WUNRN
CALL FOR NGO SIGN-ON FOR JOINT HUMAN
RIGHTS COUNCIL STATEMENT:
RIGHT TO EDUCATION ON PEACE AND
HUMAN RIGHTS
Deadline for Sign-On is May 23,
2008.
Contact Details for Statement:
International Society for Human Rights
David Fernández Puyana and Alfred de Zayas
Phone number: 0033450421917 (
E-mail: david.fernandez-puyana@orange.fr, zayas@bluewin.ch
Language(s): ENGLISH AND SPANISH
UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
Eigth Session
Joint Written Statement submitted by
the following NGOs (provisional list) International Alliance of Women (IAW),
Commission of the Churches on International Affairs of the World Council of
Churches (CCIA/WCC), Conscience and Peace Tax International (CPTI), Dominicans
for Justice and Peace (Order of Preachers), Federación de Asociaciones de
Defensa y Promoción de los Derechos Humanos, Interfaith International, Pax
Romana (International Catholic Movement for Intellectual and Cultural Affairs
and International Movement of Catholic Students), Temple of Understanding
(TOU), Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), Women’s
World Summit Foundation (WWSF), World Organization Against Torture (OMCT),
Institute for Planetary Synthesis (IPS), International Peace Bureau,
International Society for Human Rights (ISHR), UNESCO Centre Basque Country
(UNESCO Etxea), 3HO Foundation, International Federation of University of
Women, Femmes Africa Solidarité,
Lutheran World Federation, Worldwide Organization for Women, Anglican
Consultative Council, Women’s Federation for World Peace, Union of Arab
Jurists, African Women's Development and
Communication Network, Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University, Asian Forum
for Human Rights and Development, Rencontre Africaine pour la Defense des
Droits de l’homme, Foundation for the Refugee Education Trust, International Bridges to Justice, Inter-African Committee
on Traditional Practices, International Association for the Defense of
Religious Liberty, General Arab Women Federation, American Association of
Jurists, Lassalle Institute, UNESCO Centre of Catalonia (UNESCO-CAT),
Soldiers of Peace International Association, Anti-Racism Information Service,
Peter-Hesse Foundation, Zonta International, Comisión Colombiana de Juristas,
Points-Coeur Association, New Humanity, Pan Pacific and South East Women’s
Association International, Ius Primi Viris, Asamblea Permanente por los
Derechos Humanos, International Movement for Fraternal Union Among Races and
Peoples, Women's International Zionist
Organization, International Federation of Women Lawyers, International
Federation of Women in Legal Careers, Canadian Federation of University Women,
Instituto de Género, Derecho y Desarrollo, International Association for Women's
Mental Health, European Union of Women, European Women’s Lobby, International
Women’s Year Liaison Group, Confederation of Associations Working for World
Peace, International Federation of Family Associations of Missing Persons from
Armed Conflict,
International Federation of Settlements and
Neighborhood Centers, The International Grail, Interfaith Encounter
Association, African Services Committee, Institute of International Social
Development, African Action on AIDS, International Society for Traumatic Stress
Studies, Lama Gangchen World Peace Foundation, Pax Christi International, MADRE
(An International Women’s Rights Organization), Syriac Universal Alliance, The
Tandem Project – WUNRN, Al-Hakim Foundation, Armenian International Women’s
Association, Canadian Voice of Women for Peace, Guild of Service, National Council
of Women’s Organization, International Association of Schools of Social Work,
Dzeno Association, Agency for Rehabilitation & Energy-Conservation in
Afghanistan (AREA), US Federation for Middle East Peace, Organization for Defending
Victims of Violence, International Council Of Women, Solar Cookers
International, Women’s Welfare Center, Medical Women’s International
Association, International Council of Women, Prison Fellowship International,
UNANIMA International, The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl
Scouts, World Federation for Mental Health,
International Movement A.T.D. Fourth World, The Salvation Army, Country Women
Association of Nigeria, Droit a l’Energie SOS Futur
Title:
Right to
Education on Peace and Human Rights
Text:
I
The Spanish Society for
International Human Rights Law (SSIHRL), with the support of the Catalonian Agency for Cooperation to
Development, adopted on 30 October 2006 the “Luarca Declaration on the Human
Right to Peace” as the culmination of a process of extensive consultations with
Spanish civil society, including the organization of six expert meetings in
different regions[1][1].
Following the adoption
of the Luarca Declaration on the Human Right to Peace, the SSIHRL has continued
in all regions of the world the process of consultations with civil society
through the organization of conferences and expert meetings on the human right
to peace.[2][2]. In 2010 the SSIHRL will call for a
World NGO Conference in order to analyse and incorporate the inputs received
from international civil society and to adopt the final text of the Universal Declaration on the Human Right to
Peace. The new text will truly represent the aspirations of international
civil society.
