IN THESE LESSONS, WE WILL:Understand that human rights are essential to a

democracy.Understand that different people have different perceptions of human rights. Understand how these differing perceptions have impacts on the real world. Learn the difference between political/civil rights and economic/social/cultural rights and discuss which are more important.Examine who should be responsible for enforcing/stopping human rights abuses: Governments, NGOs, the UN, or individuals.Examine whether poorer countries should be held to the same human rights standards as richer countries.Look at current human rights issues/hotspots around the world and efforts to protect human rightsAssess the level of human rights in Hong KongAOI FOCUS: COMMUNITY AND SERVICE

the WALL of HUMAN RIGHTS

Come up and write whatever you think about when you hear the words “human rights”. There

should be no talking when doing this.

Human Rights VideosHuman Rights Videos

HUMAN RIGHTS TIMELINEUsing your reading and the video, come up with

a timeline of the five most important (according to you) events in human rights history (They do not have to be positive!).

event 1 event 2 event 3 event 4 event 5

Human Rights Abuses

Look at the following maps and diagrams in groups of four.

Look them over for words/phrases you do not understand. Try to figure out what they mean as a group before asking the teacher.

What are the three most surprising pieces of information on the maps/diagrams?

What conclusions (at least three) can you draw from the maps?

**AOI: Community and Service

HuMaN rIgHtS cAsEsGroup UP^ in groups of 5!Read the five Human Rights cases aloud in your group (every person MUST read one of the cases aloud).Answer the questions about each TOGETHER!Discuss:

Where there are points of agreement/disagreement.In which cases do you think the government should protect the human right?What if the government is unable/unwilling to protect that human right?

Prioritizing Human Rights

Separate your sheet of paper into 14 different cards (including 2 blank)I will read off 2 cards. You put the right you think is more important on the top.I will continue to read off cards. After each, put it in the place you think it fits in your hierarchy of importance.ADD ANY RIGHTS YOU THINK ARE MISSING TO THE BLANK PIECES AND PUT THEM IN YOUR HIERARCHYReflect: Was this difficult? Was it easy? Why or why not? Give examples!When done, compare your hierarchy with that of the person next to you, looking for similarities and differences. Defend your decisions!

**AOI: Community and Service

Calculate Statistics on which rights the class thinks are the most

important...How could we best do this?

Why do you think people have different ideas on the importance of

human rights? What are the real life consequences of people not always being able to agree on which human rights are most

important?

THE TWO TYPES OF RIGHTS

Which category does each of the rights belong to? Which are more important? Why is the UN concerned

with economic rights?**AOI: Community and Service

•freedom from slavery, discrimination and torture•free basic education equal protection under law freedom of movement •employment suffrage •fair wages & equal pay for equal work freedom of thought, opinion, expression, association, and religion •an adequate standard of living (food, clothing, housing)

•life•press•freedom from torture•nationality•innocent until proven guilty•freedom from arbitrary interference in privacy•freedom to marry and start a family•ownership of property•freedom to form trade unions•rest and periodic holidays with pay•social security

POLITICAL AND CIVIL

ECONOMIC, CULTURAL, and

SOCIAL

BOTH?

**AOI: Community and Service

Who is Responsible for stopping human rights abuses?

HW: Amnesty... which activist are you?

?THE UNITED THE UNITED NATIONS?NATIONS?

INDIVIDUAL INDIVIDUAL GOVERNMENTSGOVERNMENTS

??

NON-GOV NON-GOV ORGANIZATIONSORGANIZATIONS

??

INDIVIDUALS?INDIVIDUALS?

**AOI: Community and Service

:) How can they protect Human Rights?

What are their limts or Shortcomings?

National Government

s

The United Nations

International Courts

NGOs

Individuals

Reflect:Who is best suited to protect human rights when abuses occur? Why?

**AOI: Community and Service

HW:Research a civil society organisation e.g NGO that works in defending human rights

Domestic Workers Video from HRW

**AOI: Community and Service

Report on HK and Domestic Workers

BURNING QUESTIONS IN HUMAN RIGHTSWhen one set of rights infringes on (or violates) another, how should we decide whose rights and which rights take priority (which are more important)?

Should human rights include the full spectrum of rights? (political, civil, economic, cultural, social)

Is it possible to agree on a definition of human rights given the diversity of values held by people around the world?

Should the international community have the authority to try human rights violators?

Should there be limits to state sovereignty when basic rights are threatened by genocide?