On 17 April 2024, SGI, Amnesty International and the UN Office for Human Rights co-organized a side event during the ECOSOC Youth Forum at the UN Headquarters in New York titled ‘‘Towards peaceful and inclusive societies: human rights education for, with and by youth.” Elisa Gazzotti of SGI together with Paulina Tandiono of the UN Office for Human Rights co-moderated the side event. Speakers included Director of Human Rights Education (HRE) of Amnesty International Kate Moriarty, Andrés Allán Sánchez Osorio from Mexico and Aiki Matsukura from Japan, the latter being two young human rights champions of the multimedia resource project “Changemakers: Stories of Young Human Rights Educators.” Around 45 people attended the event.
Through the “Changemakers” project, young people are empowered to become active agents of change in their communities, inspiring others to take action for human rights.
Moriarty began by presenting “Changemakers,” which originated in 2020 as a collaborative effort between Amnesty International, OHCHR and SGI. The project aimed to document and amplify the voices of young human rights educators who are effecting positive change in their communities. The accompanying documentary, available on the open resource website “Transforming Lives: the Power of Human Rights Education (HRE),” offers compelling narratives of seven young changemakers from diverse backgrounds, showcasing their efforts to promote and protect human rights. Moriarty emphasized the power of storytelling in HRE by highlighting how these narratives foster empathy, understanding and advocacy among youth. Through the “Changemakers” project, young people are empowered to become active agents of change in their communities, inspiring others to take action for human rights.
Side event titled, ‘‘Towards peaceful and inclusive societies: human rights education for, with and by youth,” held during the ECOSOC Youth Forum at the UN Headquarters, New York.
Following Moriarty’s presentation, the two Changemakers were introduced: Sánchez Osorio, founder of Fundación Efecto Valores in Mexico, and Matsukura, activist for the rights of children and youth victims of sexual exploitation and abuse in Japan. Their respective segments in the “Changemakers” documentary were played for the audience to give them a closer look into Sánchez Osorio and Matsukura’s contexts and challenges, as well as some of their specific HRE methodologies. First, Sánchez Osorio shared some insights into the transformative potential of HRE in marginalized communities, particularly in the case of youth with abusive or violent domestic backgrounds. He stressed the importance of equipping youth with knowledge of their rights to prevent exploitation, which is even more fundamental for children and youths who are put into the foster system and lack strong support systems. In his experience, HRE is most effective when it happens in the environments of the target children and youth, and when it is best adapted to them, rather than aiming to extract youth from their contexts with non-adapted HRE methodologies.
Elements of self-worth and bodily autonomy should be at the center of HRE, as children who care about themselves will also be empowered to protect the people around them, fostering a culture of safety and respect.
Next, Matsukura brought attention to the critical issue of sexual exploitation of children and youth, which is exponentially growing in the digital realm. She underscored how views regarding gender and sexual prejudices underlie this issue widely and emphasized the importance of halting these biases from passing onto future generations through HRE, including sexuality education as part of HRE. Matsukura also stressed the importance of delivering HRE in contexts and through media that are accessible to youth and children. She discouraged using hierarchical understandings of education and advocated instead for a model where the person receiving the education is understood as an equal, inviting everyone to engage equally in the learning process. Elements of self-worth and bodily autonomy should be at the center of HRE, she stressed, as children who care about themselves will also be empowered to protect the people around them, fostering a culture of safety and respect.
HRE can occur outside formal settings and should focus not only on teaching content but also on empowerment and sensitization.
Following the insightful presentations, the event transitioned to a vibrant discussion segment where attendees engaged with the speakers on various topics related to HRE. Participants raised pertinent questions about access to HRE in areas where formal education is lacking. In response, it was emphasized that HRE can occur outside formal settings and should focus not only on teaching content but also on empowerment and sensitization. Moreover, the responsibility for teaching human rights was highlighted as a collective effort. Another important point of discussion centered on the creation and mobilization of educational materials. Attendees, building on their own efforts and frustrations as young organizers and activists, inquired about strategies for bringing ideas to life and engaging youth effectively. Key approaches that were recommended included creating enticing and easy-to-understand resources and utilizing familiar media. Gender perspectives in HRE, cross-country exchange, and the involvement of entire communities were also addressed, with various points emphasizing the need to learn from indigenous practices and build upon local knowledge for sustainable HRE projects. In conclusion, the ECOSOC Youth Forum provided an open, interactive space where youth activists were able to relate and exchange directly with HRE practitioners, learning from their experience and reflecting collectively on the power of HRE as a tool for empowering children and youth to become active actors in constructing and protecting a culture of human rights, peace and sustainable development.
Group discussion at the consultations on the Plan of Action for the fifth phase of the World Programme on HRE.
In addition, on 18–19 April, Gazzotti represented SGI and the NGO Working Group on Human Rights Education and Learning at consultations on the Plan of Action for the fifth phase of the World Programme on HRE convened by the UN Office for Human Rights at the UN Office HQ in New York. Gazzotti joined approximately 30 participants of civil society who attended, including teachers, students and UN institutions. In addition to reviewing and giving inputs to the Plan of Action, participants discussed concrete steps to ensure national implementation. “HRE is an investment for the future and the Plan of Action an advocacy tool for the implementation at the national level,” said Ilze Brands Kehris, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, in her opening speech. The consultations were closed by Felipe Paullier, Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs.
