4.3 Human rights education and campaigns

Human rights education
The fundamental role of human rights education is to increase the awareness of individuals in order to defend their rights and those of others. Knowledge of human rights constitutes a forceful means of achieving empowerment. Human rights education needs learners and educators working together to translate the language of human rights into knowledge, skills and behaviour. This necessitates developing an understanding of the responsibility each indi- vidual has in making those rights a reality at the local, national and interna- tional levels: the essence of global citizenship and global responsibility.
The relevant provisions of international instruments define human rights education as constituting training, dissemination and information efforts aimed at building a universal culture of human rights by imparting knowledge and skills and moulding attitudes. This entails the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; the full development of the human personality and a sense of its dignity; the promotion of understanding, toler- ance, gender equality and friendship among all nations, indigenous peoples and racial, national, ethnic, religious and linguistic groups; the enabling of all persons to participate effectively in a free society; and the furtherance of the activities of  the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.