This chapter examines how conflict and peace can be effectively taught through a human rights education (HRE) framework within the social studies classroom. It offers preservice and in-service educators a strong rationale for using HRE approaches to engage students with these critical issues. The chapter encourages educators to move beyond traditional methods and embrace a more transformative, student-centered pedagogy. It presents a flexible roadmap for creating dedicated conflict and peace studies courses or integrating HRE into existing curricula. Emphasizing best practices and strategies, the authors focus on helping students understand context, take informed action, and reflect on newly acquired knowledge. The chapter also features tested lessons and models that show how conflict and peace can be meaningfully addressed across various social studies subjects, including Modern World History, Modern US History, Genocide Studies, and Human Rights, providing educators with practical tools for fostering critical thinking and social responsibility.
This groundbreaking book explores the expanding and impactful relationship between human rights and academia, illustrating historical and emerging practices for integrating human rights within scholarship and teaching in a range of disciplines and professional studies. By providing examples of meaningful applications across thirteen academic fields, chapters examine the varied ways that higher education engages with human rights ontologically, theoretically, conceptually, and in practice. Collectively, it also demonstrates that human rights remain essential for addressing twenty-first-century challenges, emphasizing the role of faculty and students in advancing this work. Offering a framework for designing and studying the infusion of human rights within and across disciplines, this work includes a broad range of discussion questions to enrich learner engagement, critical thinking, and practical application. It is a vital resource for instructors, departments, and multidisciplinary centers, as well as anyone engaged in human rights, social justice, peace, and global citizenship education.
Offers a framework for designing and studying the infusion of human rights within and across disciplines
Provides examples of the meaningful application of human rights themes and values within 13 academic disciplines and professional studies
Includes discussion questions for facilitating critical discussion and other assignments in the classroom setting
Inspires further application of human rights within disciplinary studies and research
Cher Weixia Chen, Felisa Tibbitts, Jonathan Liljeblad, José Luis Falconi, Michael R. Orwicz, Robin Adèle Greeley, Maria Armoudian, Anne Goldson, Pramod K. Nayar, Alison Dundes Renteln, Nora Sveaass, Karie Jo Peralta, Whittney Barth, Graeme Bristol, Muhammad Hamid Zaman, Ana María Rodino, Roxanne Missingham, Bradley P. Stoner
Social studies is a primary focus of contemporary efforts to control education, thus controlling a democratic society. Previous threats in the U.S. have temporarily disrupted high quality social education while current ones carry governmental, political, and legal restrictions representing far more power. Since an educated population is basic to the core of democratic governance, threats to intellectual and academic freedom are threats to that process. Legitimate social education incorporates inquiry, evidence-based knowledge, and critical thinking. Examples of the threat are examined in this article, followed by a summary of grounds for academic freedom. Recommendations for responsible actions and resources follow.
Given the challenging landscape facing K-university educators in the current political environment, the authors hope this article will spur reflection and action to safeguard intellectual freedom, without which no democracy can survive.
HREA is delighted to inform you about the recently launched Global Alliance for Human Rights. Convened by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the Alliance is a multi-stakeholder, cross-regional alliance to mobilize leadership, align resources, and rebuild trust in human rights as a practical force that improves lives, sustains peace and drives sustainable development. Please consider committing your organization to the Alliance.
In addition, there is an associated human rights education initiative. In the next six months (through October 2026), educational materials and documented practices, in different languages, will be mapped and published, building on over 4,500 resources currently available at UN Human Rights. This publication will help support a multistakeholder network to embed human rights education in legislation, policy and curricula, advocate for implementation resources, review textbooks and teaching methods, create supportive learning environments, and train teaching professionals.
The Transitioning to Peace Professional Certificate by King’s College London explores how societies move from conflict toward more stable, secure, and sustainable forms of peace, with a focus on protection, reintegration, counterterrorism, and post-conflict recovery. It introduces practical concepts such as civilian protection, disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration, peacekeeping, security strategy, democratic responses to terrorism, and the challenges faced by former combatants, women, girls, and child soldiers, helping learners understand how peacebuilding policies can reduce harm, support recovery, and prevent renewed conflict.
