hreusa

A nonpartisan alliance of civil society advocates and educators are working to persuade the Congress to pass the Civics Secures Democracy Act (CSD Act).  This act, if passed, would provide needed and currently unavailable federal dollars to state and local education agencies to “making available to all students innovative, engaging curricula and programs in civics and history that prepare them to understand American Government and engage in American democratic practices as citizens and residents of the United States [from §2(a) of S4384].” 

We support this legislation, in its present form, because it would improve the visibility of civic and history education in U.S. schools, support preparation of social studies teachers equipped to teach civics appropriate to our democratic, constitutional republic, and create a more engaging environment in which human rights educators can more effectively demonstrate the relationship between HRE and civics in a democratic society.  

It is vital that this legislation survive the legislative process in our partisan Congress with its simplicity and straightforward language intact. We are not seeking special language for HRE, because HRE is already recognized as a necessary part of social studies education (see NCSS position statement on HRE) and an essential companion to democratic civics education (see HRE USA and EAD briefing paper on HRE USA website (https://hreusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/hre-brief-on-ead.pdf). We are concerned that the legislation not be straitjacketed with amendments designed to prohibit inclusion of diverse and equitable perspectives. 

S4384 is the reintroduced version of the CSD Act, with a larger, bipartisan group of Senate sponsors than the bill introduced in 2021 (S879). It’s companion House bill, HR1814, is still active. Supporters are seeking a larger group of sponsors in the House for this bill or a bill revised to match the newer Senate bill. 

WHAT CAN HRE SUPPORTERS DO: 

• Learn about  S4384 and HR1814 (https://civxnow.org/our-work/federal/).  
• Read the support letter that CivXNow collaborators, including HRE USA have jointly signed (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DdiXy_Oj9w4Vw_vxgPcoUVjs5vTaNl4DODv3fMCw0HM/) Encourage organizations engage with to support the letter, too.  
• Use the August Congressional Recess to urge members of your Congressional Delegation to support or co-sponsor the CSD Act, and to keep it clean of restricting amendments. You can find resources in the CivXNow CSD Toolkit (https://civxnow.org/our-work/federal/take-action/#/) and Social Media Toolkit (https://civxnow.org/our-work/federal/social-media-toolkit/)  
• Watch the HRE USA website and Facebook page for updates as this legislation (hopefully!) moves forward. 
• Talk up the necessary connection between HRE and Civic Education in democratic societies. 
• Share your efforts with the HRE USA community. 

To learn more about HRE USA’s support for this legislation and our efforts to keep it from being dragged down by hostile amendments, contact info@hreusa.org or Rosemary Blanchard (rblnchrd@emeritus.csus.edu), the HRE USA liaison who is following this initiative.  If Civics Secures Democracy, then let’s demonstrate that HRE secures democratic civics. 

Visit this page to get up to date on the latest HRE USA news.

The international human rights architecture is composed of a range of different mechanisms with varying mandates, procedures and activities. Their observations and recommendations serve to inform political and legal action to improve human rights protection.

The UHRI allows you to explore over 170.000 observations and recommendations made by the international human rights protection system: Treaty Bodies, Universal Periodic Review, Special Procedures.

Nationwide, about one out of every 10 public school students is learning to speak English. Oral history can be a valuable tool for language learners in a variety of classrooms. In Edutopia, VOW’s Erin Vong shared recommended activities and strategies.

by Social Rights Alliance

Wed, 3 August 2022

13:00 – 14:00 BST

REGISTER HERE

A film screening for all those interested in using human rights in grassroots movements.

This powerful film charts the progress of a diverse group of Community Researchers from across England as they examine human rights concepts, challenge what a ‘human rights-based approach’ means and write their own guide. In doing so they ‘claim the right to talk about rights’.

As well as screening the short film, during the online event we will hear from:

• Community Researchers about their experience of the project and the exciting new board game they are developing to share their learning and help others claim the right to talk about rights
• Just Fair’s Human Rights Officer about the next phase of social rights movement building and what the process has meant to Just Fair

To read more about the work of the Community Researchers, please check out the co-produced blogs on the Social Rights Alliance‘s website.

Note: We like to use Zoom as it has some great accessibility features. So that we can make the training as accessible as possible for you, please let us know as soon as possible if you have any other communication or access needs. The event will also be recorded so that it can shared with others. Please email: lyle.barker@justfair.org.uk

Twitter: Just Fair, Social Rights Alliance

July 31, Sun, 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM PDT

August 21, Sun, 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM PDT

In an effort to dismantle white supremacy we work to highlight the Lives and Voices of BIPOC community members and support ally education.

