1

UNIVERSITY OF LUCKNOW

A Doctrinal and Non- Doctrinal Research work done on

Human Rights Education

Submitted for the partial fulfillment of the award of the degree of Master of Laws Under the able guidance of Dr. R.R. Lyall, my subject teacher..

Submitted by: Apoorva Srivastava LL.M. - 2st semester.

CONTENTS

S. no.

TOPIC

Page no.
3

1.

Human Rights - An introduction

2.

United Nations and Human Rights

3.

Human Rights Education- Concept.

4.

Human Rights Education- Position in India.

5.

Human Rights Education and the Lawyers.

6.

Suggestions regarding the approach of Human Rights Education. Conclusions.

7.

11

8.

Bibliography.

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INTRODUCTION
Broadly speaking human rights may be regarded as those fundamental and inalienable rights which are essential for life as human being. But a narrow definition of Human Rights has been given under the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993. Section 2(d) of the Act defines Human Rights as the rights relating to life, liberty, equality and dignity of the individual guaranteed by the Constitution or embodied in the International Covenants and enforceable by the Courts in India. Human rights are the rights which are possessed by every human being, irrespective of his or her nationality, race, religion, sex, etc. simply because he or she is a human being. Human rights and fundamental freedoms allow us to fully develop and use our human qualities, our intelligence, our talents, and our conscience and to satisfy our physical, spiritual and other needs. They are based on mankinds increasing demand for a life in which the inherent dignity and worth of each human being will receive respect and protection. Human rights are sometimes called fundamental rights or basic rights or natural rights. As fundamental or basic rights they are the rights which cannot, rather must not, be taken away by any legislature or any act of the government and which are often set out in a Constitution. As natural rights they are seen as belonging to men and women by their very nature. They may also be described as common rights for they are rights which all men and women in the world would share, just as the common law in England, for example, was the body of rules and customs which, unlike local customs, governed the whole country.1 Since human rights are not created by any legislation, they resemble very much the natural rights. Any civilized country or body like United Nations must recognize them. The legal duty to protect human rights includes legal duty to respect them. International concern with human rights as enshrined in the United Nations Charter is not a modern innovation. It is in fact, heir to all the great historic movements for mans freedom to enduring elements in the tradition of natural law and natural rights and in the most of the worlds great religion and philosophies, and the findings of contemporary science about inter relationship of simple respect for human dignity and other individual and community values. 2Members of the U.N. have committed themselves to promote respect for observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms. 3

HUMAN RIGHTS BEFORE THE UNITED NATIONS: The term human rights was mentioned in
the United States Declaration of Independence in 1776. A bill of rights was embodied in the Constitution of the United States of America. Later a Declaration of Human Rights and Duties was prepared by the institute of International Law, New York (USA) in 1929. In the Inter American Conference a resolution was passed seeking establishment of International Forum for the furtherance of Human Rights of mankind. Before the adoption of the Charter of United Nations, the international community could not determine the extent to which the citizens of an individual State were to enjoy, the civil rights according to its own constitutional precepts. Indeed under the traditional international law States were absolutely free to do what they liked with their nationals. International law as such had nothing to do in the matter because the concept of sovereignty was such that an individual could not be the subject of international law. Even before the First World War, some writers expressed the view that there were certain fundamental rights known as rights of mankind which international law guaranteed to individuals, both at home and abroad and whether nationals of a State or stateless. It was pointed out that such rights comprised of the rights of life, liberty, freedom of religion and conscience, and the like. An example of rights of a mankind or rights of individual is freedom from slavery. This right has been recognized under customary international law since 1815. Subsequently this right was re-affirmed by the international convention such as 1926 Slavery Convention, and the 1956 supplementary convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade and Institution and Practices similar to slavery. Another example is that of the International Convention for the Suppression of Traffic in Women and Children which prohibited trafficking in women and children. But with the exception of such isolated examples, there was no attempt to regulate the human rights at an international level until the establishment of the United Nations.
1. 2. 3. J.E.S. Fawcett, The Law of Nations(Alien Lane, The Penguin Press, London, 1968)p.15 M. S. Mc Dougal and Bebr, Human Rights in the United Nations,A.J.I.L. Vol 56 (1964),p 604 Lauterpacht, International Law and Human Rights, op cit, at p. 152