UNESCO is seeking good practices that are showing results in advancing the Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) — ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.
This open call aims to identify and showcase transformative actions and success stories that can inspire cross-country learning and cooperation and accelerate progress toward SDG 4.
What does SDG 4 aim at?
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted at the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit in 2015, is a comprehensive “plan of action for people, planet and prosperity” aimed at ending poverty, protecting the planet, tackling inequalities and fostering global peace. The ambitious 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets adopted as part of this universal agenda are to stimulate action in areas of critical importance.
SDG 4 aims to transform lives through quality education, recognizing the critical role of education as the key catalyst for progress and enabler for achieving all SDGs. By equipping all people with the values, knowledge, skills and competencies needed to contribute to today’s rapidly changing world, education helps eradicate poverty; reduce inequalities; improve health and wellbeing; enhance productivity and decent employment; protect and promote cultural diversity; build peace and security; drive the green and digital transition and sustain the environment for current and future generations.
With a few years remaining 2030, the world is facing significant challenges to achieve SDG 4. Upscaled, collective and transformative actions are needed to accelerate progress by reaching the most vulnerable and marginalized and taking qualitative leaps in education and lifelong learning.
What is a good practice?
Governments and organizations have increasingly recognized the value of collecting and sharing good practices as a means of identifying and scaling effective policies and programmes, encouraging peer learning and driving social and economic progress. A ‘good practice’ is commonly defined as a technique or method that, through experience and research, has proven to reliably lead to a desired result.
In the context of education policy, programming and services, a practical definition of good practice is knowledge about what works in specific situations and contexts, without using excessive resources to achieve the desired results, and which can be used to develop and implement solutions adapted to similar education challenges in other situations and contexts.
For the first time in over 40 years, the International Human Rights Training Program (IHRTP) will be held outside Canada, in Bangkok, Thailand, marking a significant milestone in the evolution of Equitas’ flagship international training program.
This edition reflects Equitas’ commitment to expanding access to human rights education and strengthening engagement with partners and movements across the Global South.
Program at a Glance
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Online preparatory phase: 15 September – 23 October, 2026 (self-paced, approximately 12–15 hours over 6 weeks)
In-person training: November 1 – 13, 2026 (11-day intensive training)
Languages: English and French
Participants: Approximately 100 human rights educators and defenders from around the world
Participation fee: $9,180 CAD (Includes: training fees, accommodation and meals, educational materials, and medical insurance covering emergencies)
International travel and visa costs are not included.
Bursaries: Limited full and partial bursaries may be available
Location: Bangkok, Thailand When: Fall 2026
APPLICATION DEADLINE : Monday, June 8, 2026 Space is limited – early applications are encouraged.
The Toolkit—created by youth in partnership with UNICEF USA and Kids Impact Initiative—gives young people a practical way to analyze policies through a child rights lens and share recommendations with decision-makers. Piloted and tested with UNICEF clubs across the country, it’s designed to be used independently by youth leadership groups on local, state, and federal advocacy efforts. If you work with youth leaders, youth councils, or after school programs, we invite you to share this new resource and encourage youth feedback so it can continue to grow and improve.
We are thrilled to announce that film distributor Abramorama has acquired the North American theatrical rights to American Agitators. Please see this article about the film.
As Abramorama president, Karol Martesko-Fenster, says in their press release, “American Agitators is a powerful reminder that the fight for justice and equity is never finished. It is passed from one generation to the next. Raymond Telles has crafted a deeply resonant film that connects the visionary organizing of Fred Ross Sr. to the urgent movements of today. We are proud to bring this story to North American audiences.” American Agitators will open at The Quad theater in New York City on May 1 and will run for the entire week and then rollout across the US and Canada to follow. Please join us in NYC and invite your family and friends
For upcoming screenings and tickets in your city, click here: Join us!
(If your city is not listed, check back soon. We continue to add more screenings.)Check out and share the official trailer to American Agitators HERE.