On 15 March 2007 the Luarca
Declaration on the Human Right to Peace was presented to the Fourth Session of
the Human Rights Council in an oral statement presented by UNESCO Etxea on
behalf of SSIHRL. Several Parallel Meetings have taken place at the Palais de Nations in
II
The right to education constitutes an
essential component of contemporary human rights law. Although the right to
education is generally considered to be a cultural right, it is also related to
civil, political, economic and social rights. Education is a precondition and
the key to the enjoyment of all human rights. Taking into account that the
right to education cannot be seen in isolation, it can be concluded that the fulfilment of the right to
education would allow the enjoyment of, inter alia, the right to freedom of
opinion and expression and the right to participation[3][3].
The right to education involves three key actors: the Government as
provider and/or funder of public schooling, the child as the principal bearer
of the right to education and of the duty to comply with compulsory-education
requirements, and the child’s parents who are “the first educators”.
Governments are responsible to secure conditions for full realization of the
rights of the child, including the enforcement of parental responsibilities
towards their children.
As stressed in several international human rights instruments, education
should be directed not only to the full development of the human personality
and the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms, but also to the
promotion of mutual understanding, tolerance, gender equality, friendship among
all nations, racial or religious groups and the maintenance of peace[4][4].
The right to education requires enforceable individual entitlements to
education, safeguards for human rights in education and
instrumentalization of education to the enjoyment of all human rights through
education. As stated by UNESCO, “the inclusion of human rights in education
is a key element of a quality education”[5][5]. Thus, richly endowed education
systems may be faulted for their failure to halt intergenerational transmission
of racism or xenophobia[6][6]. It follows that a successful human
rights education system should be able to eliminate any and all types of
inequality, exclusion or discrimination based on prejudices transmitted from
generation to generation.
Inequality is a cross-cutting variable that uniformly affects all social
strata in which are found women, disabled persons, minorities, migrants, people
infected with AIDS and other groups that suffer discrimination. Patriarchy and
all other practices based on the idea of inferiority and/or superiority among
human beings are not structures of
autonomous oppression but an undifferentiated set of oppressive factors
deriving from race, gender, ethnic origin and social background. As stated by
the current Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education, gender inequality and
other forms of social, religious, ethnic and racial discrimination impede
social mobility and impact negatively on the full realization of all human
rights, including development, peace and security[7][7].
Educational statistics demonstrate how discrimination based on either
gender, race, ethnicity, religion, or language, combines to trap new generations
of people in a vicious downward cycle of denied rights, where the lack of
access to education leads to exclusion from the labour market, which then results in
perpetuating and increasing impoverishment[8][8]. As stressed by the United Nations,
the exclusion of the poorest from education perpetuates social inequalities in
many parts of the world[9][9]. Since denial of the right to
education leads to compounded denials of other human rights and the
perpetuation of poverty, then it could be concluded that the recognition and
enforcement of this fundamental human right is vital to create wealthy and
prosperous societies.
As highlighted by the UNESCO Declaration and Integrated Framework of
Action on Education for Peace, Human Rights and Democracy[10][10], education should develop non-violent conflict
resolution through the promotion of peace, tolerance, compassion, sharing and
caring. Consequently, human rights education should aim to build an universal
culture of human rights through the encouragement and promotion of attitudes
directed to peace building and maintenance[11][11]. Education is therefore a key
element to achieve “sustainable development, peace and stability within and
among countries”, by fostering social cohesion and empowering people to become
active participants in social transformation[12][12].
Like the culture of war, education for war has a much longer tradition
and is more commercially attractive than the culture of peace and education for
peace. A human rights approach should provide adequate response to this
dilemma. Unfortunately, in many countries, the liberal documentation of wars
and war heroes in school textbooks contributes significantly to the
glorification of the culture of war at the expense of the culture of peace.
Moreover, our children are exposed to the limitless commercialization of
computerized war games. Furthermore, millions of children are everyday
initiated in the practices of warfare as part of traditional initiation rituals
or institutionalized educational programmes[13][13].
Education should promote understanding, tolerance, peace and friendly
relations between nations and all racial or religious groups, and encourage the
development of United Nations activities in pursuance of these objectives[14][14]. Education should further provide
children with the necessary tools for acquiring basic knowledge, skills,
values, attitudes and behaviours associated with peace and non-violence[15][15]. For this reason, schools should be
identified and protected as sanctuaries and zones of peace[16][16] in order that the lives of children
and young people who are prey to violence and war may be rebuilt. The growing
global attention to the causation of warfare and to peace-building requires
that education and, specifically, education of human rights be prioritised.
