HREA Distance Learning Course 8E05:
INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION
21 September-13 December 2005
Instructor: Felisa Tibbitts, Executive Director, HREA

This course will introduce the international field of human rights
education (HRE), including presentations of programming approaches,
teaching and learning resources, and related theory. The course is
intended for educators and trainers working in both the formal and
nonformal sectors. Participants will be assisted in the development of a
curriculum, training, or plan to use these skills to further their
organization's advocacy efforts. Participants might be expected to apply
these skills within formal education settings, for staff development
within their own organizations, and for outreach and advocacy.

The course has the following sequence. First, it will introduce the human
rights framework and programming approaches and teaching materials in use
worldwide. This will be followed by a presentation of interactive teaching
methods and related pedagogical theory. Participants will then explore
discipline-based approaches to HRE, examining programming and sample
materials that come from the social sciences, the humanities and the
sciences. This will be complemented by an examination of "issue" oriented
education and advocacy approaches to HRE, drawing examples from children's
rights, women's rights and the rights of minorities. Several sessions will
be devoted to building the skills of participants, by reviewing how to
develop a learning experience, use the Internet for resources and
integration of assessments.

The course involves approximately 60 hours of reading, on-line working
groups, interaction among students and instructors, and assignments, and
is offered over a 12-week period beginning on 21 September. E-mail will be
the main medium for the course, although participants will need to have
periodic access to the Web. This course will integrate active and
participatory learning approaches within activities and assignments, with
an emphasis on reflective and collaborative learning. Participants will do
the required reading, prepare interim and final project assignments and
participate in group discussions.

Application deadline: 1 July 2005

A more detailed course description, course outline, information about the
course instructor and application forms can be found at:
http://www.hrea.org/courses/8E.html

ABOUT HREA's DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMME

HREA's Distance Learning Programme (DLP) was initiated in 2000 in response
to an unaddressed need for the continuing education of human rights
professionals and practitioners. The programme builds on HREA's extensive
experience in both the training of professionals (advocates, educators,
development workers) and the use of the new information technologies to
provide resources and to network human rights advocates and educators. By
offering short, practical yet specialised courses via distance learning
barriers that prevent many practitioners from participating in continuing
education -- such as a lack of time and/or lack of funds to participate in
regional or national workshops/trainings -- can be overcome. HREA annually
organises distance learning courses on human rights monitoring; research &
evaluation in the NGO sector; project development and management; use of
information and communication technologies (ICTs) for human rights work;
rights-based programming; introductions to the European and United Nations
human rights systems; and human rights advocacy (in English, Arabic and
Russian). For more information about the DLP, please
visit:http://www.hrea.org/DLP/

ABOUT HREA

Human Rights Education Associates (HREA) is an international
non-governmental organisation that supports human rights learning; the
training of activists and professionals; the development of educational
materials and programming; and community-building through on-line
technologies. HREA works in partnership with education agencies, NGOs,
governments and inter-governmental organisations to implement training
programmes for NGO staff, jurists, teachers, and other professionals
involved in human rights work. Current and past partners include, inter
alia, Amnesty International, Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies,
Council of Europe, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, HURIDOCS, the
Inter-American Institute for Human Rights (IIDH), the Office of the UN
High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Open Society Institute and UNESCO.
HREA is registered as a non-profit organisation in Morocco, the
Netherlands and the USA. More information on HREA can be found at:
http://www.hrea.org