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185

Asia-Pacific Regional Meetings on
Human Rights Education(1995-2007)1
Jefferson R. PlantillaFor more than a decade, inter-governmental and non-governmental regional
workshops and conferences were held in the Asia-Pacific region either focusedon human rights education, or human rights education as part of the agenda.
They discussed the objectives, contents, problems and the possible ways of improving human rights education programs. These activities are the following:• Conference-Workshop on Asia-Pacific Human Rights Education for Development(Manila, Philippines, 15 December 1995)• Workshop on Asia-Pacific Human Rights
Education - The Right to Human Rights
Education (Sydney, Australia, 25 August
1996)• International Conference on Human Rights
Education in the Asia-Pacific Region (Osaka, Japan, 25-27 November 1998)• “Education for Human Rights in Asia & thePacific: Asia & Pacific Regional Conferenceon Education for Human Rights” (Pune,
India, 3-6 February 1999)• 	Regional Response to the United Nations
Decade of Human Rights Education with
the Participation of Civil Society (Nepal,
November 1999)• Inter-Sessional Workshop on National Plans
of Action for Human Rights Education in
the Asia-Pacific Region (Tokyo, Japan, 1719 January 2000)• Asian Human Rights Education Trainers’
Colloquium (Chiangmai, Thailand, 1-6
April 2001)• Human Rights Education in Asia-Pacific:
Defining Challenges and Strategies (Bangkok, Thailand, 10-12 November 2003)• 	Southeast Asia Conference on Traffickingof Children for Sexual Purposes (Medan,
Indonesia on 29-30 March 2004)• Vientiane Action Programme (VAP), 10th
ASEAN Summit (Vientiane, Laos on 29
November 2004)• 	UNESCAP Workshop on Regional Followup to the Fifth Session and Preparation for
the Sixth Session of the Ad Hoc Committee
on an United Nations Convention on the
Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Bangkok, Thailand on 26 to 27 July 2005)• 	Regional Conference of Cities for an Inclusive Urban Society (Bangkok, Thailand on
3-4 August 2006)• 	Sixth Workshop on the ASEAN Regional
Mechanism on Human Rights (Manila,
Philippines on 16-17 July 2007)• ASEAN Charter, 13th ASEAN Summit(Singapore, 18-22 November 2007).
Human rights education has been discussed
as a separate topic in the annual inter-govern-

185

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mental “Workshop on Regional Arrangements
for the Promotion and Protection of Human
Rights in the Asian and Pacific Region” since
1999.

Main Contents of Conclusions

The following table is a summary of the
discussions in the listed activities, the relevant
initiatives that have been undertaken or continuously being undertaken, and possible tasks
that can be done.

Relevant Activities

Suggested Possible Tasks To Do

Human rights education should
address existing problems (injustices,
discrimination, violence, poverty)
facing the vulnerable and marginalized
members of society• Existing relevant programs of- social development agencies- sectoral organizations (farmers,
workers, indigenous people, urban poor,etc.)• United Nations (UN) workshops on
various issues

Continue and improve the communityand sector-based human rights
education programs

Educate on human rights those
who possess power and authority(government personnel, membersof the security and military forces,
professionals)• Workshop on human rights education
and administration of justice• Workshop for lawyers and law
professors• Training for National Human Rights
Institutions staff• Country programs of UN agencies

More human rights education programsfor- private companies- local governments- general public

Ensure access of the vulnerable andmarginalized members of society
to a human rights-sensitive judicial
mechanism

Legal resources groups, child rights
More human rights education programsgroups, women and law groups’ programs for mainstream legal professionals- human rights training for lawyers- national conferences on administration ofjustice and human rights

Empower communities and governments(for governments to deal withinternational institutions)• Existing relevant programs of• Continue and improve the- social development agencies
community- and sector-based human- sectoral organizations (farmers, workers, rights education programs
indigenous people, urban poor, etc.)• Continue regional inter-governmental• UN inter-governmental workshops onworkshops on human rights education
various issues