According to the former Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education, an
important obstacle to universalize the right to education is to consider that
education is not indispensable for human survival or required for subsistence.
Besides, Professor Tomasevski added that the absence of education not only
prevents the victims of armed conflicts
and disasters from becoming self-sustaining but forces them to remain
recipients of assistance. [17][17]. The “survival package” of
humanitarian relief includes the provision of only water, sanitation, medical
services, shelter, clothing and food, but not education.
As stated in Article 2
of the Luarca Declaration on the Human
Right to Peace, adopted on
“Every person has the right to receive peace and human rights education, the basis of every educational system, which
will help to generate social processes based
on trust, solidarity and mutual respect, promote
peaceful settlement of conflicts and lead to a new way of approaching human relationships”.
We therefore urge the Human Rights Council to promote education based on
social justice and equity, non-discrimination and gender equality, respect of
all human rights, tolerance, peace and friendly relations among all nations,
races or religions. We also urge Member States to implement the necessary
mechanisms to recognize the negative impact of education based on intolerance,
discrimination and inequality among races, sexes, ethnicities and social
backgrounds in the enjoyment of the human right to peace.
We further urge Member States to realise the educational goals of the
Declaration and the Programme of Action of the World Summit for Social
Development, the Millennium Development Goals, the International Decade for a
Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World (2001-2010) and
the Plan of Action for the First Phase (2005-2007) of the World Programme for
Human Rights Education.
Finally we welcome the General Assembly call to the High Commissioner
for Human Rights to carry out constructive dialogue and consultations with
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[1][1] The regional
expert meetings took place in Oviedo (27-28 July 2006), Las Palmas de Gran
Canaria (17-18 August 2006), Bilbao (15-16 September 2006), Madrid (21-22
September 2006), Barcelona (28-29 September 2006) and Seville (13-14 October
2006)
[2][2] Conferences and
expert meetings have already taken place in Bilbao and Geneva (November 2006);
Mexico (December 2006), Bogotá, Barcelona and Addis Ababa (March 2007); Caracas
and Santo Domingo (April 2007), Morelia (Mexico, 12 May 2007), Bogotá (12 May
2007), Oviedo and Santa Fe (New Mexico, USA, 16-17 May 2007); Washington (14
June 2007) , Nairobi (15 June 2007), Geneva (28 June 2007), Feldkirch (Austria,
31 August 2007), Geneva (11, 12 and 21 September 2007), Luarca (28 September
2007), Madrid (23 October 2007), Monterrey (1st November 2007), Mexico DF,
Geneva, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Zaragoza and Navía, Asturias (December
2007), the UN Commission on the Status of Women, New York (February 2008),
Geneva (March 2008), Parliament of Catalonia, Barcelona, Geneva, Dakar, Madrid,
Valencia (April 2008), Rome and Seoul (May 2008) . For more information about
these meetings, please see http://www.aedidh.org
[3][3] Report submitted
by the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education, Mr. Vernor Muñoz
Villalobos, E/CN.4/2005/50,
[4][4] Article 26.2 of
the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, article 29.1 of the UN Convention on
the Rights of the Child, article 13 of the International Covenant on Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights and article 13.2 of the Protocol of San Salvador on
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
[5][5] UNESCO Executive
Board, Elements for an overall UNESCO strategy on human rights, (165 EX/10)
para. 31
[6][6] Report submitted
by the by the late Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education, Ms Katarina
Tomasevski, E/CN.4/2004/45,
[7][7] Report submitted
by the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education, Mr. Vernor Muñoz
Villalobos, E/CN.4/2006/45,
[8][8] Report submitted
by the by the late Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education, Ms Katarina
Tomasevski, E/CN.4/2001/52,
[9][9] United Nations, 1985
Report on the World Social Situation,
[10][10] Declaration on the
44th session of the International Conference on Education (Geneva, October
1994) endorsed by the General Conference of UNESCO at its twenty-eight session,
[11][11] OHCHR, The Plan of
Action for the First Phase (2005-2007) of the World Programme for Human Rights
Education,
[12][12] Dakar Framework
for Action, Education for all: meeting our collective commitments. Text adopted
by the World Education Forum,
[13][13] Report submitted
by the late Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education, Ms Katarina
Tomasevski, supra n. 8, par. 46
[14][14] Vienna Declaration
and Plan of Action, World Conference on Human Rights, Vienna, 14 - 25 June
1993, U.N. Doc. A/CONF.157/24 (Part I) at 20 (1993), par. 33
[15][15] The International
Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World
(2001 to 2010), par.
[16][16] Dakar Framework
for Action, supra n. 13, goal 58
[17][17] Report submitted
by the by the late Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education, Ms Katarina
Tomasevski, supra n. 9, par. 49
[18][18] UNGA Res/60/163,
of