How We Facilitate Human Rights Education
In the spirit of national and international endorsements for human rights education noted above, APAP developed Human Rights Echos for use as a guide to human rights educators and facilitators of learning groups. We offer several answers to the question: how does the Echo Sessions guidebook further human rights education. (1) We use the methods of goal-oriented non-formal education. (2) Human Rights Echos relies on a values framework in combination with the participants' existing knowledge and experience, relating it to new ideas and action so as to strengthen their understanding of and reliance on human rights. (3) Specific educational exercises are presented that are tied to core values and human rights norms. (4) We use methods suitable for replication, making it possible for those involved to "pass the word" on to others, who in turn can use "echo sessions" for the benefit of an expanding circle of people.
1. Goal-Oriented Non-Formal Education
. APAP uses non-formal education to facilitate human rights education. What is non-formal education? We get a better understanding by contrasting it with formal and in-formal methods. Formal education refers to the normally three-tier structure of primary, secondary and tertiary education for which governments generally have the principal responsibility. Non-formal education is any organized, systematic educational activity carried on outside the formal system to offer selected types of learning to particular subgroups in the population, adults as well as children. Informal education may or may not be organized, and is usually unsystematic education, having its impact on the lifelong processes by which every person acquires and accumulates knowledge, skills, attitudes and insights from daily experiences and exposure such as through meetings at coffee ceremonies, and getting information from radio, television and the print media. Through all of these sources, we get some of our understanding of human rights. NGOs have performed numerous roles in furthering the cause of human rights learning in all of these formats.Non-formal education is used outside the school system by NGOs around the world to assist people to develop knowledge and skills and to help them meet their basic needs. Non-formal human rights education may be addressed to several goals. It may attempt to:
When all of these goals have been met, the achievement helps to promote the most important general goal of non-formal human rights education. That is empowerment which is the priority goal for the human rights education program presented in Human Rights Echos.
Empowerment is a process through which people and/or communities increase their control or mastery of their own lives and the decisions that affect their lives. Empowering education differs from most formal education traditionally designed to promote knowledge and skills. Non-formal human rights education for empowerment does not treat students simply as receptacles to be filled with useful ideas and information, as if knowledge is an object to be received rather than a continuous process of inquiry and critical reflection.
From the Participants' Point of View.
Education for empowerment must go beyond the acquisition of knowledge and operate from the premise that humans not only have the ability to know reality, but they also have the capacity for critical reflection and action. Therefore, education aimed at developing this capacity must enable students to analyze the underlying structures of an issue, action or experience, to unveil and apprehend its causal relationships, and to discover the hidden motives or interests which it conceals. To understand how any given policy benefits some and harms others is an important step toward action. People need such perspectives to deal with many issues, such as children exploited though prostitution; farmers hurt by the diversion of water supplies; workers toiling for 16 hours per day, not knowing the Ethiopian law that is designed to protect them with maximum hours rules.From the Facilitator's Point of View.
Empowering education supplies the means by which people deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world. To take this goal seriously, HRE facilitators must use problem-posing techniques whereby facilitators and participants are involved in a partnership of mutual cooperation and in which the role of teacher as "know it all" is abandoned. The challenge for the facilitator is to accept an idea that is new to many. That is the idea that the teacher/student dichotomy is dissolved in a learning group in which all participate. Indeed, the teacher should not even be referred to as such, but should adopt the role of a facilitator who helps participants to do several things. For example, the group members go through a process of consciousness-raising about their needs as human beings and the circumstances in which they live. They develop critical skills to assess their human rights and that of others. They improve their abilities to analyze the obstacles and structures of repression that stand in the way of enjoying rights and freedoms. They develop the ability to analyze the causes of human rights violations and to connect their learning with action. They become empowered to undertake remedial actions. They become ready to learn more and acquire new skills using law and human rights as instruments of change, development and justice. They become empowered to share their learning with others and "to pass on the word," echoing HRE for empowerment to ever wider circles of participants.2. The Values Framework for HRE.