Human rights curriculum should
cover the rights of all persons forcibly
displaced, including refugees• Existing relevant programs on refugees Establish human rights educationand internally-displaced people (IDPs) by program for members of border police
NGOs, and international institutions
and security forces, immigration
officials, and other government officials

Encourage schools to integrate issues
related to racism and discrimination
into the curriculum in order to promoteawareness within• Existing relevant programs on- Dowa education- Education for minorities

Prevention and positive action: raisingawareness, and educating citizens aboutmutual tolerance, respect of cultural
diversity, intercultural dialogue,
peaceful coexistence, human rights anddemocratic citizenship

Existing public awareness programs andactivities of NHRIs, some government
agencies, human rights centers, andNGOs

1. Purpose of human rights education

Asia-Pacific Regional Meetings on Human Rights Education (1995-2007)  187

Main Contents of Conclusions

Relevant Activities

Suggested Possible Tasks To Do

Human rights education is meant tofacilitate social transformation• Existing relevant programs of- social development agencies- sectoral organizations (farmers,
workers, indigenous people, urban poor,
etc.)

Clarify, through human rights education,
how human rights can be realized inpractical/realistic manner appropriate to
the different types of people

Ratify human rights instruments• National campaigns on signing andratification of/accession to human rights
instruments• Annual regional inter-governmental
workshop declaration on this issue

2. Content of human rights education
Realities in society - people’s actual lives• Existing relevant programs of- social development agencies- sectoral organizations (farmers,
workers, indigenous people, urban poor,
etc.)

Holistic understanding of human rights
embodied in human rights instruments

Development of materials that would
strengthen the human rights content ofissue- and sector-based educational
programs• Incorporate international human rights
standards into sectoral/issue-based
national programs• Clarify the concept of human rights

Relevant and positive traditions andindigenous cultures• Workshop on human rights education• Clarify the link (positive and negative)
and administration of justice in the Pacificbetween local cultures and traditions– Pacific culture
and human rights• Research on cultural values and humanrights (HURIGHTS OSAKA)• Religion and human rights dialogue(AHRC)

Conflict resolution and peace-building• APCEIU program on peace and conflict
resolution• SAFHR peace study session

3. Methodology of human rights education
Participatory (pedagogy of the
oppressed) methodologies

ARRC program on promotion ofparticipatory methodology

Different types of participatory
methodologies for different types ofsituations and organizations
Human rights-sensitive methodologies

Review different perceptions on themeaning of participatory methodology
Collate and analyze different
participatory methodologies used todetermine the extent of promotion ofhuman rights

Women’s rights groups’ campaign
on gender-sensitive programs andmethodologies

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Main Contents of Conclusions

Relevant Activities

Suggested Possible Tasks To Do• Multi-sectoral, regional consultations onhuman rights education• National structure on human rights
education• National networks and workshops on
human rights education• Hold/continue multi-sectoral, multiinstitutional (NGO, GO) consultations
in various parts of the country• Establish/strengthen national
networks on human rights education

Lobby for the development of national• Multi-sectoral, regional consultations onhuman rights education action plan as
human rights education
envisaged in the UN Decade for Human• National structure on human rights
Rights Education Plan of Action
education- the development of national action• National networks and workshops onplan on human rights education shouldhuman rights education
be participatory, inclusive, democratic- it should involve different sectors insociety- there should be partnership between
grassroots communities, NGOs,
governments and national human rights
institutions• Hold/continue multi-sectoral, multiinstitutional (NGO, GO) consultations
in various parts of the country• Establish/strengthen national
networks on human rights education

Lobby for adequate financial andtechnical support for the implementationof the national action plan on humanrights education

National networks of human rights
educators• Hold/continue multi-sectoral, multiinstitutional (NGO, GO) consultations
in various parts of the country• Establish/strengthen national
networks on human rights education• Use the mass media to promote
human rights• Websites devoted to various human• Use community radio programs
rights concerns• Publish materials for general use• Publications, pamphlets on human rights (such as comics)• Mobile theatre program• Publish human rights issues in
popular publications (magazines andnewspapers)

