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Karen Hopkins, Amnesty International's Methods of Engaging Youth in Human Rights Education: Curriculum in the United States and Experiential Learning in Burkina Faso, Journal of Human Rights Practice, Volume 3, Issue 1, March 2011, Pages 71–92, https://doi.org/10.1093/jhuman/hur007
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Abstract
Human rights education (HRE) is a useful tool to build solidarity among youth and activism for social justice at local, national and international levels. In order to understand how HRE can be effective in accomplishing this daunting task, educators should consider three factors: leadership skills, awareness, and empowerment. Two approaches, curriculum-based and experiential learning, have the potential to contribute to these goals and to break down negative assumptions of youth culture, while developing their interests and their capabilities in initiating positive change. This article will compare Amnesty International's approach to HRE in the capitals of two countries: Washington DC in the United States, and Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso. The first case study analyzes Amnesty International USA's (AIUSA's) Human Rights Education Service Corps (HRESC), which uses a curriculum-based awareness approach to working with high school students. The second case study examines a transformational approach to experiential learning in Burkina Faso through Amnesty International Burkina Faso (AIBF), which was charged with hosting Amnesty's first Youth Forum in Africa. Although these two programs have the same basic goal of increasing awareness of the rights outlined in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the learning outcomes for the youth and communities involved are different. Comparing these two approaches to HRE will help educators and activists to understand best practices in HRE for youth, and how peer education can strengthen outcomes when incorporated into education programs.
