“I have for many years been supporting the Raoul Wallenberg Institute’s efforts infusing the content and pedagogy of human rights education with clinical legal education programs in partner universities. This work has focused primarily on individual departments, faculty members and the courses being offered. Yet, the wider culture, policies and practices of the university have a huge bearing on the ways in which students, faculty and staff experience their human rights.The human rights-based approach is a frame that allows us to apply human rights standards and norms holistically to education. I am grateful that RWI supported my developing this handbook for clinical legal education programming and I hope that its sections on human rights education and higher education strategies for change will be broadly useful for the higher education community. The time has come for us to explore what it means for the university to be a human rights actor.” – Felisa Tibbitts
This handbook is intended for use by university administrators, faculty, students, and higher education partners. The main aim of the handbook is to shine a light on the ways in which teaching and learning processes can be designed to reflect and promote human rights. We explore these opportunities through HRBA principles as well as examples from practice. In addition to addressing these practice-oriented aspects of HRBA, the handbook touches upon the premise of the university as a duty bearer, and the targets and potential processes of reform within the university itself. How can the university revitalize its mission to promote social justice in way that is meaningful and lasting? What would it look like to have a HRBA within a university?
It assumes that a higher education institution that consciously reviews and continuously improves upon its own policies and practices in keeping with human rights will be better positioned to fulfil the aims of the right to education: both to promote the full development of personality and the development of societies that are just and peaceful and ensure freedom.
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