Timeline: Climate and human rights
In this groupwork the participants shall place pictures in chronological order to illustrate important events and developments related to the climate, environment and human rights. Science, organisations, international agreements and individuals are the driving forces behind these historic developments.
Quick facts
Activity goals
- To obtain knowledge on how climate and environmental changes affect human rights, and how this connection has become clearer in recent decades.
- To understand that human rights are a state obligation, but that organisations and individuals play important roles in realising them.
Instructions
Preparation
- Print out the pictures for the timeline (one set for each group).
- Prepare the room for group work. Timelines can be marked with tape down the middle of each table or on the floor. The line goes from the 18th century and up to the present. Alternatively, the participants can just place the pictures in order chronologically on the (table or floor).
- After the group work the facilitator will display the pictures using a PowerPoint presentation and explain the meaning behind each picture.
Group work (20-30 minutes)
- The facilitator divides the participants into groups of four or five. Each group is given a pile of pictures for the timeline.
- The groups are assigned the following task: “Examine the pictures, discuss and attempt to place them in chronological order from 1700 to 2025". The groups do not need to give exact years. The purpose is to reflect on the topic and the historic order of events.
- When the groups have finished, the facilitator will visit each group, examine their work and acknowledge their efforts. (It takes too long if all the groups are to present their timeline in the plenary session.) This is the facilitator’s task after the groups have finished. Note: This is not a contest about placing the most cards “correctly”.
Summary (20 minutes)
- The facilitator reviews the pictures in chronological order playing the PowerPoint presentation and talks about the topic. Here is a description of the pictures (link).
Reflection
- What do you think about this assignment?
- What does the timeline tell us?
- Who has the most importantresponsibility for protecting human rights?
- What do you believe is the connection between the climate, environment and human rights?
Debriefing
Even though important progress has been made, the climate crisis is still the greatest challenge of our time. It is therefore important to learn from history. Development does not take place because of one measure or one major solution, but rather through a number of efforts, big and small, over time. Knowledge and understanding of contexts, technology, binding agreements, human rights, political will and a strong civil society have been driving forces for positive change in the encounter with climate challenges.
We have earlier shown that climate challenges can be solved. The efforts to close the hole in the ozone layer and clean up air pollution have given results. Many conservation projects have saved threatened species. Climate lawsuits have compelled states to modify their climate plans, and international agreements have strengthened their obligations when it comes to green restructuring. Even though the climate crisis demands a huge amount of measures, we can learn from earlier solutions and use them as an inspiration to achieve new and vital breakthroughs.
When the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted in 1948 climate and environmental issues were not high on the international agenda. The focus back then was on reaching agreement on and eventually ensuring fundamental human rights after the devastating world war that cost the lives of more than 70 million people. But in recent decades, due to climate change that is increasingly threatening livelihoods and fundamental rights the world over, climate and environmental issues have gained an increasingly important place in human rights work and international agreements.