UNITED NATIONS AND HUMAN RIGHTS Provisions of the Charter concerning Human Rights: With the exception of the pursuit of peace, there
is no cause why the United Nations is more closely identified with than the cause of human rights. Concern with human rights is woven into the U. N. Charter like a golden thread. Human rights would occupy a significant chapter in any story of the U.N. Their place in the original conception of the U.N. is underlined and highlighted in the Charter and there as many as seven references: a) b) c) d) In the preamble; Among purposes of the U. N. ( Article 1.3); Among the responsibilities of the General Assembly [Article(c)]; Among the objectives of the International Economic and Social Cooperation [Article 13(2)] set out in Chapters IX and X; e) Among the functions of Economic and Social Council [Article62(2)]; f) As a responsibility of Economic and Social Council regarding setting up of a Commission for the promotion of human rights ( Article 68); g) Among the objective of the Trusteeship System [Article 76 (c)]

Universal Declaration of Human Rights: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the
General Assembly on December 10, 1948. When the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted, it was a most eloquent expression of hope by a world emerging from the most devastating war in the history of human race. The declaration has been hailed as an historic event of profound significance and as one the greatest a chievements of the United Nations.4The Universal Declaration consists of a Preamble and 30 Articles covering both civil and political rights and economic, social and cultural rights. The Preamble refers to the faith in fundamental human rights in the dignity and worth of human person and the equal rights of men and women. Through the Preamble, the General Assembly proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a common standard of achievement for all people and all nations, to end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the people of Member States themselves and among the people of territories under their jurisdiction. The rights proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, may be classified into the following four categories: i. ii. iii. iv. General ( Article 1 and 2 ), Civil and Political ( Articles 3 to 21 ), Economic, Social and Cultural Rights ( Articles 22 to 27 ), and Concluding ( Articles 28 to 30 )

The provisions of the Universal declaration of Human Rights have influenced various national Constitutions enacted after its adoption. The Indian Constitution bears its impact and this has been recognized by the Supreme Court in India. While referring to the Fundamental Rights contained an Part III of the Constitution in the case of Keshavanand Bharti v. State of Kerala, 5 Sikri, C.J. of the Supreme Court observed: I am unable to hold that these provisions show that some rights are not natural or inalienable rights. As a matter of fact, India was a party to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights..and that Declaration describes some fundamental rights as inalienable.
4. 5. Sir H. Lauterpacht, International law and Human Rights, p.394 AIR 1973 SC 1461.

HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION- CONCEPT

The reasons for teaching and learning human rights were described as early as 1948 in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 6 the basic statement of human rights which continues to be the inspiration of all other human rights instruments and activities. Article 26 (2) of the Universal Declaration provides that education should be directed to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. Education should promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all the nations and racial or religious groups, and further the maintenance of peace. Article 26(2) thus contains the essential reasons which continue to guide the teaching of human rights today. In 1978, UNESCO International Congress on teaching of Human Rights, which convened in Vienna, further developed the reasons for teaching human rights. 7 The Final Act of the Vienna Congress recognized that while education should make the individual aware of his or her own rights, it should at the same time instill respect for the rights of others. 8 Human rights must, moreover, be seen as an aspect of professional, ethical and social responsibility in all fields of research, study, teaching and work. The International Congress also recognized that the teaching of human rights should have among its goals securing the observance of human rights in cases of armed conflict and that therefore it should include the teaching of international humanitarian law. Indeed, the dissemination of the applicable rules of humanitarian law to the armed forces constitutes a legal duty of the parties to the instruments governing the conduct of armed conflicts. Unless soldiers know the human rights applicable in time of armed conflict, their compliance with those binding rules cannot realistically be expected. This is particularly important with the emergence of many newly independent states which do not have armed forces with established military traditions and military manuals.9 The World Conference on Human Rights in the Vienna Declaration and Program of Action (in particular, Para. 33 of Section I ) stated that human rights education, training and public information were essential for the promotion and achievement of stable and harmonious relations among communities and for fostering mutual understanding, tolerance and peace. The Conference recommended that States should strive to eradicate illiteracy and should direct education towards the full development of the human personality and the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It called on all States and institutions to include human rights, humanitarian law, democracy and rule of law as subjects in the curricula of all learning institutions in formal and non-formal settings. Pursuant to a suggestion of the World Conference, the United Nations General Assembly, in its resolution 49/184 of 23 December 1994, proclaimed the 10-year period beginning on 1 January 1995 the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education, and welcomed the Plan of Action for the Decade contained in the report of the SecretaryGeneral.10 Knowledge and awareness of human rights is equally important in time of peace. There has been progress in the observance of human rights because of the pressure of public opinion exerted by peoples on their own governments and on the governments of other countries. Only peoples educated about and aware of their human rights can demand that their governments observe those rights. Human rights education, which is essential for the formation of public opinion and the generation of public pressure for compliance with human rights, is thus a sine qua non for the observance and the advancement of human rights. 11
6. 7. 8. 9. G.A. Res. 217A, U.N. Doc. A/810, at 71 (1948) See Part I(3), Final Document of the International Congress on the Teaching of Human Rights, contained in The Teaching of Human Rights, Proceedings of International congress on the Teaching of Human Rights 40 (UNESCO 1980) Id. Part I (4). See remarks by Dinstein, in Meron, A report on the N.Y.U. Conference on Teaching International Protection of Human Rights, 13 N.Y.U.J. Intl L. & Pol. 881, 918-19 (1981)

10. http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/education/training/decade.htm (last visited on- 25-04-2013) 11. See remarks by Dinstein, id. At 888

Most importantly, knowledge of human rights is essential as a tool for the observance and the promotion of human right and for the creation of a climate of public opinion in which gross violations of human rights are unacceptable. In the past, massive violations of human rights brought about an atmosphere which was conducive to war. While education alone cannot prevent the occurrence of gross violations of human rights, it can create moral and mental inhibitions and a sense of shame on the part of diplomats, leaders, and the military and can thus contribute to the prevention of war. The importance of the creation of a sense of shame on the part of violations or potential violators or potential violators of human rights, long recognized and employed with effective leverage by the International Labor Organization, should be recognized as potentially a major factor which could contribute to the observance of human rights in areas outside the concern of ILO.12 A history lesson on the women's suffrage movement, the civil rights movement, or the Holocaust can be a human rights lesson if the teacher encourages students to see universal principles of dignity and equality at stake in these events. An advocacy group's efforts to address hunger in the community through outreach and legislation can become human rights lessons. A shelter's provision of protection to the homeless or victims of domestic violence can also educate both those who offer services and those who need them. Any day care facility, classroom, or nonprofit organization that promotes respect, fairness, and dignity is instilling human rights values, even if they are not identified as such. Efforts to define human rights education in the 1950s and 60s emphasized cognitive learning for young people in a formal school setting. By the 1970s, most educators had extended the concept to include critical thinking skills and concern or empathy for those who have experienced violation of their rights. However, the focus remained on school-based education for youth with little or no attention to personal responsibility or action to promote and defend rights or effect social change.

A New Tool for Learning, Action, and Change

The limited initial application of human rights education excluded the majority of the population: adults who had finished school or those who had never had the opportunity to attend. However, the rise of human rights activism in the 1960s and 1970s brought with it a growing recognition of the potential of the human rights framework to effect social change and the importance of human rights awareness for all segments of society. Furthermore, as economic integration and advancement in communications have brought all parts of the world closer together, human rights are increasingly recognized as a unifying moral force that transcends national boundaries and empowers ordinary people everywhere to demand that their governments be account able for the protection and promotion of their human rights. This new awareness is not limited to educated elites or developed countries. Around the globe, grassroots organizations of all kinds are using the human rights framework to advocate for social change, for example opposing violence against women, toxic dumping, child labor, and lack of housing or health care as human rights violations. As a result, these groups are providing innovative human rights education to the communities they servethe poor, refugees and immigrants, indigenous peoples, gays and lesbians, rural and migrant peoples, and minorities of all kinds. They have effectively redefined human rights education in the process.

The Right to Know Your Rights

The mandate for human rights education is unequivocal: you have a human right to know your rights. The Preamble to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) exhorts "every individual and every organ of society" to "strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms." Article 30 of the UDHR declares that one goal of education should be "the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms." According to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), a government "may not stand in the way of people's learning about [their rights]." 13
12. See remarks by Wolf on the mobilization of shame by the ILO on a tripartite basis, id. at 932. 13. http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/edumat/hreduseries/hrhandbook/part1B.html (last visited on-25-04-2013)

HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION- POSITION IN INDIA

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. So stated Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. This is what the Indians have been preaching since times immemorial as it has become the immemorial customs of our nation .Human Rights are a fundamental value. There is a long Indian tradition of standing up for the weak against abuse by the strong. Upholding human rights values in every aspect is firmly in our tradition. The Great Mauryan emperor Ashoka the great renounced the path of violence after the massacre in the war of Kalinga The Great Moghul, Akbar the Great granted religious minorities legal status in his realm, One of the most influential was Mahatma Gandhis movement to free his native India from British rule. It is the core of our Constitution and the heart of our national interest today. But the values that we stand for freedom, human rights, the rule of law are all universal values. Given the choice, people all over the world want them. But it is regretting that India who was once looked up by whole world as the pioneer of these values is now groveling in lowly dust of atrocities and human rights abuse. Human rights abuse is sadly a reality in Indian society; it is not just an affront to the values of tolerance, freedom and justice that underpin our society. It is also a tragic waste of human potential.The importance of human rights education hardly requires any over emphasis. It has a crucial role in preventing human rights violation from occurring. The United Nations proclaimed that human rights education is training, dissemination and information efforts aimed at the building of a universal culture of human rights through imparting knowledge and skills and the molding of attitudes. These efforts are designed to strengthen respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, facilitate the full development of human personality, sense of dignity, promote understanding, respect, gender equality and friendship to enable all persons to participate effectively in a free society, and further activities for maintenance of peace. Human rights education, training and public information are, therefore, necessary and essential for the promotion and achievement of stable and harmonious relations among the communities and for fostering mutual understanding, tolerance and peace. Through the learning of human rights as a way of life, fundamental change could be brought about to eradicate poverty, ignorance, prejudices, and discrimination based on sex, caste, religion, and disability and other status amongst the people.

Human rights Education in India: It may be said that in India that the content of human rights education is
not different to what was taught by way of religion, be it Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity or Islam. There is lot of truth in that statement. The quintessence of human rights is also the basic essence of all religions, Love, compassion, loving kindness are the same? However, while teaching religions we confined the obligations arising from these doctrines only to their followers. Human rights could bring in a universal aspect to moral and ethical education. And we in our divided societies are in great need of this On the other hand in the context of rapid secularization we could still retain a basic common ground for respect for each other. We could still be our brothers keepers and withstand value systems which onl y promote selfish ways of life. Indian textbooks barely mention human rights. Indirect references to human rights are included in the Directive Principles of the Constitution of India and in civics and history textbooks. Most universities in India do not offer human rights education, although some have three-month to one-year postgraduate courses on human rights. Section 12(h) of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, requires the Commission to spread hu man rights literacy among various sections of society and promote awareness .The National Human Rights Commission of India and many NGOs have launched a countrywide public information campaign for human rights. It aims to make everyone more conscious of human rights and fundamental freedoms and better equipped to stand up for them. At the same time, the campaign spreads knowledge of the means which exist at the international and national levels to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms. Any education to be effective needs to be contextualized too. Thus it is not enough to teach abstract principles of human rights taken from United Nations documents or our Constitutions. Our historical context as nation as well as local contexts needs to be reflected in human rights education. The contextualizing of human rights is essential for nurturing of peace. Creative reflections on local situations from a human rights perspective would help the schools greatly, to become the societies most important peace makers. In an interdependent global economy, our own prosperity and security can best be guaranteed by tolerant, stable, democratic societies in the regions where we travel and trade. Human rights violations in one country are the concern of other states. That means that the UK, together with other like-minded states, has a duty to respond to massive violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. By making the world better for others, we make it better for ourselves.

HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION AND THE LAWYERS

One might say the ability to practice human rights law is a human right in and of itself. Human rights are generally defined as basic rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled. Legal scholars would include within these parameters such rights as civil and political rights, the right to life and liberty, freedom of thought and expression, the right to food, the right to work and the right to education. While legal practitioners of human rights defense rarely define themselves as human rights lawyers, they are working towards the same goals.14 A Supreme Court Judge, Justice Balbir Singh Chauhan has said, Future lawyers need to equip themselves with knowledge and information if they want to deal with complaints relating to human rights violations. He was speaking on the Role of judiciary in protection of human Rights at the Justice Y V Chandrachud lecture series 2012. Describing the incident of Baba Ramdevs rally at Ramlila Maidan as a clear case of human rights violations, the SC judge advised lawyers to have a sensitive approach while dealing in human rights violations cases. 15 The Legal Practitioner is used in this context to refer to all lawyers, either in private practice or in public service, other than judges or those in academia. They constitute a numerical majority in the profession and are its Torch Bearers in terms of affluence and public visibility. Violation or threatened violation of mostly the civil and political rights is usually ventilated in the Courts. This task falls almost exclusively on legal practitioner, who having regard to his professional calling and training, is entrusted by society with this very fundamental duty. In this capacity he may represent either the state or a private individual or group. On whatever side of the divide he finds himself, he is obligated further to the cause of human rights. It is only natural that a legal practitioner who has rendered services to a client is entitled to his professional charges. This assumes that the client has the capacity to pay fees and the other incidental expenses. But in human rights practice it is dealt with: People who are poor and ignorant and who may suffer unwarranted invasions of their rights without realizing it, or, realizing it, are powerless to defend their rights Thus the practice of human rights law involves, largely, rendering humanitarian services. In such instance, the demands of justice should weigh more heavily on the minds of lawyers then the expectation of pecuniary benefits. Unfortunately, most legal practitioners are hardly persuaded by such exhortations. Lawyer is the product of his society. His views and the perception of the problems of the society are largely influenced by the content of his training. Thus, the law curriculum is yet to be made amenable to the exigencies and demands of the techno scientific age and the jurisprudence of development. Our law teachers have a mammoth task in this direction. It behoves them to fashion out a training program which equip the law students with the relevant knowledge and materials needed to cope with the demands of the present day scientific world

particularly, in the area of human rights law and enforcement.16

14. http://www.nationaljurist.com/content/continued-need-human-rights-lawyers (last visited on-25-04-2013)

15. http://indialawyers.wordpress.com/2012/02/26/sensitivity-must-to-defend-human-rights/ (last visited on-25-04-2013)

16. http://www.nigerianlawguru.com/articles/human%20rights%20law/THE%20ROLE%20OF%20LAWYERS%20IN%20THE

%20OBSERVANCE%20OF%20HUMAN%20RIGHTS.pdf (last visited on-25-04-2013)

SUGGESTIONS REGARDING THE APPROACH OF HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION

Human rights carry no weight unless the people know them, unless the people understand them, unless the people demand that they be lived. Eleanor Roosevelt, President and chair of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, 1946-1952 Education makes people easy to lead, but difficult to drive; easy to govern, but impossible of enslave Henry Peter HRE is acquiring greater importance in the changing national and global scenario in the wake of globalization. While it is opening up new possibilities for realization of creative human potential, there are very disturbing trends in the forms of violence including terrorism within and across the Nation States. The Governments are finding it increasingly difficult to cope with the complexity and magnitude of the problems. This new context may give rise to arbitrary exercise of power by organs of the State resulting in legitimacy crisis. The society should have enough of democratic potential where people, particularly the youth, would play a positive role in facing the new challenges. This is possible only when the people, the younger people in particular, in all walks of life are sensitized and humanized so that they will be a part of the solution and not of the problem. HRE can create the necessary moral, intellectual, and democratic resources for this purpose. The ultimate overall vision of building a humane, participatory and democratic society has to be promoted and sustained. HRE has three dimensions: moral, legal and contextual. The ethical terrain of the human kind lies in its sensitivities and sensibilities which are rooted in the moral potential, which always reminds the people that the world can be a better place than what it is at a given point of time. The standard-setting exercise that international agencies like the UN took up from 1948 with the commencement of Universal Declaration of Human Rights has been an attempt in exploration of the moral dimension of HRE. There was no year after 1948 when the UN did not come up with new fresh standards. Today, there are about one hundred documents in the form of Declarations, Conventions, Covenants and Treaties on human rights. The people all over the world should be enabled to appreciate the deepening of the scope and content of human rights, and their relevance to protect and enlarge human freedoms. The second dimension of Human Rights Education is the rights that are already guaranteed by the Constitution and legal systems of the country. There have been varied laws enacted to ensure equity and justice. Effective enforcement is possible only when the law reigns supreme. It is necessary that a rule of law culture is adequately institutionalized. Rule of law is an objective standard that has the potential to mediate the complex web of social interactions and tilt the balance of power in favor of the weak. The law enforcement agencies will have to be a part of this standard maintaining process. HRE should draw the law enforcing personnel more and more into this effort where they become lifelong learners. The Armed Forces, Police Training Institutions and the other agencies have introduced HRE in their curriculum 17 This is a welcome change and it needs full support and encouragement. Legal literacy in the form of rights education is essential to ordinary people. It is more so to the marginalized and excluded sections like the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes, minorities and women to make them aware of their rights. It would contribute to enhancement of dignity and self-respect of downgraded human beings. HRE should also focus on the concrete changing context and the growing concerns on how the Nation States are responding to these new challenges and devising the forms through which people can express their anger and anguish, but not necessarily through violent outbursts. A creative society will always find ways and means to channelize the human potential for constructive development of the society.
17. http://www.ugc.ac.in/oldpdf/xiplanpdf/humanrights.pdf (last visited on-25-04-2013)

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Human rights are in themselves ends as well as means. They are ends in terms of standards to be attained and are means as they enable and empower the people to use the rights to enjoy the rights. It is both an area of academic enquiry and also a part of everyday life experience of humans as members of a society. Education for Human Rights is applicable at all levels of education. From the childs early years, education of human rights is both practical and necessary. Pre-school and early primary education can highlight a sense of common humanity among children. The older primary school children are aware of social and political issues and they have a right to learn about values which have been universally proclaimed. But at the secondary school level students are mature enough to appreciate more fully the significance of struggle for civic and political rights and for economic, social and cultural rights. But whether Human Rights Education is conducted in the school, or through out of school programs, it must be based on two aspects: the rights of oneself, developing a sense of ones intrinsic worth and dignity as a human being; and the rights of others recognizing that others have the same intrinsic worth as oneself a sense of others as fellow human beings. It becomes very important for the secondary school teachers to understand that it may be the right time now that young peoples intelligence and problem solving abilities, as well as sensitivity, character and taste for action are developed. This will help children to deal with problems in the rapidly changing society. It is important for the teacher to be able to understand the receptiveness and capabilities of individual students at a given age and situation. The secondary stage is more advanced than the elementary stage. Knowledge should now be presented more systematically and the students should be encouraged to develop the capacity for action. Affective development should continue to be encouraged, but greater emphasis should now be placed on the exercise of critical and reflective faculties. Individual and social behavior should be developed in a more analytical and critical way. Students should reflect upon the values underlying behavior. The teacher should encourage the students to explore major contemporary world problems. They should begin by analyzing complete situations and then making a transition to general and abstract considerations and finally moving towards organized action. The secondary school teachers should enable students to work in a democratic manner. They should get themselves enrolled with local, national and international committees so as to promote respect for human rights, the establishment of justice and the safeguarding of peace. The organization, spirit and atmosphere of the school are essential components of education on human rights at the secondary level. The principles of human rights should ideally be reflected in all the daily operations of school life and in the relations between teachers and pupils as well as between members of the two groups. If students have some voice in the affairs of the school and in the planning of their programs, they gain valuable experience, not only in exercising their rights but also in handling responsibilities. The secondary school offers a much wider and varied range of opportunities for teaching about human rights and a broad field of action in which to foster the practice and observance of rights and duties. The greater intellectual maturity of the students, the more advanced treatment of curriculum subjects and the increased possibilities for using such resources as libraries, museums, press, cinema and television are all advantages to be exploited. Secondary school teachers have a greater responsibility on themselves. They will probably have in their care a countrys future leaders and administrators; boys and girls who may later be among those who influence progress in industry, science or the arts. When the teachers in the school join hands to teach human rights the program becomes successful because the teaching of human rights deals with good conduct, and this is the concern of every teacher, whatever his/her subject.

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CONCLUSION
Creation of a strong and pro-active human rights community has been long overdue in India. Human rights can be most effectively imbibed through a well thought out program of education. In fact, education becomes purposive and relevant only when ingrained with human rights education. The task of human rights education can be focused at two distinct levels, namely (a) at the level of the imparters of primary, secondary and higher secondary education and (b) at the level of receivers of education. Notwithstanding the special importance of those who receive education, the present curriculum development exercise has focused on the imparters of the education front. The exercise of developing a human rights curriculum for primary, secondary and higher secondary is being undertaken by the NCERT separately, and it is hoped that very soon their efforts woul d begin impacting our countrys education system at lower levels.18 There has to be a clear roadmap on how to make education perform this important role of transformation in the attitudes and psyche of the persons engaged in teaching and education, else attaining these objectives will remain elusive. The planning to orient teachers of upper primary to secondary stages on human rights and evolving with them modalities of human rights teaching is based on certain basic premises that require total understanding of conditions of violation and sustenance of human rights. With this aspiration in mind, the National Human Rights Commission has facilitated a process of developing syllabus and curriculum guidelines of human rights education for the teachers of schools up to secondary level. The primary aim is to help organizing teachers training across the country through a focused module that would enable grooming teachers at B.Ed courses to be informed about the key human rights concepts with reference to realities in India and abroad. As a cascading effect of this exercise, the child citizens of India will develop human rights mindset in school environment. On the one hand, this will help them perceive the violations of human rights in society at large as their own, and, on the other, will share their deprivations with those to whom human rights mean the most. Negotiating claims should not comprise the concerns of responsibility as a duty-bound citizen. Human rights as a subject can and should be taught so that it is integrated into appropriate disciplines, such as philosophy, political science and law.19

18. http://www.bhrc.bih.nic.in/Docs/Human-Rights-for-Teaching-Professionals.pdf (last visited on-25-04-2013)

19. Part I(9), Vienna Final Document, supra note 2, at 40-41. Human rights are relevant to the teaching of medicine, history,

philosophy, education, sociology, political science, law, international relations, international development, regional studies, international organization, and other subjects. See Buergenthal, supra note 13, at 26. In law, human rights are particularly appropriate for inclusion in courses in international law, United Nations law, European law, inter American law, constitutional law, comparative constitutional law and civil rights law.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Meron, Theodor, ed. Human Rights in International Law, 2 vols. New York: Oxford University Press, 1984. UN Centre for Human Rights, Civil and Political Rights: The Human Rights Committee(Geneva: World Campaign for Human Rights, 1997) Kapoor, S.K., Human rights under International Law and Indian Law, 4th Edition, Central Law Agency. Lauterpacht, International Law and Human Rights, op cit M. S. Mc Dougal and Bebr, Human Rights in the United Nations,A.J.I.L. Vol 56 (1964) Final Document of the International Congress on the Teaching of Human Rights, contained in The Teaching of Human Rights, Proceedings of International congress on the Teaching of Human Rights 40 (UNESCO 1980) http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/education/training/decade.htm (last visited on- 25-04-2013) http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/edumat/hreduseries/hrhandbook/part1B.html (last visited on-25-04-2013) http://www.nationaljurist.com/content/continued-need-human-rights-lawyers (last visited on-25-042013)

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10. http://indialawyers.wordpress.com/2012/02/26/sensitivity-must-to-defend-human-rights/ (last visited on-25-04-2013) 11. http://www.nigerianlawguru.com/articles/human%20rights%20law/THE%20ROLE%20OF%20LAWYERS%2 0IN%20THE%20OBSERVANCE%20OF%20HUMAN%20RIGHTS.pdf (last visited on-25-04-2013) 12. http://www.ugc.ac.in/oldpdf/xiplanpdf/humanrights.pdf (last visited on-25-04-2013) 13. http://www.bhrc.bih.nic.in/Docs/Human-Rights-for-Teaching-Professionals.pdf (last visited on-25-042013)

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