As we say in the opening of the film:Effective agitators advance society by protecting values rooted in dignity, equality and justice. They build power by joining together to make change. Successful movements have never been about one person. A movement is shaped by courage, sacrifice and the leadership of thousands who have come together to demand a more just and equitable future.As we enter this new phase of the our impact campaign, which will enable to reach thousands of more viewers, your continued support and guidance is greatly appreciated. A donation to our efforts will most assuredly make a difference in all of our efforts to make this world more just and equitable. Donate
Abramorama Acquires ‘American Agitators,’ Documentary On Fred Ross Sr. Who Mentored Dolores Huerta And Fought For More Just America
By Matthew Carey, Documentary Editor, Awards
Fred Ross Sr. and Dolores Huerta in ‘American Agitators’
EXCLUSIVE:Abramorama has acquired North American theatrical distribution rights to American Agitators, a documentary exploring the life and legacy of community organizer Fred Ross Sr., who mentored some of the most impactful activists in American history.Abramorama will open the film, directed by Raymond Telles, at The QUAD Cinema In New York City on May 1, followed by a rollout across the U.S. and Canada. The documentary is narrated by playwright and filmmaker Luis Valdez (himself the focus of the new documentary American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez) and features commentary from an incredible array of notable Americans guided and influenced by Ross, including Dolores Huerta, Nancy Pelosi, Robert F. Kennedy Sr., Satsuki Ina, Dale Minami, Eliseo Medina, Jessica Govea, Herman Gallegos, and Ed Roybal. Fred Ross Jr., who has continued his father’s organizing work, also appears in the film.
“American Agitators shows how pioneering organizer Fred Ross Sr. spent decades mobilizing communities to challenge segregation, fight for voting rights, and empower labor movements,” notes a release. “The film also follows organizers today who continue Ross’s work, tackling issues such as fair wages, workers’ rights, and systemic inequality.”
“American Agitators is a powerful reminder that the fight for justice and equity is never finished,” said Karol Martesko-Fenster, CEO/President of Abramorama. “It is passed from one generation to the next. Raymond Telles has crafted a deeply resonant film that connects the visionary organizing of Fred Ross Sr. to the urgent movements of today. We are proud to bring this story to North American audiences.”
Among Telles’s credits is the 2015 documentary Pedro E. Guerrero: A Photographer’s Journey, co-directed by Yvan Iturriaga, which aired as part of the PBS series American Masters.Yemeni labor organizer Sharif (left) and Fred Ross Sr., circa 1975, CATHY MURPHY/GETTY IMAGES
“Fred Ross Sr. spent his life proving that ordinary people, when organized, can change the world,” Telles observed in a statement. “Making this film was a profound reminder that the work he started — fighting segregation, expanding voting rights, empowering workers — is still being carried on today, in Atlanta, in Oakland, and in communities across the country. I hope audiences leave the theater ready to be agitators themselves.”
Fred Ross Jr. (left) in “American Agitators.”
Among those Ross Sr. helped train were César Chávez and Dolores Huerta, who went on to found the United Farm Workers in 1962. (The reputation of Chávez, who died in 1993, recently imploded after the New York Times published an investigation that accused him of sexual abusing girls and sexual assault of women. Huerta just came forward to say Chávez raped her in 1966 and forced her to have sex on other occasions. The revelations do not tarnish Ross’s unparalleled work advocating for the downtrodden, disadvantaged, and overlooked in American society.).
“The film also highlights how Ross’s principles of grassroots organizing continue to shape labor movements today,” the release adds. “In Atlanta, Georgia, ‘Fight for $15’ organizers advocate for higher wages and unionization across the Southern states. In Oakland, California, in 2023, teachers, families, and community members joined forces to secure a fair contract with the Oakland School District, guided by the organizing and voter engagement strategies pioneered by Fred Ross Sr. and advanced by his son, Fred Ross Jr.”
Abramorama and The Fred Ross Project present American Agitators. The film is directed and produced by Raymond Telles (The Fight in the Fields) and produced by Olivia Heffernan David Telles. John Heffernan and Margo Feinberg serve as executive producers. Cinematography is by Vicente Franco and Daniel Telles; Angela Reginato edited the film. Mark Adler composed the score; Kenn Rabin serves as archival producer.
Yemeni labor organizer Sharif (left) and Fred Ross Sr., circa 1975, CATHY MURPHY/GETTY IMAGES