It’s time to celebrate. Human Rights Education Now! has over 2,500 podcast downloads.Keep it up and be sure to let everyone know the great news.
📣 Visit our Buzzsprout Podcast Page for quick access to all other available directories: ApplePodcasts, Spotify, Overcast, YouTube Music, Pocket Casts, Deezer, and PlayerFM.
This month, join us in celebrating the human rights defenders whose bravery and leadership are driving forward progress to end violence against women and advance gender equality. Click here to explore these courageous defenders, emblematic cases, and educational resources.
March 6, 2025
11AM -12PM PST
Join us for an inspiring evening at the SIMA Short Film Screening, where the power of storytelling meets the global call for sustainable development. This unique event showcases a curated selection of short films that bring the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to life. These thought-provoking films explore key issues such as climate action, gender equality, poverty alleviation, and clean water access, illustrating how communities around the world are tackling the challenges of today to create a better tomorrow.
Immerse yourself in powerful narratives that highlight the impact of social, environmental, and economic changes, and see how filmmakers are using their craft to inspire action, raise awareness, and drive positive change. Whether you’re an advocate for sustainability, a lover of cinema, or simply curious about how films can ignite social transformation, this screening is for you.
Don’t miss the opportunity to witness how film can bring the SDGs to life in a way that’s compelling, impactful, and unforgettable!
Films line-up:
1. Words of a Changemaker
This film features inspiring stories from individuals who have made significant contributions to their communities and the world. Through their narratives, viewers gain insights into the challenges and triumphs of changemakers dedicated to creating positive social impact.
2. Detroit Hives
Detroit Hives explores the transformation of vacant lots in Detroit into thriving urban bee farms. This initiative not only revitalizes the community but also promotes environmental sustainability and education, highlighting the intersection of urban agriculture and social entrepreneurship.
3. Cross World:
Cross World delves into the lives of individuals who bridge cultural divides through innovative projects and collaborations. The film showcases how these efforts foster understanding, unity, and progress across diverse communities, emphasizing the power of cross-cultural exchange in addressing global challenges.
In human rights work, it is a challenge to navigate the difficult and complex emotions one experiences as a professional while maintaining one’s humanity and empathy. In this module, participants will better understand methods to avoid becoming burnt out or emotionally drained in their human rights work by exploring different wellness strategies and opportunities for community support.
Monday, March 10, 7-8:30 pm EST
We are pleased to announce the availability of our latest installment of podcast episodes in Human Rights Education NOW! Episodes 50 & 51 feature conversations with Dr. Candace H. Blake-Amarante and Jean-Sébastien Vallée.
Dr. Candace H. Blake-Amarante is the Knowledge Manager at Equitas, where she creates and shares knowledge on human rights education. An author, she focuses on children’s rights and incorporates the voices of children with chronic illnesses in her works, including The Dream Machine and You, Me and Victor Hugo! She holds a Ph.D. in political science from Columbia University.
Jean-Sébastien Vallée is the Director of Education and Communications at Equitas, with 20 years of experience in education and human rights. He has developed educational tools and facilitated training programs worldwide. Formerly a human rights educator at the Québec Human Rights Commission, he holds a Master’s in Second-Language Education from McGill University.
Episode 50: Equitas, Part One
Candace and Jean-Sébastien were drawn to human rights through their professional experiences—Candace via her doctoral research and storytelling, and Jean-Sébastien through his work in language education. Their current roles at Equitas emphasize practical, collaborative approaches, including creating dialogue spaces and survivor-centered initiatives. They address challenges in engaging public institutions, supporting Indigenous rights, and implementing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s recommendations. Equitas is actively working to decolonize its policies by incorporating non-Western perspectives, challenging mainstream narratives, and fostering equitable knowledge-sharing through projects like “Power of Equality.”
Full topic listing available for PDF download HERE.
Listen on our Buzzsprout podcast website HERE.
Episode 51: Equitas, Part Two
Candace and Jean-Sébastien emphasize the importance of engaging young people in human rights work by connecting activism to historical and disciplinary knowledge. They discuss how educators must integrate a human rights perspective into their teaching, fostering self-reflection and transformative learning beyond facts to include attitudes, skills, and behaviors. The conversation highlights the challenges of decolonizing education, advocating for the inclusion of colonization studies in curricula and fostering a sense of global community beyond national identities. They highlight the importance of “togethering” — uniting people across borders to build a more inclusive human rights movement. Addressing rising authoritarianism, Equitas is working on projects to create safe spaces for activists and provide training to counter oppression. Influential human rights defenders and theorists inspire their work, including Janusz Korczak, Aly Sanou, and Charlot Jeudy. Ultimately, they advocate for embedding human rights education more deeply into Canadian policies and curricula.
Full topic listing available for PDF download HERE.
Listen on our Buzzsprout podcast website HERE.
Thank you for supporting the Human Rights Education NOW! podcast!
The deadline for the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) sessions proposals is February 28, 2025 – NCSS Annual Conference Call for Proposals | Social Studies. The 2025 NCSS Conference will be held in Washington, DC from December 5-7, 2025.
Please consider submitting a session proposal—there is a “human rights” content area.
Chris Buckley and Jake Skrzypiec, our the NCSS Human Rights Education Community Co-Chairs as well as serving as our HRE USA Connecticut Regional Reps among other roles (ccd here). If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to one of them. We are happy to provide input or if someone is interested in finding a collaborator, we can try to assist as well. We plan to have an HRE USA/Woven Teaching booth, film launch, and community gathering. More to come on those fronts.
Submissions due February 28, 2025
Visit this page to get up to date on the latest HRE USA news.
Curated by Institue of Humane Education (IHE), explore 15+ stories of changemakers looking to create a more just, sustainable, and humane future: WATCH NOW!
Many students’ exposure to the civil rights movement is often limited to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. or Rosa Parks. Our learners may not be fully aware of the enormity of all the civil rights movement encompasses. Although our nation recognizes February as Black History Month, it is critical that educators elevate the obstacles faced and achievements accomplished by the many players of the civil rights movement throughout the academic year. Our latest We the People civics inquiry lesson, Music & the Movement, encourages students in grades 5–12 to explore the connection music has had on American protest movements, helping them to understand the power of our First Amendment rights to expression, assembly, and petition.
This lesson is designed to lift up the ongoing struggle for civil rights and allows educators to honor diversity and explore the values of equality and justice. Providing students the opportunity to investigate protest movements and songs helps them to understand the power of taking informed action.
More Resources for Your Classroom
Click here to find the entire teacher-created civics inquiry lesson series, which engages students by making real-world connections through discovery, exploration, and high-level questioning. Find out how you can get your students involved in the research-backed We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution program on our website. This nonpartisan civics curriculum was created by the Center for Civic Education, now in our 60th year. Learn how you can support civic education.
The American Agitators world premiere will be on Sunday, March 16, 2025 at the Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose, California. This is particularly symbolic because this is where Fred Ross, Sr. held his first house meeting at the home of Cesar and Helen Chavez in the East San Jose barrio of “Sal Si Puedes.” Please join us at 6:45 pm on March 16th for the world premiere. Tickets can be purchased here. As legendary organizer Dolores Huerta, who is featured in the film, recently said: “Bringing Fred’s life to the screen is the medicine our society needs right now. He empowered people to be engaged in the democratic process.”
Purchase a Ticket to the World Premiere!
HRE USA 