Citizenship education, defined as learning to live together, requires agreement on certain common principles. One central purpose of a state education system is the transmission of common normative standards such as the human rights and fundamental freedoms that underpin liberal democratic societies. The paper identifies the conceptual roots of…

Asserts that, in teaching about human rights, the international standards should be the fundamental core of the content and values to be communicated. Recommends that teachers should use the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as the standard by which the actions of individuals and governments should be compared. (CFR)

Canada's ratification of the United Nations international human rights instruments demonstrates that literacy is not only an educational right but also a necessary prerequisite for effective participation in Canada's advanced society. (Author/CB)

Contends that human rights education, particularly in the United States, tends to emphasize civil and political rights. Argues the need to emphasize economic and social rights and the interdependency of human rights. Contends that moral education should open discussion and scholarship so that students will choose their values. (CFR)

Social scientists have suggested that all societies adhere to certain universal values. One form or another of the Golden Rule, for example, appears in all cultures. It may follow that, if we want to rise above cultural relativism, we might adopt values that humans seem to share and agree on already. The author of this article dismisses various…

Presents a lesson designed to help students identify components of justice and discern issues of justice and injustice in daily life. Includes background information and preparation, an activity preparation phase, and an application phase in which five role-playing scenarios are used. (CFR)

Explores how educational systems handle confusion among different historic roots, cultural values, and world views. Finding universally accepted values that cut across the diverse cultures comprising human society remains an important teacher responsibility. Educators must move beyond comforting certainties toward a profound understanding of…

Responds to the 50th anniversary of the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) by arguing that elementary school is an appropriate place to begin teaching about human rights. Outlines the rights enumerated in the UDHR, provides related activities for primary and intermediate grades, and suggests related Web sites. (DSK)

In this article, the author examines another dimension of human rights--the problem of torture. He looks at U.S. commitments to international conventions prohibiting torture in light of the abuses at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. He shows how a position adopted by the Bush administration that these international conventions did not apply to the war…

Discusses the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a vehicle for learning democratic and humanistic values. Provides goals for instruction about the Declaration. Compares the Declaration to U.S. Supreme Court cases and congressional acts, and suggests classroom activities using it. Includes an appendix on Supreme Court cases and…

Reports on a study of the structure of attitudes toward human rights among 619 college-age students and adults. Discusses attitudes related to nationalism, patriotism, internationalism, belief in world government, and support for civil liberties. Discusses findings in light of existing conceptualizations regarding human rights. (CFR)

Presents a lesson for middle and secondary school students in which they respond to a hypothetical scenario that enables them to develop a list of basic rights. Expounds that students compare their list of rights to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in order to explore the assumptions about human rights. (CMK)

Presents a series of classroom activities comparing differing views of human rights in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the African Charter on Human and People's Rights. Includes excerpts from the African Charter on Human and People's Rights and the full text of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. (CFR)

Reviews the findings from previous studies of adolescent political tolerance, reconceptualizing the traditional view of political tolerance as the willingness to extend human rights to everyone. Presents the results of a recent study, reporting statistically significant differences of tolerance in terms of gender, political experiences, cognitive…

Presents a lesson designed to analyze cultural practices from the perspective of U.S. laws. Proposes a legal philosophy continuum ranging from universalist to relativist positions. Provides student handouts that present legal case studies involving cultural contexts. (CFR)