Human Rights

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There is a vast range of teaching and learning materials on human rights for very young children through to adult learners. The wants and needs cards produced by UNICEF had been developed to encourage learners to distinguish between what all people need to survive and their current lifestyles. The cards can be used in many ways but most will ask the learner to make a choice and rank, or select cards that distinguish needs from wants and relate them to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child or the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Discussion points

Looking at the cards - which do you need to make you happy….safe….healthy, etc? Is there anything missing?
You are forming a new government and you want to write a constitution to provide for your people’s needs. Out of 20+ cards, which 14 would you choose to include? You don’t have the budget to provide for all chosen…only choose 8, etc.
Looking at the rights – what are our responsibilities?

Follow-on activities may focus on particular rights that relate to both the UK and other countries. Access to water and food highlight our interdependence. Migration, identity and discrimination can be explored in a UK context.

Statistics that enable comparisons to be made between countries are also very useful to explore development, including such measuring tools as global and carbon footprinting. Those that help us reflect on and challenge development in the Global North as well as South are most useful.

Children’s rights
Source: OXFAM

Developing rights
Source: OXFAM

Reading materials and references:

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