This book pushes the theoretical boundaries of human rights education, engaging with complex questions of climate-related injustices, re-imagining education through a decolonising lens, and problematising the relationship between rights and responsibilities.
It presents international studies of HRE in varied contexts (e.g. Uganda, Japan, Ireland) to explore the views and experiences of children who identify as human rights defenders, initial teachers’ understandings of concepts such as teacher agency in conflict-affected settings, and the barriers to children’s political agency. The book also highlights HRE in practice including participatory research with very young children as co-researchers and realising rights through play pedagogies, creative writing approaches and picturebooks. An HRE lens is also brought to bear on emerging subjects such as relationships and sexuality education and well-being.
Aimed at educators, researchers and practitioners, and engaging with a range of concepts, contexts and contemporary challenges, this book offers new insights into HRE, particularly in the context of issues relating to children’s rights education and participation.
1. Human Rights Education: A Beacon of Hope in Times of Crisis?, Part I: Pushing Boundaries in Human Rights Education Theory and Practice, 2. Separating Rights and Responsibilities, 3. Children’s Right to Have Rights: Developing Theory to Enable Justice and Participation, 4. Young Children as Co-Researchers: Authentic Partnership in an Early Childhood Context, 5. The Right to Play: Reconceptualising Children’s Rights in the Early Years Classroom, Part II: Human Rights Education in Times of Crisis, 6. Child Human Rights Defenders and Schools: When HRE and Activism Can, but Should Not Collide, 7. Pedagogy of the Implicated (Subject): Slantwise Pedagogical Encounters with Difficult Ecological Knowledge, 8. Idealistic Hopes and Lived Realities: Ugandan Student Teachers’ Attitudes to Teaching About Peace, Justice and Human Rights, 9. Using Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Stories to Decolonise Human Rights Education, Part III: Human Rights Education in Context, 10. Exploring Child Well-being: An Integration of Children’s Rights and Psychological Perspectives, 11. Creative Engagement as an Approach for Human Rights Education, 12. The Translation and Transformation of Human Rights in Picturebooks, 13. A Critical Exploration of Initial Teacher Educators’ Insights on Relationships and Sexuality Education Through the Lens of Human Rights Education, 14. Human Rights Education in a Time of Crisis: A Pedagogy of Possibility
Benjamin Mallon is Assistant Professor of Geography and Citizenship Education at the School of STEM Education, Innovation & Global Studies in the Institute of Education, Dublin City University, Ireland. He researches and teaches in the area of education for sustainability, with a particular focus on pedagogical approaches which address conflict, challenge violence and support the development of peaceful societies. Fionnuala Waldron is Professor Emerita and Cregan Professor of Teacher Education at the DCU Institute of Education, Dublin City University, Ireland. She has published widely in history education, human rights education and global citizenship. She co-founded the Centre for Human Rights and Citizenship Education (DCU) with Brian Ruane in collaboration with Amnesty Ireland. Caitríona Ní Cassaithe is Assistant Professor of History Education in the Institute of Education, Dublin City University, Ireland. Her expertise is in the areas of historical enquiry and the development of children’s historical thinking skills. Her other research interests include heritage and place-based education, teaching controversial issues and disciplinary literacy.
