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The Inaugural Human Rights Lecture: Human Rights in a Fractured World

by hreusaApril 4, 2024April 4, 2024Leave a comment

Thu, 2 May 2024 11:30 – 12:30 GMT-5

This event is happening in person and online. This Eventbrite page is for booking online only.

If you wish to attend in person at Kellogg College please use the link below:

The Inaugural Human Rights Lecture: Human Rights in a Fractured World Tickets, Thu 2 May 2024 at 17:30 | Eventbrite

Join President Professor Jonathan Michie and Fellows online as we welcome Bynum Tudor Fellow Ban Ki-moon to Kellogg to deliver the Inaugural Lecture in a new annual series of Kellogg Lectures on Human Rights . This year’s lecture is titled ‘Human Rights in a Fractured World‘.

Ban Ki-moon’s ten years as Secretary General to the United Nations was marked by many successes. Throughout, he strove to enhance human rights globally. Indeed, Ban Ki-moon’s other successes – such as the Sustainable Development Goals, establishing UN Women, and the Paris agreement to limit the rise in global temperature to 1.5 degrees celcius – can all be seen as enhancing human rights broadly defined. The Sustainable Development Goals promote the whole range of economic and social rights. UN Women “is the UN organization delivering programmes, policies and standards that uphold women’s human rights”. And the climate crisis threatens the rights of millions, most immediately those who will be displaced, and those facing famine and disease as a result of climate change. Ban Ki-moon will reflect on the urgent need to defend and promote human rights, and will place this in the broader context of the need to promote women’s rights, pursue the Sustainable Development Goals, and tackle the climate crisis.

Professor Jonathan Michie, President of Kellogg College will chair the event.

You will be sent a link to watch the talk nearer to the event date.

Should you have any further queries, please contact events@kellogg.ox.ac.uk

New Issue: Rethinking Schools Magazine: Teach Palestine

by hreusaApril 4, 2024Leave a comment

The spring issue of Rethinking Schools focuses on Israel’s war on Gaza and the war on teaching about Palestine.

The editorial discusses how the attack on social justice teaching has expanded as part of the crackdown on dissent against U.S. support for Israel. Bill Bigelow draws on his Zinn Education Project “Teaching the Seeds of Violence” activity to argue that anti-Zionism is not automatically antisemitism. Jesse Hagopian traces connections between the war on history, education, and children in both countries. Oakland educators detail the story of what happened when they organized a teach-in for Palestine. A Palestinian student shares her experiences in the aftermath of Oct. 7, and the issue includes Naomi Shihab Nye’s poem, “Before I Was a Gazan.”

This issue also includes Cierra Kaler-Jones’ reflections on how to replace a pedagogy of control in teaching dance with one that encourages creativity and liberation. A Chicago educator discusses a new curriculum on the Young Lords. And more. Subscribe to Rethinking Schools.

Episodes 27 & 28 with Maria Hantzopoulos are available on Human Rights Education NOW!

by hreusaApril 1, 2024April 30, 2024Leave a comment

We are pleased to announce the availability of our latest installment of podcast episodes in Human Rights Education NOW! Episodes 27 & 28 feature conversations with Maria Hantzopoulos. Maria Hantzopoulos earned her B.A. from Boston University in History, her M.A. in Social Studies Education from Teachers College, Columbia University and her doctorate at Teachers College in International Educational Development. Her work broadly considers how educational processes structure inequity in their contexts and beyond. Her research interests include school culture and climate, project-based assessment, peace and human rights education, migration and education, and social studies curricula. She is the author of the book Restoring Dignity: Human Rights in Action (Teachers College Press, 2016).

Episode 27: Maria Hantzopoulos, Part One

In Episode 27, Maria Hantzopoulos discusses her origins of interest in human rights and human rights education, as well as her entry into public school teaching and her advocacy of social justice pedagogy. She then shares her practices of HRE and peace education in her teaching, and the importance of critiquing mainstream narratives. Next, Maria discusses her involvement in the doctoral program at Teachers College, Columbia University, and the importance of Paolo Freire’s work on critical consciousness. Maria then goes on to describe what she views are the challenges of educating teachers to act as transformative agents of change. Lastly, Maria explains Henry Giroux’s concept of schools as contested spaces.

