Episode 24: Sandra Sirota, Part Two

Human Rights Education Now!

In Episode 24, Sandra Sirota describes the influence of Paulo Freire’s work, the significance of structured dialogue in social justice pedagogy, and the role of emotions in the classroom. Next, she discusses the changing public human rights discourse in the USA; the power of human rights language; and using tools from peace, anti-racist, and social justice education. She then shares her thoughts on using human rights education (HRE) to advance the rights of children, and how expanding HRE into new places has the potential to impact cultural values and laws by changing patterns of thinking, and how young people educated in HRE can act as change agents. Sandra elaborates on her concerns over rising authoritarianism and the importance of using global HRE during these times as well as increasing opportunities for teacher and teacher educator training in HRE. Lastly, Sandra highlights the ways Dr. S. Garnett Russell and Jane Goodall have been influential role models for her work in HRE, and one critical change which she views would advance HRE in the US.

Topics discussed:

• Influential work of Paulo Freire
• Dialogue in social justice pedagogy
• Role of emotions in the classroom
• Changing public discourse around HRE in the USA
• Power of human rights language
• Using tools from peace, anti-racists, and social justice education
• Human rights education as a way to advance childrens’ rights
• Potential of HRE to impact cultural values, laws, patterns of thinking
• Young people in HRE as change agents
• Rising authoritarianism and importance of global HRE
• Teacher training and HRE
• Dr. Garnett Russell and Jane Goodall as influential role models
• One idea for critical change to advance HRE in the U.S.

Full topic listing available for PDF download HERE.

Listen on our HREUSA podcast website HERE.

Introduction and Closing Music Credit: “Awakening-Spring” by Ketsa, from the Album Night Vision. Available at the Free Music Archive: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ketsa/night-vision/awakening-spring/

This music is used in accordance with this Creative Commons License: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Information about that license is available here https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Human Rights Education Now! is produced and distributed in accordance with Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International. Information about this license is available here: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/