Model Human Rights Defenders - School

Model Human Rights Defenders at School (2016-2017) is a project funded by the Delegation of the European Union in Skopje. The project’s objective is fostering intercultural dialogue, non-discrimination and inclusion in the Macedonian education system as a strategic toll of promotion of human rights and democracy. Human rights, democratic participation, workers’ rights and rights of minorities are in fact considered interrelated issues in the Macedonian society and their systemic introduction in the education system is still an urgent need to build an intercultural and not just multicultural society.

The specific objective is therefore promoting intercultural human rights education in 8 secondary schools of the country. The project has been identified by CISS in partnership with the local NGO CDIPL. CDIPL is an independent CSO established in Tetovo in 2004 to foster the personal and community rights.

The project wants to support the introduction of Human Rights Education in the intercultural perspective of an integrated education system. Inside the school system, it enhances the monitoring of all forms of discrimination based on culture, language, gender, disability, age, religion, etc. The project is directed to promote a new interactive didactical tool “Model Human Rights Defenders” fostering interethnic, inter-religious and intercultural tolerance and understanding.

At the core of the project there will be a participatory experience (the “Model”) built by the teachers with their students to react against segregation and discrimination and monitor the respect of HHRR. The project foresees a research with interviews to students, teachers, civil society organizations and public authorities, which aims to investigate the social exclusion and discrimination practices in the macedonian schools and in the society in general.