Topics discussed:

Origins of interest in human rights and human rights education
Entry into public school teaching
Advocacy of social justice pedagogy
Practice of HRE and peace education in teaching
Importance of critiquing mainstream narratives
Involvement in doctoral program at Teachers College, Columbia University
Paolo Freire’s work on critical consciousness
Challenges of educating teachers as transformative agents
Henry Grioux’s concept of schools as contested spaces

Full topic listing available for PDF download HERE.

Listen on our Buzzsprout podcast website HERE.

Episode 28: Maria Hantzopoulos, Part Two

In Episode 28, Maria Hantzopoulos discusses her work with non-governmental organizations, as well as her work in designing curriculum, which deals with human rights. Maria then shares what she views are challenges to mainstream narratives in global history, and the idea of curriculum interventions as contested spaces. She emphasizes the intersections of HRE and peace education, as well as the challenges of meeting students who have skill deficits. Next, Maria talks about the relationships between HRE and social justice and the development of a critical consciousness, as well as the heightened emphasis on decolonial education. Maria then describes the importance of using human rights language and concepts when addressing social change movements in the US, along with highlighting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) as a tool with young people. Maria shares influential role models for her work in human rights education and a significant quote, which guides her work in HRE.

Topics discussed:

Work with non-governmental organizations
Work designing human rights curriculum
Challenges to mainstream narratives in global history
Curriculum interventions as contested spaces
Intersections of HRE and peace education
Challenges in meeting students’ needs who have skill deficits
Relationship between HRE and social justice
Development of critical consciousness
Heightened emphasis on decolonial education
Importance of using human rights language and concepts in social change movements
UDHR as tool to use with young people
Influential role model and significant quote

Full topic listing available for PDF download HERE.

Listen on our Buzzsprout podcast website HERE.

For Listeners: Moving from Google Podcasts to YouTube Music in April

Google Podcast will be discontinued on April 2, 2024.
We will move all our episodes onto YouTube Music.
All previously published episodes will remain available on Apple Podcasts,Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Deezer, and PlayerFM.

Thank you for supporting the Human Rights Education NOW! podcast!

Textbook critique: Does Your Textbook Lie About Reconstruction?

by hreusaMarch 29, 2024Leave a comment

Last spring we posted Five Ways Textbooks Lie About Reconstruction by Mimi Eisen.

Eisen examined commonly used U.S. history textbooks. The first of five themes she found is that textbooks center Confederate states and ex-Confederates.

A contemporary textbook asks students to imagine themselves as former Confederate soldiers traveling the South and witnessing, with dismay, the destruction of “plantation manor homes.”

Textbooks encourage students to view Reconstruction from the perspectives of those who fought to preserve enslavement.
See more themes and textbook examples, and read our full national report, Erasing the Black Freedom Struggle.
Send us examples from YOUR history textbooks.
Invite students to read the article and examine their textbook. Send us what they find and in appreciation, we’ll highlight their work as textbook detectives and send you a signed copy of Black Was the Ink for your classroom.
Textbook Critique

Silenced Perspectives: The Unequal Effects of Censorship Across Communities

by hreusaMarch 29, 2024Leave a comment

Friday, April 12 · 11am – 12pm CDT

Online event

Get free tickets

Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right. Free Speech is protected in our constitution. Yet, censorship runs rampant – particularly with the advent of social media and the increasing accessibility of expression online. This series has covered various topics ripe for censorship, including sexual expression and freedom. However, content is not the only victim of censorship, as it often affects the speakers and creators of said content differently. BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ individuals often report higher rates of censorship. This month, we’re discussing inequity in censorship practices. Jamila Aisha, Advocate & Educator, will join Mandy Salley to discuss discrimination in censorship. This is a long overdue conversation that you don’t want to miss.

ASL Interpretation will be provided.

Free Webinar: Women, War, and Citizenship: Exploring Diverse Perspectives

by hreusaMarch 27, 2024March 27, 2024Leave a comment

The Center for Civic Education invites you to attend “Women, War, and Citizenship: Exploring Diverse Perspectives,” a free webinar cohosted by the Center and the American Battlefield Trust this Wednesday, March 27, at 7 p.m. ET. The webinar will provide teachers with a comprehensive understanding of women’s pivotal role during the Civil War.
By highlighting their involvement in the suffrage movement and the passage of the 19th Amendment, this program will help teachers appreciate the historical significance of women’s contributions to the development of American democracy.
Register to receive the webinar link. Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity! Register for the Webinar

Salem State University & HRE USA: Children Around the World: Finding Hope in Times of Despair

by hreusaMarch 26, 2024March 25, 2024Leave a comment

The world can be a challenging place for children. This conference will celebrate the courageous efforts that are occurring around the world to improve the provisions, protections, and participation of young people. You will be introduced to people whose work gives us hope. They shine light the way ahead during these times of despair. We hear plenty about despair and not enough about hope and the wonderful things people are doing to make the lives of young people better.