Provide training for, as well as technicalsupport to, human rights educators• Training workshops on teaching/learning • Undertake more training of trainers
methodologies (ARRC)(national and regional)• Workshops on developing human rights • Promote undergraduate and graduateteaching/learning materials (ARRC,
programs on human rights, including
HURIGHTS OSAKA, APCEIU, APNIEVE)
the involvement of university-based• General human rights courses offeredhuman rights centers
by DTP, Forum Asia, South Asia Forumon Human Rights, Mahidol University,
University of Hong Kong

Facilitate information, materials andexperience exchange among humanrights educators

Regional organizations’ information
dissemination programs for educators

Establish/strengthen national centers/
focal points for human rights education

Establish regional human rights
education center, regional human rights
education network

ARRC, APCEIU, APNIEVE, HURIGHTSOSAKA programs on networking andresource database

Establish/strengthen national centers/
focal points for human rights education

4. Strategy to promote human rights education
Campaign to make human rights
education a national agenda

Asia-Pacific Regional Meetings on Human Rights Education (1995-2007)  189

Main Contents of Conclusions

Relevant Activities

Suggested Possible Tasks To Do

Recommend the establishment or
strengthening of, where appropriate,national mechanisms such as national
human rights institutions, national
coordinating committees, equal
opportunity commissions or otherequivalent independent and autonomous
bodies to ensure effective monitoring of
the implementation of the Convention[on the Protection and Promotion of
the Rights and Dignity of Persons
with Disabilities People] and to createawareness about it in all sectors ofsociety

National members of Asia-Pacific
Disability Forum (APDF)

Develop human rights education
program on the rights of persons withdisabilities at national and regional
levelsEstablish system to protect human rights
educators (and human rights activists ingeneral), promote solidarity alliances• AHRC program for human rights workers Establish national support system forin generalhuman rights educators/workers• Action alerts, urgent appeals (AHRC,
ACPP, SUARAM)

Promote space for civil society, protect
democratic institutions

Develop supportive government
policies on the role of civil society inhuman rights education

Protect the integrity of human rights
education• Clarify concept of human rights
education through workshops• Review existing education programs
and suggest improvements in humanrights content

Evaluate the impact of human rights
education

Surveys of human rights awareness ofstudents, general public• Do baseline surveys on people’s
perceptions of human rights• Clarify concept of human rights• Establish continuing monitoring
system on human rights awareness ofthe general public

Prevent the monopolization of humanrights education by the governments andnational human rights institutions

Inter-agency, multi-sectoral projects onhuman rights education

Maintain/strengthen inter-agency,
multi-sectoral network on human rights
education

Increase partnership with the private
sector to raise awareness on humanrightsCampaigns of ECPAT, Asia ACTs on childtrafficking; ACHR on housing rights

Develop government policies on
government–civil-society partnership on
human rights education

Compile and disseminate, incollaboration with OHCHR and
UNESCO, as well as relevant national
institutions, key documents in regard
to the major international and national
instruments translated into local
languages, and print and/or post theseon the Internet, and make them available
at easy to access sites.

Websites and materials of human rights
centers, NHRIs, government agencies,
NGOs

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HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION IN ASIAN SCHOOLS

Main Contents of Conclusions

Relevant Activities

Suggested Possible Tasks To Do

Compile and disseminate existing
resource materials (stories, mythologies,etc.) teaching appropriate national
values in addition to universal ones, suchas respect, mutual tolerance and humanrights.