The human rights educational exercises presented below are organized as "Four Steps to Human Rights." These steps proceed one stage at a time to introduce learning addressed to: respect for dignity and fair rules; human rights and responsibilities; seeking justice; and righting wrongs. Human rights ideas, norms and materials are used throughout.Using this framework, exercises in this volume reflect a "developmental approach." The material is organized on the basis of how people tend to develop their social values from simple to complex notions. The suggestion that human rights education can usefully develop in this way has been the subject of research by Betty A. Reardon, a member of the Organizing Committee for the Peoples' Decade for Human Rights Education (New York) (Betty A. Reardon, "A Developmental Sequence for Presentation of the Core Concepts," Educating for Human Dignity, Learning About Rights and Responsibilities, Philadelphia: PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1995, chapter 2). According to Professor Reardon's book, Educating for Human Dignity, Learning about Rights and Responsibilities, the place to start in introducing human rights to new participants is with the elementary appreciation for each person's respect for herself/himself and respect for others. From this base, learning progresses by steps toward values ultimately associated with the need to remedy wrongs. The steps from first to last reflect the staged process through which educational psychologists suggest people develop notions of social values as they grow from childhood to maturity
The four steps and related values are:
I. RESPECT FOR DIGNITY AND FAIR RULES
1. Respect for human dignity
2. Learning the need for rules
3. Fairness
II. LINKS BETWEEN HUMAN RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITY
4. Social sensitivity
5. Community
6. Law
III. SEEKING JUSTICE USING ANALYSIS
7. Using human rights well
8. Fighting prejudice
9. Seeking Justice
IV. RIGHTING WRONGS
10. Equity and equality
11. Democracy
12. Remedying wrongs
This developmental framework is simply used to guide the facilitator in the sequence of presentations. Thus the four steps and twelve values should be clear to the facilitator, but need not be formally presented to the learning group. From the point of view of the facilitator, presentations and learning exercises may be very simple or complex and should be adapted to the learning group, whether adult women, urban unemployed adults, street children, prostitutes and other marginalized groups. Thus the exercises set out below are designed to supply the facilitator with choices and ideas. They are not meant to stifle the creativity of the facilitator.
From the point of view of participants in the learning group, they will focus on the norms related to the values noted above and issues connected to the norms. Such norms include, e.g., (a) the rules of courtesy in the learning group which help to shape the value of respect for others' dignity, (b) Ethiopian laws and the Constitution related to issues of equality; (c) the African Charter of Human and Peoples' Rights related to values of community; (d) the Universal Declaration, related to issues of human rights derived from human dignity; (e) The UN Covenant on Social, Economic and Cultural Rights related to issues of racism, sexism, hunger, and national development; (f) the UN Conventions of The Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), etc. Where appropriate, selected provisions of these instruments are supplied to the facilitator in an appendix attached to most exercises below.
3. The Use of Educational Exercises.
Human Rights Echos include many exercises set out below. They are keyed to the four step framework and there are two exercises per value/issue presented so that the facilitator can make choices. Choices may depend on the target group involved and the complexity level appropriate to the group. Of course, the experienced facilitator will wish to introduce her or his own exercises, nevertheless generally following the sequence of values, issues and norms associated with the framework suggested.The exercises used here come from many sources and reflect the experience of human rights facilitators in Ethiopia as well as educators, activists and facilitators around the world. Where appropriate, a footnote briefly cites the exercise source, even when the exercise as presented here has been modified by Ethiopian facilitators and the APAP human rights education team.
Each exercise is preceded by brief statements under the following categories.
Overview:
Here the facilitator is alerted to the operative norms and issues linked to the exercise, as well as aspects of "the big picture" as to why the problem presented is significant and may be of interest.Objectives:
The facilitator is told of the desired objectives of the exercise from the point of view of the participants and of the desired learning competencies expected for participants.Procedures:
The facilitator is given some brief advice on how most effectively to guide the participants so as to achieve the sought for objectives. In every case, whether the exercise is presented for role playing, simulation, debate, or discussion, the facilitator should benefit from techniques suggested here by those with past experience. Of course, the facilitator need not feel bound by the suggested procedures.Materials:
The facilitator should know that the exercise will be most successful if used in combination with identified materials, e.g., graphics, documents, posters, a tape recorder or alternative use of a person designated to record discussion, etc. Again, facilitators should use their own creativity, recognizing that learning is enhanced by appealing to different senses: hearing, sight, talking, touching, etc.Sequence:
Step by step advice is given to the facilitator about what to do, first, second, third, etcFacilitators should talk to their colleagues about the utility of various exercises and their experiences using them. Sharing suggestions with other facilitators is strongly recommended. Moreover, facilitators should take the initiative to devise various techniques for program evaluation as well as participants' evaluations. At the end of this guide book there is an evaluation instrument. Facilitators may use it after each exercise or after each of the four steps are completed, and may wish to devise their own evaluation techniques.
Educational activities which include evaluation activities of various kinds are more likely to succeed in gaining support and meeting their objectives than unevaluated programs. Such activities might include (a) setting aside time for informal discussion about whether participants feel their work is worthwhile; (b) setting up a "secret ballot" for voting on questions about the effectiveness of the program; and (c) bringing in outside observers such as other facilitators to share their views on the efficacy of the learning process. Facilitators need to remember that empowerment education means that participants should develop critical skills, including the capacity to judge the quality of their human rights education. Given APAP's program design of preparing participants potentially to become involved as community street law trainers and paralegals, evaluation procedures should be developed to test whether human rights education is serving well as the entry point for those served by APAP programs. Moreover, HRE evaluation should be done to test whether the exercises covered and material reviewed serve well to prepare participants to "pass the word" along in later "echo sessions."
