Good schools as a human right

You know that the lousy schools in poor neighborhoods have devastating effects on the lives of kids and reinforce injustice. Educational inequity violates the human rights of students in low-income communities and communities of color.

Now there’s a new training manual for advocates, organizers, community members, parents, and youth interested in using a human rights framework as a tool for improving public education in the U.S. It was produced by the National Economic and Social Rights Initiative (NESRI) and Community Asset Development Re-defining Education (CADRE), a grassroots parent organization in L.A.

The manual includes three training curricula: (1) Know Your Human Rights -- Introduces participants to basic human rights principles, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and standards for the right to education; (2) Using Human Rights for Social Change -- Introduces participants to strategies for using the language and principles of human rights in their campaigns and messaging; (3) Taking Action by Documenting Human Rights Abuses -- Introduces participants to research methods for documenting rights violations in schools and tips for using documentation as an organizing tool. The appendix includes training handouts and exercises, a glossary of human rights terms, and excerpts from human rights treaties and declarations recognizing the right to education. To order hard copies email info@nesri.org or call 212-253-1710. Available in English and Spanish online in PDF format at:http://www.nesri.org/programs/education_manual.html