Episode Descriptions and Resources
Episode 3
David Shiman discusses the origins of his interest in human rights and social justice, and the impetus his election to the Amnesty International USA Board of Directors gave to work in human rights education (HRE). He also describes his work as a human rights educator in the former communist states of Eastern Europe and how HRE has developed over time in Europe, the USA, the Philippines and South Africa. Challenges for HRE in both pre-collegiate and higher education also are explained, drawing upon Shiman’s work at the University of Vermont. The episode closes with a discussion of Shiman’s publications about human rights education and the obstacles which remain to incorporating HRE in higher education programs for teachers.
Topics discussed:
- Deweyan conception of education
- HRE activities across Europe
- Role of the Internet and social media in forging connections about HRE
- Challenges for HRE growth
Episode 4
In the second half of his conversation with Bill Fernekes, David Shiman shares insights about current and future challenges facing HRE in the USA. In particular, he links the success of HRE to maintaining an open and respectful classroom climate where the exchange of ideas and the study of controversial issues is a central focus of instruction. Shiman then discusses the importance of engaging in public conversations about human rights in local communities, while recognizing that changing attitudes is a slow process. He concludes by identifying key initiatives that would raise the profile of HRE in pre-collegiate education and legitimize HRE as a field of scholarly inquiry.
Topics discussed:
- Connecting HRE to local issues through community investigation
- HRE and contemporary social crises
- Link between work in prejudice reduction and human rights education
- Developing stronger community connections
- Importance of forging global connections between HRE advocates
in the USA and other countries - Embedding HRE into local and state curriculum standards
Credits
Bill Fernekes, host & producer
Kristi Rudelius-Palmer, executive producer
Sabrina Sanchez, director of sound design
Our staff includes Jazzmin Chizu Gota and Natela Jordan
Introduction and Closing Music Credit: “Awakening-Spring” by Ketsa, from the Album Night Vision.
Available at the Free Music Archive: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ketsa/night-vision/awakening-spring/
This music is used in accordance with this Creative Commons License: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Information about that license is available here https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Human Rights Education Now! is produced and distributed in accordance with Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International. Information about this license is available here: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Human Rights Educators USA, a project of the Center for Transformative Action in Ithaca, New York