Being Human and Having Rights : Human Rights Education and Racism at the United Nations and in Curaçao

Abstract

Does human rights education automatically contribute to counteracting racism? Or can it actually help maintain racism? Lisenne Delgado investigated how the United Nations human rights framework and human rights education in Curaçao both have deep historical roots. The colonial legacy is still present in our view of human nature and the world, in contemporary racism and in dominant views on what human rights are. According to Delgado, we should acknowledge different perspectives on (historical) reality as well and give them a place in human rights education. For secondary education teachers and pupils in Curaçao, the current curriculum – with its focus on Western benchmarks such as the French Revolution – therefore needs a thorough revision, even though if it does not prevent pupils from interpreting 'human rights' in their own way.