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Understanding
Economic & Social Rights  Full enjoyment
of human rights requires that every individual has an adequate standard
of living, food and education, as well as opportunities
to become a productive citizen. Economic and social rights therefore
complete the requirement for full human rights and dignity. Unlike
civil and political rights, with economic and social rights, it is
often hard to see who is the violator. Cases such as the following
help to analyze these complex issues.
Wide
Angle – Global
Classrooms
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/classroom/lp.html
Lessons dealing with conflict, economics, power & politics are
all thought provoking, and address different angles on the Human Rights
Theme. Using a process known as Academic Controversy to explore global
issues in the classroom, this site engages students in a deep exploration
of some rather complex issues, pushing their thinking beyond the boundaries
and limitations of traditional debate. One excellent lesson plan in
particular provides an opportunity to explore human rights violations
and international courts of law by having students focus on the case
study of Slobodan Miloseviç's regime.
In both Academic Controversy and traditional debate, students research
and argue one side of an issue or question. In Academic Controversy,
however, students then go on to switch sides, making the case for the
opposing position. Both sides then work together to reach a resolution
that synthesizes elements of both positions. Instead of a win-lose,
competitive framework, Academic Controversy utilizes a collaborative
process of communication, perspective-taking, and problem-solving.
This enables participants to move away from a narrow focus to an understanding
that encompasses broader contexts and brings into perspective the underlying
needs of both sides.
Curriculum
Links & Objectives:
Grade 7 Social Studies – Unit 3 on Power
- Know the purpose of the United Nations and Canada's role in the UN.
- Appreciate that, while individuals have the right to equality and
freedom, they also have the responsibility to consider the consequences
of their own freedoms on others.
- Provide justification for expressed opinions.
Grade 8 Social Studies - Unit 4 on Interdependence
- Classify and present information and ideas in logical formats.
- Compare and contrast information and ideas in a variety of formats:
written, oral and graphic representations.
Social Studies 20 – Unit 1 on Human Rights
- Learn and practise using concepts to categorize and classify information
so that the information can be analyzed.
Social Studies 20 - Unit 3 on Environment
- Work through problem-solving processes.
- Use problem-solving skills to identify possible ways of dealing with
the issue.
Global Classroom Resources: Approaching WTO Education
http://www.world-affairs.org/archive/globalclassroom/WTO99/wtofron.pdf
http://www.world-affairs.org/archive/globalclassroom/WTO99/wtoeduc.pdf
Bring a balanced perspective on the World Trade Organization into
your classroom by engaging students in international trade disputes
dealing with issues such as tariffs, sanctions, free trade and fair
trade. Look at how these issues affect human rights, labour rights
and the environment. This curriculum guide, written by Global Source
Education along with educators from the World Affairs Council of Seattle,
includes multiple perspectives surrounding the debates and four classroom
lessons on various controversial policies. Though the PDF format makes
this site more difficult to navigate, its relevance to current events
makes it worth the effort.
Obstacles to global corporate “progress” are routinely
suppressed - even if those "obstacles" are laws or decisions
made on behalf of labor and human rights, environmental protection,
social justice, and democracy. Though still relevant, the aforementioned
site was written prior to the WTO talks in Seattle, December 1999.
For more current information about what has happened since then, the
world trade organization, and some of its recent controversial rulings
check out the International Forum on Globalization’s site: http://www.ifg.org/aboutwto.htm as well. The information from the second will complement the activities
of the first site.
Curriculum
Links & Objectives:
Grade 6 Social Studies – Unit 3 on Identity
- Develop a strong sense of critical and creative thinking, especially
as it applies to the relationship between human rights and human needs.
Grade 7 – Unit 3 on Power
- Appreciate that decisions resulting from the use of power have consequences
for others.
- Know the purpose of the United Nations and Canada's role in the UN.
Social Studies 20 – Unit 3 on the Environment
- Examine the conflict between protecting the habitat and satisfying
human needs.
History 20 – Unit 5 on Global Issues
- There are challenges/issues that are global in that they have global
consequences and will require global involvement in seeking solutions
to those issues.
Social Studies 30 - Unit 5 on Globalization
- Consider how changes might be made in the way nations make decisions
on international issues.
- Know that Canadian governments in developing foreign policy have
to resolve ambivalent and contradictory pressures both from within
and without Canada.
- Know that developing foreign policy involves a process of dialectical
evaluation in order to weigh the consequences of alternative policies.
Law 30 - Unit 8 on International Law
- Appreciate the need for domestic ratification of international treaties
and agreements.
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