Why Holocaust Education Is Not Always Human Rights Education

Abstract

The past two decades have marked the parallel rise of human rights education and Holocaust education around the world. The UN World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna in 1993 declared human rights education as a way and means to promote human rights. However, one of the most controversial issues in the promotion of human rights education has been the question of whether Holocaust education contributes to, complements or opposes human rights education. Holocaust education focuses on the past and the history of World War II. It is about learning to empathize with the victims of crimes against humanity that can result in a moral imperative. Human rights education aims to empower the individual to act for his or her rights and the rights of others in the present and the future. It occasionally includes the story of the Holocaust in its training and educational programs but does not necessarily focus on it solely. Holocaust education programs deal with specific issues and target a specific, conflict-affected or historically connected audience to the Holocaust, whereas human rights education targets society and citizens in general anywhere in the world. If we compare concepts of Holocaust education and human rights education, we see the main difference concerning target audience and pedagogical concepts. This article argues that Holocaust education is not automatically human rights education, but Holocaust education can nevertheless be complementary to the latter.

Notes

1. The UN Human Rights Council, in its Resolution 24/15 (October 8, 2013), decided to focus the World Programme's third phase (2015–2019) on strengthening the implementation of the first two phases and promoting human rights training for media professionals and journalists. This resolution was adopted following the OHCHR consultation on the focus of the third phase, as presented in the High Commissioner's report A/HRC/24/24. OHCHR, in consultation with states, intergovernmental organizations, national human rights institutions, and civil society, elaborated a plan of action for the third phase (2015–2019) of the World Programme (document A/HRC/27/28). Available: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Education/Training/WPHRE/ThirdPhase/Pages/ThirdPhaseIndex.aspx.

2. See, for example the Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center. Available: http://www.holocausteducationctr.org; European Agency for Fundamental Rights, Holocaust and Human Rights Education Program. Available: http://fra.europa.eu/en/project/2006/holocaust-and-human-rights-education.

3. See, for example, the illustration of the “grey areas” of victims and perpetrators during and after WWII, by Bettina Greiner (2009).

4. Examples list of Gedenkstättenpädagogik (memorial pedagogic) Literature in German. Available: http://www.gedenkstaettenpaedagogik-bayern.de/bibliographie_gedenkstaettenpaedagogik.htm.

5. See resources and materials available from the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. Available:http://www.ushmm.org/education/foreducators/resource/.