Human rights literacy: Moving towards rights-based education and transformative action through understandings of dignity, equality and freedom

Becker, Anne; Wet, Anna-Magrieta De; Vollenhoven, Willie Van

doi:10.15700/saje.v35n2a1044

Cited by 27 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…This is problematic as the (non)realisation of substantive equality impacts negatively on the realisation of dignity and freedom. Dignity, equality and freedom (as both legal rights and values) work reciprocally and are linked to one another in the sense that the protection of each is essential for the realisation of the other (Becker, De Wet and Van Vollenhoven 2015). The contribution of Kok (2017) and De Wet (2017) specifically speak of this.…”

Section: The (Non)realisation Of Substantive Equalitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Editorial: On critique, dissensus and human rights literacies

Roux

Becker²

2017

SAJHE

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Globally, issues such as xenophobia, rising nationalism and populism, linked to the international migrant crisis, are stretching the past influence and the present reinterpretation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) to its limits. Locally, the #MustFall 1 protests at higher education institutions rightly question the existence and validity of human rights, especially as it pertains to the right to education, socio-economic rights and the moral responsibility of higher education institutions to its students within human rights policy frameworks. The growing critique of human rights is crucial not only to the understanding of the conceptual, legal, moral, historic and contextual complexities of human rights but also the rethinking of the anthropological, ethical, ontological and epistemological premise of human rights. Human rights literacies, we argue, while including knowledge about human rights, question the social and moral consequences of the (non)realisation of human rights as well as the anthropological, ethical, ontological and epistemological premise of human rights. Critique and dissensus are inherent to human rights literacies and impact on how we speak and act to in(ex)clusions, marginalisation, intolerance, disrespect, misrecognition and discrimination.

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Section: The (Non)realisation Of Substantive Equalitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Editorial: On critique, dissensus and human rights literacies

Roux

Becker²

2017

SAJHE

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“…It has been argued that human rights literacies (HRLit) require an internalisation and implementation of human rights and human rights values through the processes of rights-based education and transformative action (Becker, De Wet, and Van Vollenhoven 2015). Roux and Becker (2015) as well as Simmonds (2014) propose that human rights literacy should include 'skills, Teachers are central to the effort of promoting human rights in and through education and should be well equipped to contribute to this endeavour.…”

Section: Reimagining the Language Of Sexual Equalitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…De Vos (2015b) contends that human rights and legal mechanisms associated with human rights could contribute to at least some positive experiences for sexual minorities. Yet, several authors point out that legal reform brought about by the anti-discrimination laws does not necessarily result in a noticeable change in people's discriminatory attitudes, nor does it automatically translate into lived experiences of equity for minority groups (De Vos 2015b;De Wet, Rothmann and Simmonds 2016;Becker, De Wet and Van Vollenhoven 2015).…”

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confidence: 99%

Human rights and sexuality - reimagining the language of equality towards transformation in and through education

Wet

2017

SAJHE

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For many years, arguments in favour of sexual minorities' equality and sexuality rights have brought about legal reform worldwide. Although there are those who would contend that human rights and legal mechanisms associated with minorities could contribute to some positive experiences for sexual minorities, others have pointed out that legal reform brought about by the anti-discrimination laws does not necessarily result in a noticeable change in people's discriminatory attitudes, nor does it automatically translate into lived experiences of equity for minority groups. Research in the education sector shows that despite promises of inclusion and non-discrimination brought about by human rights law, many education institutions 'continue to reproduce patterns of heterosexism ' (Francis and Msibi 2011, 160). Drawing from a project titled 'Human Rights Literacy: A search for meaning', the article explores how students in higher education institutions conceptualise sexual equality within a human rights discourse. Findings reported here indicate that the non-translation of legal rights into inclusion and equality for sexual minorities might be due to the gap between formal and substantive conceptualisations of equality.Acknowledgment of sexual minorities' equal rights appears to be superficial while students

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“…De esta forma, para la construcción de una cultura de Paz, el docente debe fortalecer procesos dinámicos, efectivos y participativos con los estudiantes, potenciar la democracia, el diálogo, autorregulación y el espíritu crítico y creativo (Novelli y Sayed, 2016). Así el docente a través de su práctica pedagógica debe gestionar acciones educativas acordes con los principios de los derechos humanos, orientadas hacia la resolución de conflictos de manera no violenta; debe mantener una actitud abierta flexible, que luche contra cualquier tipo de discriminación; proponer actividades pedagógicas desde un enfoque territorial permitan cerrar las brechas de desigualdad (Arboleda et al, 2017;Lamb y Snodgrass, 2017;Becker et al, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionunclassified