Colombia demanda de Gratuidad sentencia de la Corte Constitucional
Regístrese ahora para la Semana de Acción Mundial 2010
Decisión del tribunal de la CEDEAO (ECOWAS) punto de referencia para el derecho a la educación
Los derechos del niño y de la niña despues de 20 años
CONFINTEA diciembre, Brasil. El analfabetismo de adultos constituye una doble violación de derechos humanos
CONFINTEA "La educación en un contexto de crisis múltiples", por D. Archer
Actualización de las Normas de Emergencia Mínimas para la Educación
El portal de las Naciones Unidas sobre enfoques de desarrollo basados en derechos
Abolición de las tasas escolares: Etiopía, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique
Páginas de Movilización: con quién trabajar en su país link
Discriminación: Tanzania, Guatemala, República Checa, Rep. Dominicana
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Hello again. Like many others, I too am fascinated by the variety of responses and would like to share my reading of what we have said so far with a view to suggest some strands for action. From this dialogue, it has become even clearer to me that the complexity of the issue is such that it requires comprehensive and multifaceted strategies layered in three levels (which also bring us back to the title of this forum):
1) Enforceable individual entitlements TO education
This means not only establishing legal frameworks in accordance with existing international standards, but also ‘appropriating’ them so that it becomes easier to translate them into concrete implementation and enforcement measures on the ground. Concrete suggestions reflected the need to:
• understand laws but also meanings of contexts and power (and power relations);
• identify duty-bearers and rights-holders more precisely (also by going beyond the State, looking at international organisations, businesses, donors and NGOs);
• include clear indications of consequences and penalties for violations;
• assess and monitor implementation (with indicators, baselines, qualitative and quantitative methodologies to expose flaws, etc.);
• look at and listen to the praxis of the victims;
• establish user-friendly, easily accessible, independent and effective mechanisms of appeal, remedies and reparations;
• mobilise and exert pressure through active and critical citizenry (including those who suffer discrimination directly) to ensure accountability;
• engage in legal action and raise awareness/popularise case-law;
• question and challenge investment of resources to ensure effectiveness and equity of implementation and enforcement.
2) Safeguards for human rights IN education
From a more operational point of view, the principle of non-discrimination should be ‘lived’ in education so that, by the very act of respecting everybody’s rights in education itself, we do not perpetuate or reproduce discriminatory (power) relations. Concrete recommendations related to:
• quality education, including looking at the conditions of and for education (from content to attitude, from environment to teaching methods);
• improving tolerance and understanding by recognising and respecting everyone’s dignity (precisely one of the aims of education) not only among students but among teachers as well;
• encouraging and supporting HRE from the class-room level to the training of legislators, judges and administrative authorities;
• support systems for students, teachers, parents, communities, school authorities to enable real empowerment and participation.
3) Shaping and using education towards the enjoyment of all human rights THROUGH education
Education is a powerful concept and tool (like Katarina used to say, it is a ‘multiplier of other rights’) and should be ‘used’ as such to counter discrimination too. In this case, I see our dialogue highlighting another series of suggestions:
• raise awareness or educate on discrimination to catalyse action, including through the involvement of the media and building bridges between different constituencies;
• think of education as a means of social transformation, including by promoting diversity throughout education;
• change what and how one teaches and learns;
• encourage communication, more direct participation and less tokenistic methods for listening to the voices from the ground.
This is quite a daunting list and I am sure I have missed a lot of other recommendations, but I hope it helps organise our thoughts and galvanise action for change. Difficult to achieve? Maybe. But the fact that it is difficult makes it all the more important that it be addressed effectively from so many perspectives, bringing forces and knowledge together.