Bridging Our Diversities: A Compendium of Good Practices in Human Rights Education

Equitas and the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner (OHCHR) have jointly launched Bridging Our Diversities: A Compendium of Good Practices in Human Rights Education. This comprehensive publication provides guidance on human rights education programming and builds on mapping, research and analysis conducted in close collaboration with organizations in the Global South as a follow-up to an international conference organized in 2017 by Equitas and OHCHR, supported by Global Affairs Canada.

The themes addressed in this compendium are drawn from those of the conference as they are key elements in the process of ‘bridging our diversities’. These themes are:

• Addressing global challenges
• Gender equality
• Building equitable and inclusive communities
• Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples
• Evaluation
• Engaging decision makers

All these themes cover interconnected issues and strategies which serve to complement each other, rather than functioning in isolation. For example, ensuring gender equality is also essential to building an inclusive community.

The Compendium in 6 chapters

Learn how human rights education can be a powerful tool in addressing global challenges. This chapter provides effective strategies for addressing 21st century problems including poverty, conflict, discrimination, backlash to women’s rights, scapegoating of refugees, shrinking space for human rights defenders, and the rise of populism.

Learn how leading human rights educators promote gender equality through human rights education. This chapter provides concrete examples of how gender equality can be integrated into all phases of a human rights education initiative.

What makes an inclusive community and how can more equitable, inclusive, and safe spaces be built through human rights education? This chapter provides effective human rights education strategies for enabling the meaningful participation of all people in their communities, regardless of their status or position, ethnicity, age, income, sexual orientation, gender identity, language or ability.

Colonial policies and the practices of educational institutions in Canada have played a destructive role in the lives of Indigenous Peoples.  This chapter explores how human rights education can positively contribute to reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples in Canada.

How do we effectively measure the impact of human rights education? This chapter provides guidance for human rights educators on how to carry out effective evaluation of human rights education which will not only improve the quality of their work but also help ensure greater accountability.

Engaging decision makers in human rights education can significantly contribute to the advancement of human rights. This chapter provides effective strategies engaging decision makers in and/or through human rights education.

Bridging our Diversities – A Compendium of Good Practices in Human Rights Education is one of the outputs of the 8th International Conference on Human Rights Education that took place in Montreal, Canada, from November 30th to December 3rd, 2017 organized by Equitas and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) with the collaboration of academic partners, government partners and a number of international organizations, supported by Global Affairs Canada.