By addressing life trajectories and political violence, human rights education can overcome radicalizing narratives

As the needs and interests of young people are shifting under the influence of demographics and other social developments, 'new stories' have started to attract many that undermine the human rights narrative and nurture radical attitudes. This has consequences for human rights education (...

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Main Author: Frank Ubachs
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: UCL Press 2016-10-01
Series:London Review of Education
Online Access:https://uclpress.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.18546/LRE.14.3.07
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author Frank Ubachs
author_facet Frank Ubachs
author_sort Frank Ubachs
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description As the needs and interests of young people are shifting under the influence of demographics and other social developments, 'new stories' have started to attract many that undermine the human rights narrative and nurture radical attitudes. This has consequences for human rights education (HRE). As competing narratives have gained a foothold in major target audiences of HRE, the latter has to realize it is facing an uphill battle. The evidence suggests that HRE can no longer rely on the mere transfer of knowledge and that the 'story of human rights' needs to be told in completely new ways. If HRE aims to change attitudes to be more inclusive and respectful, and to promote a struggle for justice, it has to make its story heard and win people over. Here HRE faces a central dilemma: how to promote fundamental freedoms while including the freedom not to subscribe to these same values? Instead of conceptual persuasion, emphasis should be put more on the affect, and relate to people's lived experiences. Crucially, HRE has to be prepared to make room for the discussion of the paradoxes of political violence. By making clear that it has vital relevance for its audience and can better answer the question of what someone should meaningfully do in life, HRE can change the narrative.
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spelling doaj.art-99f0ec5237ac481da091a25207a11b542023-02-23T11:12:44ZengUCL PressLondon Review of Education1474-84601474-84792016-10-0114859510.18546/LRE.14.3.07By addressing life trajectories and political violence, human rights education can overcome radicalizing narrativesFrank UbachsAs the needs and interests of young people are shifting under the influence of demographics and other social developments, 'new stories' have started to attract many that undermine the human rights narrative and nurture radical attitudes. This has consequences for human rights education (HRE). As competing narratives have gained a foothold in major target audiences of HRE, the latter has to realize it is facing an uphill battle. The evidence suggests that HRE can no longer rely on the mere transfer of knowledge and that the 'story of human rights' needs to be told in completely new ways. If HRE aims to change attitudes to be more inclusive and respectful, and to promote a struggle for justice, it has to make its story heard and win people over. Here HRE faces a central dilemma: how to promote fundamental freedoms while including the freedom not to subscribe to these same values? Instead of conceptual persuasion, emphasis should be put more on the affect, and relate to people's lived experiences. Crucially, HRE has to be prepared to make room for the discussion of the paradoxes of political violence. By making clear that it has vital relevance for its audience and can better answer the question of what someone should meaningfully do in life, HRE can change the narrative.https://uclpress.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.18546/LRE.14.3.07
spellingShingle Frank Ubachs
By addressing life trajectories and political violence, human rights education can overcome radicalizing narratives
London Review of Education
title By addressing life trajectories and political violence, human rights education can overcome radicalizing narratives
title_full By addressing life trajectories and political violence, human rights education can overcome radicalizing narratives
title_fullStr By addressing life trajectories and political violence, human rights education can overcome radicalizing narratives
title_full_unstemmed By addressing life trajectories and political violence, human rights education can overcome radicalizing narratives
title_short By addressing life trajectories and political violence, human rights education can overcome radicalizing narratives
title_sort by addressing life trajectories and political violence human rights education can overcome radicalizing narratives
url https://uclpress.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.18546/LRE.14.3.07
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