• Teaching and learning materials
produced by NGOs
• UNESCO-OHCHR-funded research on
human rights education in the Southeast
Asian school systems under the UN
World Programme for Human Rights
Education (2009)• HURIGHTS OSAKA publication on
resource training material for South Asia
(2009)• Develop more materials that collectlocal stories, etc. that help makehuman rights more easy to understandby the general public• Disseminate beyond national borders
the existing materials in this regard

Promote among youth, schools andcommunities initiatives aiming toincrease intercultural dialogue andmutual respect through the creationof an “Equality School” Certificate to
reward local schools for their work, and a“Mayor’s Prize” awarded regularly to thebest local school initiative.

Existing international exchange programsof some schools including those related
to Associated Schools Project Network(ASPnet) of UNESCO

Encourage more schools to adopt
international exchange program

Set up municipal libraries and museums
as resource rooms for issues related tohuman rights, cultural diversity, etc.

Existing human rights museums suchas Liberty Osaka (Japan), Tuol Sleng(Cambodia), Bantayog ng mga Bayani(Philippines), Peace and Human Rights
Museum (Pakistan)

Develop program on how to maximize
the use of the human rights museumsby the students and the general public

Support the development of teachingmaterials (textbooks, guides, audiovisualor multimedia documentation, kits) on
mutual tolerance, respect of humandignity, peaceful coexistence andintercultural dialogue that can contributein enhancing the ability of pupils,
teachers and trainers to operate in a
multiethnic, multicultural and interculturalenvironment and to deal with thepressures and opportunities of suchdiversity; and to train in particular, school
administrators and teachers.

APCEIU programs and materials on
education for international understanding

Establish regional campaign on humanrights education

ARRC , HURIGHTS OSAKA, APNIEVE
campaigns/programs

Urge ASEAN to continue to increase
its commitment from basic awarenessraising to full sustainability of humanrights education, and by proposing that
ASEAN nations and ASEAN itself
adopt a holistic approach to humanrights promotion that makes humandignity the central focus of governanceand development• Southeast Asian project of HURIGHTSOSAKA on human rights lesson plans• UNESCO-OHCHR funded research on
human rights education in the Southeast
Asian school systems under the UN World
Programme for Human Rights Education

Continue/strengthen inter-agency,
multi-sectoral campaign on humanrights education (regional and national)

Asia-Pacific Regional Meetings on Human Rights Education (1995-2007)  191

Main Contents of Conclusions

Relevant Activities

Suggested Possible Tasks To Do

Monitor human rights education

ARRC , HURIGHTS OSAKA programs

Maintain/strengthen inter-agency,
multi-sectoral network on human rights
education

Develop a regional human rights
education curriculumSoutheast Asian project of HURIGHTSOSAKA on human rights lesson plans

Develop more human rights curriculums
in other sub-regions

Promote the UN Decade for Human
Rights Education as an over-all
framework

UN activities in the region on the Decadeand human rights education in general

Disseminate more information on the
UN activities related to the Decadeand the World Programme for Human
Rights Education

Organize regional forum for dialogue
between governments, NGOs andnational human rights institutions• OHCHR regional workshop on national Do more regional activities on humanaction plan for human rights educationrights education(2000, Tokyo)• OHCHR Gulf region workshop on humanrights education in schools

Establish voluntary fund or other funds
for human rights education• “Tehran Framework” of Regional• OHCHR report on the follow-up to the
Cooperation on Human Rights Workshop
Decade submitted to the Commission• Voluntary Fund on Technicalon Human Rights in 2003 includes
Cooperation Programme in the Field ofsuggestion of fund for human rights
Human Rights
education• Assisting Communities Together (ACT)• Increase information dissemination onof OHCHR
regional and country funds/programs• Regional and country funds of otherof the UN agencies
specialized UN agencies on material
development, educators training, andother activities

Increase funding for human rights
education program within the UN

UN World Programme for Human Rights
Education (WPHRE)

Seek more support from governments
for WPHRE

Provide support for NGOs and people’sorganizations• Assisting Communities Together (ACT)of OHCHR• Country funds of other specialized UN
agencies on material development,
educators training, policy development
and other activities• OHCHR report on the follow-up to the
Decade submitted to the Commission
on Human Rights in 2003 includes
suggestion of fund for human rights
education• Increase information dissemination on
regional and country funds/programsof the UN agencies