In the exercises that follow, some guidelines, methods and terms are used which are not defined each time. In this section, we spell out some: (a) guidelines useful for the role of facilitators, (b) the meaning of some helpful and frequently used terms, and (c), illustrate some methods advised in the exercises.SOME GUIDELINES FOR FACILITATORS
DEFINITIONS OF TERMS
USED IN RECOMMENDED PROCEDURES
Brainstorm:
quickly coming up with ideas or proposals without, at first, defending them or prioritizing them. Then open up discussion on ideas or proposals [See Exercise 3]Buzz groups:
each participant turns to her/his neighbor (left and right) on a one-on-one basis for a short discussion [Used in Exercise 2]Case-study:
a brief input on a scenario or description of how a problem, for example, one that has arisen in the past, was dealt with and responded to by people. It can be historical or hypothetical, but should be related to the actual experiences of participants.[Exercise 6]Debate:
participants take up different or opposing sides on a problem and argue for a response or remedy different from that on the other sideDrama:
a prepared play in which those involved have practiced their parts in advance.Expectations:
a method by which participants say what they hope to get out of an exercise or programFacilitator:
the group leader who is clear on the exercise to be followed, the questions to ask, and the objectives of the exercise.Floating:
when participants break up into small groups for discussion, the facilitator and volunteers move around (float) in a quiet way from group to group checking if everyone is clear on the questions and reminding people how much time they have left. [See Exercise 4]Go-arounds:
all participants get a chance to speak without interruption, one at a time, for example, going around the entire group and missing no one. [Used in Exercise 6 and 9]Icebreakers:
an activity, usually at the beginning of a session, to get people to loosen up and relax, for example, by shaking hands and introducing themselves to others. [See Exercise 1]Inputs:
a planned talk by the facilitator or someone else, usually of short duration.[Exercise 3]Participant:
those in the learning group who are necessarily involved in the activity of an exercise and who are treated by the facilitator and other participants as equals, not passive students absorbing knowledge.Roleplay:
participants become "part of the action" by pretending to act a particular role, e.g., that of a police officer or of a human rights victim, but the role is not practiced beforehand (as in drama). (See Sample Methods, below)Reporting back:
when participants have broken up into small groups, one person should report back to the larger group the results of the small group discussion or the decision of the small group deliberationsSpeaking from Experience:
One of the participants talks about his or her experience of the issue or problem you are discussing. [Exercise 14]Talking Circle:
all participants arrange chairs or otherwise sit in a circle so they can see each participant face to face.[For example, used in Exercise 1]Wordwheels:
people stand in two circles of equal numbers, one inside the other so that each person in the inside circle faces someone in the outside circle, e.g., to introduce themselves. The wheel can rotate (left or right) so that each person has addressed each other person in the group on a one-on-one basis.SAMPLE METHODS
Expectation Setting
. This exercise is useful at the beginning of the program and sometimes at the beginning of an exercise. The facilitator starts the program and each exercise by introducing the subject matter and the scope of the session. Against this background, the facilitator asks what the expectations are of the participants, given the subject matter identified. The facilitator should ensure that people offering their views do not spend too much time making speeches, but the facilitator should act as if there can be no "wrong answers" to this question. To demonstrate that s/he has been listening, the facilitator should very briefly summarize the groups expectations in relation to the topic covered. [Used in Exercise 1]Discussion Exercise.
Discussion can be very informal and conversational, or it can be quite structured. In a highly structured discussion, the aim of the exercise is for participants to practice arguing in support of a point of view and then, after hearing what the other side has to say, to have a chance to change their position. (1) Divide participants up into two equal groups. Have the groups sit opposite the others. (2) ask each group to take up one side of a discussion, for example one group will argue that having access to clean tap water is a human right and the other group argues it may be a desirable policy but not a human right. The participants have no choice which group they go into, thus they may have to argue a position they do not agree with. (3) Give each group time to prepare their arguments. Each person in the group must prepare one argument to support their side. This is because, when the time comes to discuss the issue with the other side, each person in the group will have only one chance to talk. (4) When the teams are ready, the two sides come together in the big group on opposite sides of the room and the discussion starts. Each side gets a chance to give one argument, starting with the team in favor of water access as a human right. Then, you carry on giving each team a chance to talk until everyone has had a chance to speak. When this is finished, say to people that they now may cross over to the other side if they want to support that side. Thus they go to the side they actually agree with. Or a third group may form of those who are undecided. End up by asking the people who changed sides to say what arguments made them change their position and also say what else they learned from the exercise. [Use in Exercise 8 ]Listening Exercise:
The aim of this exercise is to encourage people to listen to the arguments of others and to learn how to summarize important points in a short time. That can be done quite simply by asking each person making a point to begin by very briefly summarizing the position of the previous speaker. An alternative complex method is as follows: (1) Divide people into small groups, for example of 2 or 4. (2) Ask each group to take sides on a particular issue with an equal number on each side. For example, A has to argue that women's human rights require than acts of domestic violence by a husband should be treated as a crime and a matter for police intervention, and B argues that such action is a private matter and should not be reported to the police. (3) One person from side A briefly gives the first argument for a public remedy for womens' rights. (4) Someone from side B initially must summarize very briefly A's argument, and then present the first argument from side B. (5) Side A summarizes this point before giving their next argument. The exercise continues in the same way until the time is up. [For example, used in Exercise 8, and Exercise 18]Problem-solving Exercise:
This exercise is useful as the "wrap-up" for most exercises, and may simply consist of identifying as many solutions as the group can imagine and then setting priorities among them. A more complex method for practical problem solving is for participants or groups of participants to come up with a step-by-step approach to the problem, and write down their approach or have a volunteer report back (See definition above). An interesting activity for problem solving involves the comparison of different approaches. (1) Divide the participants into two or more groups, each given the same problem, for example preparing recommendations to make to their provincial representative about dealing with problems of local radio not broadcasting in the language of a minority group. (2) Give each group plenty of time to work out their approach. (3) Report back the approaches. (4) Open a general discussion about which approach was more consistent with the human rights of minorities. [Exercise 16]Roleplay Exercise:
Roleplay can highlight issues in an exciting way. In a role play, participants act without any previous practicing. In other words, they become part of the action and part of the exercise is to assess afterwards their response to being thrown into a situation. A simple roleplay might begin by the facilitator asking: who has witnessed or been involved in an incident of police abuse? The victim or witness then may be asked, perhaps with the help of one other (the police officer) to reenact the incident with feeling. In a more complex roleplay, several participants may be involved. For example, imagine you are a young woman who was diagnosed HIV positive (AIDS disease). When you first found out you were too scared to tell anybody about your status. Finally your friends encourage you to tell your family, but they react in a hostile way, refusing to allow you to eat with the rest of the family, and saying you should leave the family and go far away. You tell them you want to marry your boyfriend but your parents refuse. They say that they will never give their blessing for such a marriage. (1) With such an emotional roleplay, the facilitator must clearly explain what will happen before you start, and ask people for their cooperation. (2) The roleplay should be done slowly. If it is too rushed and everyone talks at the same time, people get confused and will not learn a lot from the roleplay. (3) After the acting out of the problem, turn over discussion to the everyone, to assess whether they think there are human rights issues involved. (4) Ask the group how they would like the problem to be dealt with, taking identified human rights into account.[Used in Exercise 11] Diffusing human rights education into the community is an important objective of the APAP program. Participants who have successfully completed the program are encouraged to continue to participate in human rights education by conducting their own "follow-up" sessions. Echo sessions are designed "for whom it may concern." That could be anyone and everyone.APAP has experience in non-formal human rights education, including adult education. Although adult education has generally been perceived as non-formal education which occurs after a period of set formal instruction, it should not be so narrowly construed. Indeed, APAP echo sessions do not depend upon learning groups who have previously undertaken much, or even any formal education. Although practical skills such as reading and writing are important, APAP's human rights education team planned Echo sessions so as not to depend upon the literacy of the participants but rather to develop communicative competence and moral reasoning, irrespective of literacy.
The APAP human rights education team planned this guide based upon past experience with community leaders such as kebele, social courts, social court judges, idir "funeral associations," idir members, youth after graduating from grade 12; people engaged in voluntary activities; teachers, government employees and police; as well as non-literate learning groups including women and children prostitutes, the urban unemployed and garbage scavengers. Because participants in non-formal education come from all sectors of society, the sessions can readily be conducted anywhere, with no need for a formal classroom.
These "echo sessions" like the sounds of a ringing bell rebounding through valleys and from hill to hill, should be undertaken by HRE "graduates." They should feel empowered to branch out into their respective communities with replication seminars, providing a valuable multiplier effect for the penetration of human rights into society. In such work, participants test their empowerment skills because sharing human rights education directly reflects the recognition that humans not only have the ability to know reality, but they also have the capacity for critical reflection and action.
The objective of diffusing human rights education beyond the schools and throughout the community, we believe, is entirely consistent with the provisions of the Banjul Charter which lays out rights as well as duties. Among these are duties of "every individual" toward his/her "family, and society." Recognizing human rights as significant components of African culture, we note the provisions of Article 29, Section 7, pronouncing everyone's duty:
To preserve and strengthen positive African cultural values in his relations with other members of the society, in the spirit of tolerance, dialogue and consultation and, in general, to contribute to the promotion of the moral well-being of society.
HREA Electronic Resource Centre for Human Rights Education:
The Bells of Freedom