Education as a Primary Defender of Human Rights - Essay Example

Education Every human being, regardless of his or her ethni gender, religion, sexual orientation, nationality, or age, is entitled to certain fundamental ‘rights’, or liberties that one should have, simply by being. Freedom of expression, the right to vote, and the liberty to follow one’s own faith and religion are some examples. Similarly, every child has the right to an education, every female has the same rights as a male, and every individual, rich or poor, has a right to the necessities of life. Unfortunately, however, these basic rights usually remain undelivered. Not every child receives an education, not every woman receives the same rights as her male counterparts, and the voice of the poor remains unheard. A black, lower-class woman, for instance, has less chances of getting her opinions across than a while male belonging to the upper crust of the society, whose voice yields the power to influence society’s major institutions. The Magna Carta of 1215, the most important legal documents to date, set the initial foundations of human rights in the society. One of its key principles stated, "No freeman shall be taken, imprisoned, disseised, outlawed, banished, or in any way destroyed, nor will We proceed against or prosecute him, except by the lawful judgment of his peers and by the law of the land. To no one will We sell, to no one will We deny or delay, right or justice" (The Magna Carta). This centuries old charter was the first legitimate document passed to protect the rights of the people. It evolved over time to form the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which the United Nations passed in 1948. This was, in effect, the turning point for the human rights campaign; indeed, issues of race, social class, and gender inequality would still traumatize society today were it not for the Declaration. The concept of human rights works very well in theory; it is easy to advocate equality for all in text. Reality, however, is an entirely different story. There are still a considerable percentage of men, women, and children who are marginalized and discriminated within the society for one reason or the other. It is precisely for them that human rights defenders function. As the term suggests, human rights defenders are individuals who advocate the provision of human rights to all; they are endorsers of the victimized, and aim to champion the rights of all humans. However, the term ‘human rights defenders is not just restricted to human beings. Instead, it encompasses anything and everything that makes a difference in the lives of the underprivileged, marginalized, and discriminated. It includes the institutions of society that uphold, or even play the slightest role in upholding – the rights of human beings. These institutions include family, government, education, and religion, etc. Each of these institutions plays a vital role in ensuring that individuals get their basic rights. Family, for instance, provides individuals with a platform that in itself ensure several of their rights; children get loving parents who provide for them the necessities of life, while the married couple – either heterosexual or homosexual – enjoys a private life without any external interference. A female, most importantly, usually benefits the most from this institution, as it provides her with financial and social security, emotional support, and physical care, thereby protecting her from the prejudiced, stereotypical judgments of our society. The government, too, has an indispensable role in provision of rights for individuals. The judiciary system of the government passes legal bills and charters, thereby making human rights part of law, ensuring that people who discriminate and harm others are penalized. Education is another institution that is a fundamental defender of human rights in society. It is essentially a two-fold institution – it is not only a defender, but is also a human right itself. Importance and indispensability of education lies in the fact that it provides one with the knowledge regarding the rights to which he or she is entitled. Furthermore, it is “a fundamental tool to guarantee respect for the rights of all” (UNESCO, Human Rights Education); it is only when we understand the importance of the rights due us and others can we fully appreciate the need for their implementation. Ordinary education, though, is not entirely suitable for this purpose. In order to fulfill its purpose of spreading awareness about the rights and liberties of people, it is essential for education to envelop certain principles that instill rightful values in those being educated. These principles include non-discrimination, peace, respect and tolerance for humans and their dignity, non-violence, equality, and justice (UNESCO, Human Rights Education). These values are foremost in changing the negative mindsets of people regarding ethnic or religious minorities, social class, and gender inequality, as they promote the concept of love, peace, and equality for all of God’s creations. Mike Cole and Maud Blair, authors of “Racism and education: From Empire to New Labour” contends that the curriculum taught in British schools during the early twentieth century highlighted the concepts of race and class, thereby laying concrete foundations of hate and intolerance in the young minds. Cole argued that the problem, therefore, was in the education system that promoted negative attitudes, rather than in the minds of children (Cole and Blair). Similarly, there have always been deliberate efforts to skirt around the topic of sexuality in teaching environments, which is the root cause behind conservative mindsets regarding homosexuality (Forrest). Consequently, LGBTQ rights have been the most affected by it, and still face opposition and contradiction from a large majority of people, despite the liberal, post-modern age of today. Following the approach of morally-enriched education, the concept of human rights has started to incorporate in the curriculums at many renowned universities and educational institutes around the world – Harvard, Northeaster, Duke, and Stanford universities, to name a few. It is, in part, an attempt “to offer students an education that is engaged, connected, worldly, and interdisciplinary, and the subject of human rights seems ideally suited to those purposes” (Harpham). However, such conclusive action taken to make human rights a part of education is relatively recent, despite the longstanding support and endorsement the issue received over the years (McCowan). Another attempt made to deliver a the human rights dictum to children through education is made by Youth For Human Rights International, a nonprofit organization founded in 2001, which aims “to teach youth about human rights, specifically the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and inspire them to become advocates for tolerance and peace” (YHRI). The term ‘education’ brings to mind a class full of students, usually children. Admittedly, education is not limited to age group – it is an ongoing process that knows no age bounds – yet, the fact remains that a large percentage of people acquiring education are comprised of children and young adults. It is undeniable that these young individuals are the most influenced by new ideas and concepts, their minds most receptive to information, largely due to the rapid brain development in the early years of life (Early Childhood Language Delays). Moreover, children are innocent beings with simple logic, and an uncanny ability to distinguish the right from the wrong without based on that logic, as compared to adults, whose logic is tainted with cynicism and numerous prejudices, veering dangerously towards selfishness. Armed with such righteousness, coupled with an education enriched with values of peace, equality, and tolerance, children are the best hope for future human right defenders. The role of education as a defender of human rights is enhanced even further for this reason; moral education during the early years of life has greater chances of having long-term influences on children with their innate qualities of kindness and compassion. Human rights defenders are numerous, in various shapes and forms. It is virtually impossible to rate the importance of each, as none is superior to the other; each defender, be it a human or an institution, plays an indispensable role towards the goal of making human rights universal, and even the slightest contribution by a defender can go a long way to achieve this humane goal. Similarly, education is also a vital defender of human rights. The uniqueness of education as a defender lies in the fact that it is a defender that creates more defenders – children, taught a value-rich education, eventually, growing up to become future defenders of humanity. Works Cited Cole, Mike and Maud Blair. "Racism and education: From Empire to New Labour." Education, Equality, and Human Rights (2006). Early Childhood Language Delays. 2011. The Hanen Centre. . Forrest, Simon. "Straight talking: Challenges In Teaching and Learning about Sexuality and Homophobia in Schools." Education, Equality and Human Rights (2006). Harpham, Geoffrey. "Human Rights in the Humanities." Chronicle of Higher Education, Jul 2012 (2012). McCowan, Tristan. "Human Rights within Education: Assessing the Justifications." Cambridge Journal of Education (2012): 15. The Magna Carta. n.d. . UNESCO, Human Rights Education. 2012. . YHRI. 2002-2013. . Read More