In an increasingly complex global landscape, the need for comprehensive human rights education (HRE) has never been more pressing. Addressing this need, a partnership of two NGOs, Filologisme from Romania and YOMN from Spain, started an Erasmus project, cofinanced by the EU, that has been pioneering innovative educational methods to empower youth workers and educators to have a better understanding on HRE and to better address this topic with young people. By integrating literature and theatre into the curriculum, the project aims to cultivate a deep understanding of human rights among young individuals.
Project Overview
The project targets active youth workers and educators, providing them with advanced competencies in human rights through 16 targeted learning activities. These activities are structured around significant engagement with literature and theatrical methods based on Gestalt theatre, aiming to make human rights education more engaging and impactful.
Educational Methods and Activities
The project employs a dual approach, leveraging both literature and theatre to explore human rights themes, thus:
- Literature: Through the study of different literary texts that address human rights issues, participants in the learning activities gained insights into the historical and social contexts of rights movements. Literature serves as a powerful tool for empathy and social dimension, allowing learners to explore the emotional and ethical dimensions of human rights narratives. This engagement is not only about reading but also involves critical discussions, reflective writing, and the creation of new narratives inspired by human rights principles.
- Theatre: Theatre activities provide a dynamic platform for participants to express human rights issues through performance, which helps in internalizing these values. Theatre fosters a collaborative learning environment where participants can explore and depict human rights scenarios, encouraging active participation and deep emotional understanding.
Impact on Competencies
The integration of literature and theatre in human rights education has shown significant potential in developing key competencies among educators and youth workers. These competencies include critical thinking, empathy, and the ability to communicate complex human rights issues effectively. Such skills are crucial for fostering a culture of respect and understanding for human rights among younger generations.
In our project, we conducted two learning activities in which we exchanged good practices between two NGOs and involved 40 youth workers. An additional 40 professionals participated in testing the methods at the local level to gather improvements and feedback. Based on the feedback questionnaires completed at the end of each activity, we observed that more than 80% of the youth workers and educators were completely satisfied with the methods as presented, while 20% believed that adjustments were needed. However, one of the most encouraging findings was that more than 90% of the participants in the activities found the methods based on literature and theatre to be useful for fostering Human Rights Education (HRE) among young people, especially youngsters, highlighting the effectiveness of non-formal education on them.
Scientific Insights
Research in neurocognitive poetics or educational psychology supports the use of literary and theatrical methods in teaching complex subjects like human rights. Studies have demonstrated that arts-based education can enhance empathy and social awareness, which are critical for understanding and advocating for human rights (Cohen-Cruz, 2010). Cognitive and neurocognitive poetics shows that literature affects the brain consciously and unconsciously. Recent studies by Reuven Tsur (2008) and Arthur Jacobs (2015) show that reading boosts creativity, concentration, and analytical thinking. Neurophysiological reactions, such as heart rate changes during key narrative reading moments, demonstrate the profound impact of literature on readers and the deep connection between text and human experience. Furthermore, interactive methods such as theatre have been found to be effective in engaging students actively in learning processes, thereby improving retention and comprehension of human rights principles (Boal, 2000).
Conclusion
By harnessing the transformative power of literature and theatre, our Erasmus+ project not only educates but also inspires. It prepares youth workers and educators to be leaders in human rights advocacy, equipped with innovative tools and methods to educate and engage future generations. As the project progresses, its impact on enhancing human rights competencies through artistic and narrative approaches promises to be substantial and far-reaching.
More information about the implementation of the project on our Facebook page: Human Rights Education GESTALT-LIT