Exercise 3.1. – The human rights poster

Procedure

1. The students form groups of four.
2. The teacher assigns one article representing a human right to each group. Older students can decide which article they wish to deal with and explain their choice (see step 4).
3. Each group prepares a poster on a human right. The poster consists of the following parts:
   a. the title giving the human right;
   b. the text from the European Convention on Human Rights or the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
   c. a picture symbolising the human right (e.g. a car may stand for freedom of movement or a closed front door could stand for privacy);
   d. an analysis of the structure of the human right (for advanced classes), referring to:
   • the persons who enjoy this right;
   • the contents (what the right protects or grants);
   • the means of implementation or enforcement;³

   e. a symbol (e.g. a wheel for freedom of movement or lips for freedom of expression.

4. The groups present and discuss their posters in class.

Extension

The poster can also contain examples of violations of the human right in question and how it can, or should, be enforced.

Variation

As indicated above, the structure of the poster can be varied according to the age group and the students’ knowledge of human rights. The exercise may serve as an introduction or as an application.

When set for advanced classes, the exercise could include aspects such as the type of human right (granting an individual liberry, protecting equality, granting social rights). These could be related to the “generations” of human rights.

Used on its own, this exercise could lead to an isolated academic approach focusing on a single human right. It is therefore recommended to combine this exercise with others that refer to the human rights process, for example the students’ personal experience, issues of violation and implementation of a human right and discussion on the universal nature of human rights.

3. See Yves Lador,Teaching Guide to the European Convention on Human Rights, Geneva/Strasbourg, 1997, p. 53f (how is a human right created?).