Training for Lutheran School Teachers on Human Rights Education

ImageHandler3In PARA, Ravulapalem, training on Human Rights Education for Lutheran school teachers has started today. This training will continue till 29th, November, 2010. These trainings will help teachers to take human rights education in their respective schools. The ultimate purpose of these training is to bring human rights culture among children and eventually in society.

 Mr. Muppala Subba Rao, the renowned lawyer, the resource person gave a session on introduction to humar rights. Fr. Thomas Pallithanam, gave a session on Universal Declaration of ImageHandler4Human Rights. He said that it was journery from war and slavery to liberty, equality and fraternity. He has given the background and history of human rights.

 The main objectives are:

a) human rights and duties;

b) human rights and values;

c) human rights and human development.

A. Human rights and duties

Although every right entails a duty, there has been a feeling in certain quarters that rights education is promoted and the question of duties has not been adequately addressed. In a society which emphasized on duties for centuries, rights education comes as a correction of historical distortions. The violation of rights could be corrected only when the privileged persons are reminded of their duties towards the marginalized sections, and the marginalized sections are gradually empowered through rights education. HRE at these levels would extend to such areas as gender equity, caste and community relations, majority-minority conflicts, ‘forward-backward’ dilemma and North-South power relations. In short, all power relations have to be humanized and democratized through restructuring of rights and duties.

B. Human rights and values

HRE will also focus on value education:

(a) One of the objectives is to create awareness and commitment to values where the individualistic self-interest is properly reconciled with the collective and common good.

(b) There has to be a debate on universal values and relativistic values that are culturally determined. The search for universal values assumes added importance in a globalizing but fragmented world.

(c) The values like pluralism, respect for all religions, scientific temper, open mind, public reasoning, all of which have been part of long Indian traditions, will have to be sustained and promoted.

C. Human rights and human development

Rights are not only standards, but also claims of the citizens on the allocation ofresources of the society. Indian economy is growing at a fast pace, but the economic disparities are also growing. It is necessary to recognize that development needs and equity concerns should go hand in hand. Any level of material development will not lead to human happiness unless it values human life and provides the conditions for fuller realization of the human potential. Human being is both a subject and an object of development. The State has an obligation in the promotion and enforcement of the rights and has to envision rights approach to development. No doubt these obligations when they are carried out will lead to balanced human development. HRE will include all these components.