A tri-national project on Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education ASPnet schools from Israel, Germany and Canada

UNESCO Associated Schools continuously ask how human rights can be implemented. Strong democracies and education are the key elements on the road to success. This is why in our schools, much emphasis is put on education for democratic citizenship, human rights education, intercultural and global learning.
In 2009 ASPnet national coordinators from Israel, Germany and Canada decided to conduct a series of workshop to benefit from the experience of one another.
In February 2011 teachers and national ASPnet coordinators from the three countries met for the first time. They discussed the topic: "From Shoah to Human Rights".

In November 2011 a second meeting took place in Berlin. Here the participating teachers and coordinators focused on Peace Education, Human Rights Education and Education for Democratic Citizenship.

Places for learning outside of school were included in the workshop programme:

• The German Parliament,
• The Jewish Museum,
• The Hohenschoenhausen Memorial, former East German Secret Police prison.

The participants talked with Marina Schuster, a member of the Committee on Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid of the German Parliament, experts and contemporary witnesses like Vera Lengsfeld, an East German civil rights activist. Together the teachers discussed how these places can be made part of an efficient Education for Democratic Citizenship.
The Nelson-Mandela-School, a Berlin UNESCO Associated School was another place where the participants exchanged their views with teachers and students.

In a second part the teachers worked on concrete teaching and learning concepts, which will serve to further develop PE, EDC and HRE in the participating countries.
These concepts are made available to the school networks, further educational institutions and the public, through the website and the newsletter of the German UNESCO Associated Schools. Following the end of the workshop teachers from the three countries will further work on these concepts.

Résumé

The ambitious workshop goals have been achieved. Despite the short time available, the participants took a lot of ideas home. These are the results:

1. Human Rights in Action – a practical project
2. A collection of HRE ideas for the classroom
3. A Learning Programme for Peace Education (elementary, junior high school and high school levels)

A Website with Strategies, Lesson Plans, Useful Links, Suggested Reading Materials etc.

All these materials will be made available to the participating Associated Schools networks via websites and newsletters.