8th Annual Regional Lecturer Workshop on Teaching Human Rights: Transformative Pedagogies in Teaching Human Rights

Background
Since 2017, ASEAN University Network – Human Rights Education (AUN-HRE) in collaboration with the SHAPE-SEA program has been organising annual lecturer workshops on teaching human rights and peace. The objective of the workshops has been to strengthen capacities of university lecturers teaching human rights and peace courses and providing a platform to the participants for mutual learning and sharing. In 2024, AUN-HRE in collaboration the Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies (IHRP), with support from the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights, University of Oslo and Mahidol University propose to organise the 8th Annual Regional Lecturer Workshop focussing on transformative pedagogical approaches in teaching human rights.
8th Annual Regional Lecturer Workshop: Transformative Pedagogies in Teaching Human Rights
In the last decade there has been a rise in the number of human rights related courses being taught in universities across ASEAN countries. However, the context of human rights at global, regional and national level, creates challenges for educators teaching the theory and practice of human rights. Political and cultural contexts in many ASEAN countries poses particular challenges to teaching and discussing certain human rights issues such as freedom of religions and beliefs and the rights of persons with different sexual and gender orientations. At the same time, basic human rights concepts and principles of equality, equity and non-discrimination seem to require greater clarity and defence. Lack of respect for freedom of expression and academic freedom also adds to these challenges. In this context, experts observe that there is a need to shift focus from “what” to teach to “how” to teach human rights. In this regard, AUN-HRE conducted a survey, round table discussion and interviews with university lecturers on pedagogical practices used by them in teaching human rights as part of a research project titled, “Enhancing Human Rights Education in ASEAN/SEA: A Review of Pedagogical Practices and Innovations”. Drawing on some good
Sponsored by practices including the integration of gender perspectives as well as critical and transformative pedagogy, AUN-HRE will organize its 8th Annual Regional Lecturer Workshop that is designed to reflect the three dimensions of human rights education namely, education about, education through and education for human rights.