HUMAN RIGHTS FRIENDLY SCHOOLS TRANSFORMING COMMUNITIES THROUGH ©

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“This is the way to go if we m n e s t

want whole, empathetic y

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and tolerant human beings.” r n a t i Anna, 4th grade, Kon Tiki School, Denmark. o n a l

WHAT IS A HUMAN RIGHTS FRIENDLY SCHOOL? In a Human Rights Friendly School, human rights and responsibilities are integrated into all parts of school life. Young people and their communities learn about human rights by putting them into practice every day. Through a “whole school” approach to human rights education, both schools and young people become powerful catalysts for change in their wider communities.

Amnesty International has helped to set GovernAnce Members of the Mongolia-India Joint up Human Rights Friendly Schools in Everyone in the school community gets Secondary School student council in 20 countries across the globe. These involved in the way the school is governed Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, share information include Benin, Chile, Cote d’Ivoire, and managed, including school leadership, about their Human Rights Friendly School Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, vision and policies. during Parents’ Open Day. Ghana, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kenya, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, relATionShipS ensuring that all students have the Paraguay, Poland, Senegal, South Africa, Respect, dignity and non-discrimination are opportunity to learn about human and the UK. promoted among teachers, students, parents rights, and become actively involved in and throughout the wider community. promoting them. All of these schools promote respect, non- discrimination, dignity and freedom of curriculum AnD exTrA-curriculAr School environmenT expression through the active participation AcTiviTieS A Human Rights Friendly School is a safe, of the whole school community in four Human rights are integrated into the respectful environment where a human key areas: curriculum and extracurricular activities, rights culture can develop and flourish. © © ©

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“Individuals are equipped with Students at a school in Morocco gave their school buildings and corridors names the necessary information reflecting human rights principles, such as skills and values about rights “liberty” and “dignity”, transforming them into “dignified human rights areas”. And and responsibilities.” by creating a “safe space for girls”, the Frank K. Doyi, Ghana number of violent incidents at break time was reduced to zero. Students also claimed their rights by demanding improvements THE pROjECT IMpACT … after their boarding house was damaged by a water leak. … on inDiviDuAlS Teachers are trained in both human rights Bullying decreased at schools in Benin, content and methodology. Students Ghana and Poland after the project was understand their rights and responsibilities. introduced. And in Ireland, students and They develop the leadership skills they need parents embraced diversity and addressed to effectively participate in, and influence, marginalization of immigrant students by school policies and activities. Everyone setting up a Language Learning Centre involved acquires new knowledge and skills. offering Albanian, Arabic, Romanian and … nATionAlly They then use these skills to discuss and Urdu classes. The Human Rights Friendly Schools project find innovative ways of defending human builds partnerships with local and national rights and pushing for positive changes, … on communiTieS organizations and government authorities to locally and globally. Communities become involved in school find collective ways of taking action for life, developing and implementing school human rights. In Italy, teachers were trained on issues such policies and activities that promote human as the right to asylum and on how to talk rights. As everyone becomes more aware A school in Morocco now works in about human rights through theatre. In the of human rights, young people work partnership with the national government, UK, students gained leadership skills that together with their wider community to sparking discussions about making human enabled them to advise their teachers about bring about real human rights change rights education part of the national including human rights in the curriculum. beyond the classroom. curriculum. In Mongolia, the project Students and teachers in Ghana, Moldova resulted in the Vice Minister of Justice and Senegal joined forces to create youth In school in Ireland, students and staff urging the Ministry of Education to engage clubs focusing on human rights change. And recognized the rights of all members of with NGOs. As a result, Amnesty by transforming their school into a refugee their community by inviting elderly people International is now a key partner in a camp over a few days, students in Denmark to weekly computer skills training sessions. national coalition working towards learned first-hand how it feels to live in a A school in Denmark invites local people to integrating human rights education into world where human rights are not a priority. human rights discussions during morning the national curriculum. assemblies. Parents, teachers and students … on SchoolS also repair and clean the school grounds Schools in Poland invited government Becoming human rights friendly transforms together, physically creating an environment officials to discuss the inclusion of human schools into safer and more inclusive of dignity and respect. rights in the national curriculum. And a places to learn, especially for those who school in Ghana has created a partnership are marginalized or from disadvantaged with a local NGO that now offers leadership backgrounds. training to students.

Amnesty International November 2011 index: pol 32/007/2011 From left to right : Students participate in a human rights event where new prefects at Accra High School, Ghana, are sworn in as student representatives. Students at Kontiki School, Denmark, transformed their school into a refugee camp for several days and experienced first-hand living in an unequal world. Students from Accra High School, Ghana, perform a traditional dance during an Amnesty International Demand Dignity campaign event.

