The Human Rights Movement ‐ Building Bridges through a Common Value System: Special Attention on Human Rights Education as a Strengthening Tool

Abstract

In the summer of 1995, shortly after the UN launched the Decade for Human Rights Education,Henry Steiner, Director of Harvard University’s Law School Human Rights Program, provided added momentum for the campaign with these words of inspiration, “As little as two years ago, rare was the university whose curricula included human rights studies. Much has changed, to the point where one no longer questions why such studies should be offered but rather how they could be ignored.” While this is not entirely the case for the whole of universities spanning the globe, including Bulgaria, it does point favorably towards a growing mentality in the importance of human rights education. Grasping the significance of human rights education is an essential component for the full manifestation of human rights, and unfortunately, it is an element still missing. This, in a time when society should be moving to the next dimension‐beyond what we already know to be necessary to creating the reality that is, specific action to...