by paula gerber
(2004) 9(1) Deakin Law Review 61
In December 1994 the United Nations proclaimed both the Decade for Human Rights Education (1995-2004) and the Decade... more
In December 1994 the United Nations proclaimed both the Decade for Human Rights Education (1995-2004) and the Decade of the World's Indigenous People (1995-2004). Despite the fact that these two initiatives are running in tandem, very few people have drawn any correlation between the two. There is a growing body of academic work relating to human rights education, and many scholars have published work dealing with indigenous issues, yet scant attention has been paid to HRE for indigenous people. The two subjects have been treated as if they run in parallel lines, with little thought being given to how the two intersect or relate to each other.
This socio-legal research seeks to redress this oversight, at least in part, by answering the question - how appropriate is the international movement for HRE for indigenous people? In other words, do indigenous people require different HRE from that which is intended for the dominant culture?
The conclusion reached is that, not only are there very few Human rights education programs for indigenous people, but many of the ones that do exist, while well intentioned, are not appropriate for an indigenous audience.
The suitability of the curricula used to teach HRE to indigenous people, and the manner in which the curricula are delivered, are critically analysed.
The paper concludes with an evaluation of the HRE programs being offered to indigenous people and some criticisms of the models, curricula and methodology being employed.
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