THE pROjECT CONTExT THE pROjECT pRINCIpLES

AcTive pArTicipATion “All children have the right to Active participation is an empowering express their views in all process which enables people to claim their rights by influencing the decisions that matters that affect them.” affect their lives. A Human Rights Friendly Article 12, un convention on the rights of the child School creates the right environment for young people and the wider school community to co-operate and make The Human Rights Friendly Schools project decisions together. They participate in emerged in the context of the World running their school and are consulted on Programme for Human Rights Education, issues that affect them, such as the proclaimed by the UN in December 2004. curriculum and discipline. They also This global programme promotes a holistic, discuss and take action on human rights rights-based approach to education. The issues that affect them, their community approach received international recognition and the wider world. As a result, they in the 2011 UN Declaration on human become agents of change in their own …inTernATionAlly rights education and training, which and other people’s lives. Our partners share their knowledge and requires all member states to provide experience through the International education about, through and for human BuilDinG pArTnerShipS Human Rights Friendly Schools network. rights. Amnesty International recognizes the Through this global network, they become importance of strategic partnerships and aware of human rights issues affecting other solidarity between its own members and countries, promote their local activities and Education about human rights - others in the international human rights highlight activism opportunities on issues providing knowledge and understanding community. The Human Rights Friendly such as human rights education, non- of human rights Schools project builds on existing links and discrimination and freedom of expression. forges new partnerships between Amnesty International, schools, NGOs and Schools also engage with each other Education through human rights - government authorities, including in through international exchanges. In 2010, learning and teaching in a way that countries where Amnesty International teachers and students from Israel and respects human rights does not have a national presence. Mongolia spent a week with their counterparts in Denmark to explore first- AcTiviSm hand the human rights issues people Education for human rights - The Human Rights Friendly Schools project face in both countries. They shared empowering persons to enjoy and empowers and inspires schools to take information and ideas for Human Rights exercise their rights and to respect and action on human rights issues within their Friendly activities. Students and teachers uphold the rights of others wider communities. Young people and from Mongolia, Denmark and Israel also others around them can also connect with attended a conference organized by their Amnesty International campaigns. Together, counterpart, Villiers High School in the we can take up the mantle of defending UK. They received training in human human rights and creating positive change rights education and learned from each – locally, nationally and globally. other’s experiences.

index: pol 32/007/2011 Amnesty International November 2011 © ©

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In a Human Rights Friendly School in Morocco, FOR Amnesty International provides human rights training for teachers and students. HUMAN

THE 10 GLObAL pRINCIpLES OF RIGHTS! A HUMAN RIGHTS FRIENDLY SCHOOL

A humAn riGhTS FrienDly School: promoTeS non-DiScriminATion AnD incluSion By... n Being a community where equality, non-discrimination, dignity and respect underpin all aspects of school life. n Providing a learning environment where all human rights are respected, protected and promoted. n Embracing inclusion in all aspects

of school life. I n d e x : P O L 3 2 / 0 0 5 / promoTeS pArTicipATion By... 2 0 1 n Encouraging all members of the school 0 community to participate freely, actively and meaningfully in school life and in shaping school policies and practices regardless of HUMAN RIGHTS FRIENDLY SCHOOLS PROJECT gender, status or difference. WWW.FRIENDLYSCHOOLS.ORG n Ensuring everyone in the community has the information they need to participate fully in school life. n Working to empower all students to enSureS AccounTABiliTy By... reach their full potential through education, TO FIND OUT MORE… n Being fair, accountable and transparent in particular those students who are For more information about the Human in all of its planning, processes and policies. marginalized due to their gender, status Rights Friendly Schools project, please n Protecting all members of the or difference. contact your local Amnesty International school community regardless of gender, n Empowering students and staff office. You can find their details at status or difference, by making safety and to become active members of a global www.amnesty.org security a shared priority and responsibility. community, sharing their knowledge, understanding and learning with others You can also contact the Amnesty prioriTizeS empoWermenT ThrouGh and taking action to create a world International Human Rights Education TeAchinG AnD leArninG By... where human rights are respected, Team directly on: n Integrating human rights into all aspects protected and promoted. Email: [email protected] of teaching and the curriculum. Telephone: +44 20 7413 5500

Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 3 million index: pol 32/007/2011 supporters, members and activists in more than 150 countries and english territories who campaign to end grave abuses of human rights. november 2011 Amnesty international our vision is for every person to enjoy all the rights enshrined in the international Secretariat universal Declaration of human rights and other international human peter Benenson house rights standards. 1 easton Street london Wc1x 0DW We are independent of any government, political ideology, economic interest united Kingdom or religion and are funded mainly by our membership and public donations. amnesty.org