REGISTER HERE

This webinar, A Candid Conversation about Systemic Racism, is meant to be an honest and authentic conversation about the long-time injustice of racism in America. We discuss systemic racism, in an effort to dismantle white supremacy, from the inside out. Our greatest intention is to enhance the lives and highlight the voices of BIPOC community members giving them a safe space to share their own experiences, challenges and hopes, without having to educate white people. When we do not have a guest, we use the webinar time to support education of allies.

We hope you will attend and join us in honoring and respecting the lives of Black, Brown and Indigenous people.

Jodi Lewis and Misha Safran look forward to discussing with BIPOC identified friends, BIPOC identified colleagues and other BIPOC community members their thoughts and perspective on what has been going on in this country (USA) for a very long time.

THIS WEBINAR is for ALL audiences who wish to respect and honor BIPOC lives and voices.

***IMPORTANT***

Once you register here on eventbrite, your registration is NOT complete ~ We use the Zoom Webinar Platform which requires you to register in order to access the event link. Because eventbrite does not provide you with the link needed to attend, be sure register via zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_wf0hsfRASweO_TzpKaj2Jg

We will NOT keep your email address as this is eventbrite’s policy. So, if you wish to be on our email list so you know of other events, feel free to email us to let us know we can add you misha@mishasafran.com.

We are truly grateful for our friends and community members, many of whom are members of the BIPOC community, for trusting us with the sharing of their personal experiences. We have worked to build a safe space, a brave space, for these webinars, listening with open minds so to welcome these honest and vulnerable shares about the impact of systemic racism and are always open to feedback and suggestions.

These webinars are typically held the third Sunday of each month with different guests/panelists each time. Sometimes we do not have a guest so we use this time for providing resources or highlighting a historical event in the lives of Black, Brown, and Indigenous People as a way to support ally education.

If you consider yourself a member of the BIPOC community, or you know someone who would like the opportunity to voice their experiences, please feel free to schedule a time to be on the panel or pass on our link listed below. We can have up to three panelists in one evening!

ALL attendees will receive follow up emails with resources for becoming more learned allies.

#BLACKLIVESMATTER #DismantleSystemicRacism #divorcewhitesupremacy

In Solidarity and with Love,

Misha Safran and Jodi Lewis

Thu, July 28, 2022

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM EDT

Online event

It IS possible to teach ELA content that challenges students AND social injustice in a meaningful, productive way. A team of researchers and teachers from the University of Delaware Partnership for Public Education will explain the Equity-Focused Quad Text Set approach, which links a research-based instructional framework with young adult texts that have the potential to address vital issues of social justice in an authentic way.

Our research and teaching experiences show that teachers can use Equity-Focused Quad Text Sets as a framework for accomplishing three goals:

• Promoting literacy, including encouraging robust discussions, building reading volume, and practicing sophisticated, standards-aligned reading, writing, and discussion skills;
• Teaching content, deepening students’ understanding of ELA concepts, theories, principles, and skills; and
• Engaging students with issues of social justice.

We will share a free toolkit that includes sample units and text pairings, model several example sets, and share additional supports for educators as they prepare to teach for social justice and equity in ELA. Participants will see how this tool can build literacy skills and engage students in deep learning about social justice, inspiring them to become agents of change.

REGISTER HERE

Available for one-hour of PD credit. A certificate of completion will be available for download at the end of your session that you can submit for your school’s or district’s approval.

“Over the last two decades, discourse about gun violence has always ebbed and flowed. But for change to happen, anti-gun violence advocacy has to stay top of mind,” LFJ Senior Writer Coshandra Dillard outlines in our newest article. Including statements from young activists who spoke during the recent March for Our Lives event, Dillard highlights the need for unrelenting efforts to end gun violence, arguing that the mass shooting on July 4 adds even more impetus for us all to act. These LFJ resources offer strategies to do just that. 

We Are Once Again Reeling From Grief and Outrage (2022)

To Counter Racist Violence, Teach Honest History (2022) 

A Campaign of the Zinn Education Project, coordinated by Rethinking Schools and Teaching for Change

Join the campagn!

At school, we either learn or unlearn our power. By supporting educators in the classroom and the community, we make our schools sites of resistance, justice, joy, and liberation. Together, we are helping dismantle anti-Blackness in education.