Organize regional meetings that would
discuss Asia-Pacific priorities, needs andexperiences

Annual regional inter-governmental
workshop on human rights

More NGO representation/participationin the annual regional intergovernmental workshop on humanrights

5. Role of United Nations Agencies

Create program to sensitize UN
personnel on human rights

Provide information on any program on
increasing the human rights awarenessof UN staff

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Main Contents of Conclusions

Relevant Activities

Develop closer relationship with theAsia-Pacific human rights community
including the NGOs and upgrade systemof providing information

Annual regional inter-governmental
workshop on human rights

Request human rights treaty bodies
to include human rights education in
discussing country reports

Suggested Possible Tasks To Do
More NGO representation/participationin the annual regional intergovernmental workshop on humanrightsMonitor country reports to the treaty
bodies; and the subsequent commentsfrom these bodies

Maximize role of special rapporteurs inpromoting human rights education

Dialogues with UN special rapporteurs

Emphasize need for special rapporteurs
to cite human rights education in theirreports

Support the development of national
action plans on human rights educationand their implementation by providing
funds and technical support• OHCHR regional workshop on national
action plan for human rights education(2000, Tokyo)• UNESCO Pakistan office support fornational human rights education action
plan• UNDP support for evaluation of thePhilippine human rights plan (which
mentions human rights education)• Continue lobbying for national
human rights education action plan incountries where no such plans exist• Continue support for national action
planning on human rights education
under the UN World Programme for
Human Rights Education

Maximize role of UNESCO Chairs,
associated schools project members inpromoting human rights• ASP programs in some countries that
include human rights• UNESCO Chair activities related tohuman rights education• Request UNESCO to follow-up on
the region’s UNESCO Chairs, national
committees and ASP members to
support human rights education• Request national committees for
UNICEF to support human rights
education

Below is a simple presentation of the human rights education programs that cover Asia and/or
Pacific
Non-formal Education System
ACHR

Housing rights

AHRC

Role of judiciary and religious groups in human rights realization

APWLD

Legal literacy on women’s rights

ARRC

Pedagogy, human rights education database

AWORC

Women and MediaCATW-AP

Trafficking and women’s rights

Child Rights Asianet

Enforcement of Convention on the Rights of the ChildDTP

Use of United Nations human rights mechanism

Forum Asia

General human rights course

GATTW

Trafficking and women’s rights

SAFHR

Human rights and peace

Asia-Pacific Regional Meetings on Human Rights Education (1995-2007)  193

Formal Education System
Organization

Area of Concern

APCEIU

Teacher training and teaching materials development

APNIEVE

Curriculum development and teaching materials development – tertiary level

HURIGHTS OSAKA

Teacher training and teaching materials development

Full names of institutions listed (inalphabetical order)• Asia-Pacific Center of Education for International Understanding (APCEIU)• Asia-Pacific Human Rights Information
Center (HURIGHTS OSAKA)• Asia-Pacific Network for International
Education and Values Education and (APNIEVE)• Asia-Pacific Regional Resource Center for
Human Rights Education (ARRC)• Asia-Pacific Forum on Women, Law andDevelopment (APWLD)• Asian Coalition for Housing Rights(ACHR)• Asian Forum on Human Rights and Development (Forum Asia)• Asian Human Rights Commission(AHRC)• Asian Network on the Rights of the Child• Asian Women’s Resource Exchange(AWORC)• Coalition Against Trafficking in Women– Asia-Pacific (CATW-AP)• Diplomacy Training Program (DTP)• Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women(GAATW)• 	South Asian Forum on Human Rights(SAFHR)

Endnotes
1
	This is the updated version of the summaryof the author that was originally prepared for theworkshop entitled “Human Rights Education in AsiaPacific: Defining Challenges and Strategies” (Bangkok,
Thailand, 10-12 November 2003).