Human Rights Education: Search for an Institutional Framework
Abdullah-AI-Faruque

Protection and promotion of human rights is now consid-ered one of the main goals of modern welfare states. Pro-liferation of international human rights Instruments, incor-poration of human rights norms in the national constitu-tions and establishment of national human rights institu-tions - all these mark an era of evolving significance of human rights in the present world. Nevertheless, violation of human rights remains a regular phenomenon and con¬cern across the world. It is now realized that realization of human rights does not depend merely upon the number of Instruments that a state ratified or acceded to, or exist-ence of institutions or courts in a given state but on infu-sion of value and norms of human rights in the institu-tional framework in any democratie set up, civic virtues and educated mind of the people of the state concerned. Against this backdrop, human rights education is increas-ingly being perceived as essential tooi for the observance of human rights and creation of public opinion in which violation of human rights would be least desirable one. It reinforces the notion that only when people become edu¬cated and aware about their rights, they can assert and invoke rights in governance system. Imparting of human rights education can liberate mind of individual from preju-dices and motivate one for acting towards his/her self-realization. The notion of universality in human rights can make an individual conscious of the basic and inalienable rights of others, regardless of sex, language, religion and other social and economie conditions. In this way, human rights education teaches tolerance and enables one to become more responsible citizen without mental and moral inhibitions. Human rights education can contribute to the empowerment of the people by making them aware of the rights. Professor Theodor Meron, a well-known scholar on human rights aptly remarks on the importance of hum-
*Assistant Professor, Dept. of Law, University of Chittagong.
an rights education for lawyers: "It may be unethical, in¬deed, to practice law without having some knowledge of human rights."
Preamble of the Untversa! Declaration of Human Rights, 1948, which symbolizes unrversal aspiration of human rights and human dignrty, calls upon state parties to strive for its universal acceptance by teaching and education. Article 26(2) of the Deelauto- says that education shall be directed for the full development of human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedom. The need for human rights educa¬tion has also been e^o^asized in many other human rights Instruments. The Unrted Nations has devoted its consider-able efforts towards human rights education to help re-duce human rights viotetions around the world. According to UNO human nghtseducation programme, human rights education can promote human rights in following three way s:
• Knowledge - providing Information about human rights and the mechanisms that exist to protect those rights;
• Vale, beliefs and attt-de - promoting a human rights culture through the development of these processes; and
• Action - encouracmg people to defend human rights and prevent human nghts abuses.
The 1993 World Conference on Human Rights adopted the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action which reaffirmed that human nghts education, training and pub¬lic information are essential for promoting understanding, tolerance, friendly relations and peace among natiohs and all racial or religious groups. In response to the Vienna Declaration, General Assembly declared the United Na¬tions Decade for Human Rights (1995-2004) in December 1994, which called upon both the state and non-state actors to implement globas Plan of Action for formulating strategies and undertaking programme for human rights education. For the purpose of the Decade, human rights education has been defined by the General Assembly as training, dissemination and information efforts aimed at the building of a universal culture of human rights through the imparting of knowledge and skills and the moulding of attitudes, which are directed towards:
a. The strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms;
b. The full development of the human personality and


the sense of its dignity;
c. The promotion of understanding, tolerance, gender equality and friendship among all nations, indigenous people and racial, national, ethnic, religious and lin-guistic groups;
d. The enabling of all persons to participate effectively in a f ree society;
e. The furtherance of the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights was especially entrusted by the General Assembly to pré¬paré guidelines for national plan of action. Accordingly High Commissioner has prepared a plan of action which calls upon the states to establish a national committee for hu-rnan rights education and provides that the Committee should include a broad coalition of governmental and non-governmental actors with responsibility for developing and implementing a comprehensive (in terms of outreach), effective (in terms of educational strategies) and sustain-able (in terms of long term) national plan of action for human rights education. The national plan should be imple-mented by cooperation of all levels of society, through the provision of formal and non-formal education, specialized educational and training programmes for vulnerable groups, professional and other groups involved in human rights advocacy as well as those entrusted with upholding human rights. According to Guidelines, human rights edu¬cation programmes and initiatives at national level should target:
• The general public, at all levels of literacy and educa¬tion, to ensure that they are informed of their rights and responsibilities under international HR intruments;
• Vulnerable groups, including women, children, per¬sons with disabilities, older persons, minorities, refugees, indigenous peoples, the poverty-stricken, persons with HIV infections or AIDS;
• The police, prison officials, lawyers, judges, teachers and curriculum developers, the armed forces, inter¬national civil servants, the media, the governmental officials, parliamentarians and other groups particu-larly well placed to ensure the realization of human rights;
• Schools, universities, professional and vocational training programmes and institutions which should be encouraged and assisted in developing human rights curricula and corresponding teaching and resource
materials for incorporation at the early childhood, primary, secondary, post secondary, and adult educa¬tion levels;
• Appropriate institutions of civil society, including non-governmental organizations, workers and employers organizations, labour unions, the mass media, religious organizations, community organizations, training centers, elfv'