On the occasion of the International Human Rights Defenders Day, a debate on re-launching of human rights education in schools of Odisha was organised by the Institute of Human Right Education (IHRE) with hundreds of human rights defenders, advocates, dchool students, teachers and journalists participating in the event at the Bhanja Kalamandap here on Wednesday.
Guest of honour Justice M Papanna said, “The State and democratic forces should come forward for human rights defenders’ protection and establish rule of law. However, in some regions, death threats are used widely as a means of frightening and threatening them into stopping their work. Human rights defenders are sometimes abducted for short or long periods and beaten during their captivity.
On the occasion a book Human Rights-An Introduction for school children was released.
“How can we expect children to show this value to each other if they do not even know what their human rights are and what it is they are supposed to value in somebody elseIJ So, it is for teachers to teach them,” Justice Papanna said.
IHRE State coordinator Pradipta Nayak said human rights awareness should be reflected in the school curriculum. The education department needs to revise school curriculum for this purpose. “We want to have a curriculum that is relevant and meaningful for children, and human rights have to be part of that,” he added.
Padmashree Dr Debi Prasanna Pattnaik said, “The fundamental flaw in the “Right to Education” was the abandonment of the concept of common schools. “We cannot achieve universality and quality unless all students study in the same classroom. All children should be given equal opportunity to earn education,” he said.
The speakers expressed concern over the increasing threats to human rights defenders. Especially, right to information workers and journalists are targeted in Odisha, they said.
A consensus emerged among the participants that there should be a sustained campaign to protect the interest of the unprivileged people. Also, steps should be taken to promote human rights educations in high schools and colleges as a compulsory subject in Odisha.