This is a free, open to the public virtual conference. CEUs are available upon request.

This conference is an educational opportunity provided by the SSU Center for Childhood & Youth Studies.

April 5, 2024 – Starts at 8:30 am ET, virtual

>> Learn more and see schedule
>> Register

Zinn Education Project: Teaching the Seeds of Violence in Palestine-Israel [New Lesson]

by hreusaMarch 25, 2024Leave a comment

The historian-activist Howard Zinn was fond of saying, “If you don’t know history it is as if you were born yesterday. And if you were born yesterday, anybody up there in a position of power can tell you anything, and you have no way of checking up on it.”

There is nothing in the world today more in need of an accurate historical account than the violence in Palestine-Israel — or more infected with obfuscation. Many people’s historical reckoning seems to go back no further than October 7, 2023. Even those more committed to understanding the present in terms of the past often reach back only to the Six Day War and occupation in 1967 or the UN partition of Palestine in 1947 and the 1948 War for Independence — for Israelis — or the Nakba, the Catastrophe — for Palestinians. Or they may simply say: It began with the Holocaust.

>> Access lesson
>> Access additional resources on teaching about violence in Palestine and Israel

Salem State University & HRE USA: Children Around the World: What We Are Doing to Improve Their Lives

by hreusaMarch 25, 2024March 25, 2024Leave a comment

Around the world, young scholars are focusing their work on research that is designed to change the world for the better. The Fellow at Salem State University Center for Childhood and Youth Studies will share their cutting-edge ideas! This conference focuses on diversity and inclusion, particularly in families, schools, education, criminal justice, and in the challenges that refugee children face.

This is a free, open to the public virtual conference. CEUs are available upon request.

This conference is an educational opportunity provided by the SSU Center for Childhood & Youth Studies.

March 29, 2024 – 8:30 am – 4 pm (ET), virtual

>> Learn more and see schedule
>> Register

The 2024 Edmonds Summer Fellowships – Call for Applicants!

by hreusaMarch 22, 2024March 22, 2024Leave a comment

ONE WEEK LEFT! 2024 Edmonds Fellowship Applications Now Open!

Apply Today → Application Link and Fellowship Descriptions

Download flyer

Deadline to submit applications is March 29, 2024

In August of 2020, Human Rights Educators USA (HRE USA) lost one of its sustaining sources of inspiration and committed leadership – Kirby Edmonds. As a founding member of HRE USA, Kirby was instrumental in its establishment, directly shaping our mission statement, organizational structure, and most importantly our values framework and the consensus-based policy for decision-making. He served as Co-Chair of HRE USA for nearly a decade. The Summer Edmonds Fellowship was founded in partnership with the Dorothy Cotton Institute (DCI) where Kirby was a Senior Fellow and Program Coordinator. DCI’s vision is a just and peaceful beloved community in which all people understand, protect and exercise full human rights. For the first time, Edmonds Fellow alumni will mentor the incoming 2024 Edmonds Summer Fellows.

>> 2024 Edmonds Summer Fellowship Project Descriptions

Project A: 2024 Training as Action Series Development & Evaluation
Project B: Fundraising Strategy and Sustainability Project

The application cycle is now open and will close on March 29, 2024.

>> 2024 Edmonds Summer Fellowship Application

Eligibility & Compensation

Ability to commit 100 hours between June 1-August 30, 2024
18 years old or older
$1500 stipend
Reside in the United States
Commitment to vision and mission of HRE USA

If your application is selected as a finalist, you will be contacted for an interview. Final decisions will be announced by April 18, 2024.

Substantive questions about the fellowship may be sent to both:

Jake Skrzypiec (Chair, Edmonds Summer Fellowship Committee, HRE USA) at jacob.skrzypiec@gmail.com
Kristi Rudelius-Palmer (Project Director, HRE USA) at kristi@hreusa.org