Book launch: Pushing the Boundaries of Human Rights Education

We are delighted to host friends, colleagues and Centre members on Wednesday, September 4th to launch a new book, Pushing the Boundaries of Human Rights Education:  Concepts, Challenges and Contexts by CHRCE members, Dr. Ben Mallon, Prof. Fionnuala Waldron and Dr. Caitríona ní Cassaithe.

Aimed at educators, researchers and practitioners, and engaging with a range of concepts, contexts and contemporary challenges, this book offers new insights into HRE, particularly in the context of issues relating to children’s rights education and participation. The world is experiencing one of its most critical periods in terms of the survival and flourishing of human life. Increasing social inequality, political polarisation, coupled with ecological impact of climate breakdown, pose very real threats to human rights globally.

With these contexts in mind, this book pushes the theoretical boundaries of human rights education engaging with complex questions of climate-related injustices, re-imagining education through a decolonising lens, and problematising the relationship between rights and responsibilities. It presents international studies of HRE in varied contexts (e.g. Uganda, Japan, Ireland) to explore the views and experiences of children who identify as human rights defenders, initial teachers’ understandings of concepts such as teacher agency in conflict-affected settings, and the barriers to children’s political agency. The book also highlights HRE in practice including participatory research with very young children as co-researchers and realising rights through play pedagogies, creative writing approaches and picturebooks. A HRE lens is also brought to bear on emerging subjects such as Relationships and Sexuality Education and Wellbeing.

The launch will take place from 6pm to 8pm on the DCU St. Patrick’s Campus (Room E214). Prof Li-Ching Ho from the University of Wisconsin–Madison will be formally launching the book.

The book is dedicated to the memory of Brian Ruane, human rights educator, activist, scholar and founding member of the Centre.