Menneskeverd og menneskerettighetsundervisning: En sosialsemiotisk multimodalitetsanalyse og drøfting av verdighetsbegrepet i filmen A Path to Dignity: The Power of Human Rights Education

Abstract

This chapter is an analysis and discussion of the globally popular human rights education film: A Path to Dignity: the Power of Human Rights Education. The film is produced by Ellen Bruno and is a cooperation with the UN department OHCHR and the human rights education organisations HREA and SGI. The film combines human rights education and dignity. Our research question is how human rights education and dignity is presented and understood in the film. The film is organized in three parts, and addresses Indian children, a Muslim woman and police in Australia. We have analysed the part about the young children in India. In our discussion of the film we have applied social semiotic theory and related analytical tools. We have analysed the representations, interactions and composition of the film. The result of the analysis shows a focus on the local situation of the children. Through human rights education the children experience a transformation in gaining a sense of dignity. This leads to a particular concern for others whose dignity is violated. The state that is responsible for their human rights is not addressed. The film presents human rights education with an interest for individual children, and dignity is understood morally, as responsibility for the other.