger commitment to advancing human rights. Now that the election hubbub is behind us, Human Rights Day, observed every year on December 10, gives us a great topic for classroom discussion, and a perfect opportunity to educate students on the state of human rights around the world.
Human Rights Day
In 1948 the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and two years later, invited all U.S. states and interested organizations to observe Human Rights Day every year, on December 10.
For more information, check out the Human Rights page of the United Nations website, which includes a brief (1:33 minutes) video that summarizes the United Nations’ efforts.
Educator Resources for Human Rights Day
As an educator, you’re in a wonderful position to raise young people’s awareness of human rights, and engage them in thought-provoking discussion. We’ve assembled this collection of resources, to help.
You may want to start by ordering the free Human Rights package for educators, offered on the Youth for Human Rights website. The Education Package is designed for K-12, to be used as a full course or as a supplemental resource within another curriculum. It includes a complete Educators’ Guide, the documentary film The Story of Human Rights, 30 award-winning public service announcements illustrating the 30 human rights, the UNITED music video, and copies of two booklets, What Are Human Rights? and The Story of Human Rights.
To share the history of Human Rights with your students, check out these resources:
- YouTube video, providing a 10-minute history
- A timeline from George Washington University
Other resources include:
- Free teaching resources from the TES website (TES is an organization dedicated to supporting the world’s teachers).
- Activities and guided discussions from the Human Rights Resource Center at the University of Minnesota. Most of these activities are best suited for high school students, and some are designed for students at any level. Examples include:
If you teach in Atlanta, you might want to plan a field trip to The Center for Civil & Human Rights museum.
How Your Students Can Make a Difference
After your classroom discussions, if your students express an interest in getting involved, here are some organizations you can point them to:
- Amnesty International offers an article called: “3 ways to fight for human rights in your community”
- The Carter Center urges citizens to “Partner with us to end human rights abuses and build peace in the world”
- The Youth for Human Rights website has a wonderful section called, “Take Action”
- The NonViolent PeaceForce says, “Find out how you can help today!”
- And, the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights reminds us that, “You can make a difference”
Also suggest that they follow the discussion on Twitter:
What do you feel is the most appropriate role of an educator on the issue of human rights?