Human Rights Lens

“Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home- so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world…” (Eleanor Roosevelt)

Instructions for the workshop

The workshop, consisting of two parts, will take from six to eight hours.

The activities must be adapted to the relevant age group and prior knowledge on human rights and photography.

PART 1: Human rights and protection mechanisms

• Activity: What are human rights? (30 min.)
• Activity: Analysing the human rights situation (1.5 hours)
• Activity "Human rights timeline" (2 hours)

PART 2: Photography

• Activity: Take pictures of human rights (3 hours).

After the workshop the participants should have:

• Acquired knowledge about international human rights, and learned that nation states have the main responsibility for protecting these rights.
• Reflected on human rights and democratic dilemmas in their own surroundings and their own lives.
• Documented their own reflections using photographs as a tool.

Tips to the facilitator

The participants can prepare local photo exhibitions (in schools, libraries, markets and festivals). With support from Sparebankstiftelsen DNB, the Human Rights Academy has introduced the Human Rights Lens in eight upper secondary schools in Norway (2021/22).

The end product is local exhibitions developed by the pupils. Check the HRLens.no website, which presents a selection of pupil projects.

“I believe that it’s very important that young people are challenged about human rights and experience how their own photo production can influence things in the right direction.”

(Bruno Jose Teixeira Coelho, media and communication teacher at Charlottenlund upper secondary school, Norway)

Background

The Human Rights Lens (HRL) has been developed by the pedagogical network "Frame". The Human Rights Academy was a collaboration partner in the project in 2019/2020 with support from the Nordic Council of Ministers. The HRL has been used in collaboration with education institutions in Sweden, Finland, Russia and Norway.

(English translation: John Anthony)