Human Rights Education in Conflict and Occupation: Teaching Human Rights in Palestinian Schools

Abstract: This study builds on the idea that the conceptualisation and implementation of human rights education in the classroom and other instances in the local community can be different from the way in which the concept is understood and described in international policy documents. The literature review indicates that the context and local actors can affect the way human rights education is carried out. However, there has been little discussion on how human rights education practices are affected by a political conflict and oppression. The purpose of this thesis is therefore to increase knowledge about the implementation of human rights education, by contributing with perspectives on how a context marked by conflict and injustice can affect the norms and conditions for education in human rights. The occupied Palestinian territory is used as a case study, and interviews were carried out in which educators and experts describe their experiences regarding teaching human rights in a conflict-troubled society. In the occupied Palestinian territory, there is a large gap between the visions of the human rights instruments and the reality on the ground. These conditions make human rights education – a process that should aim to bridge the gap between international norms and local communities – a challenge both for the educators and for the children being educated. When placed in a context marked by conflict and injustice, human rights education risks becoming both inefficient and counter-productive. Human rights education can have an important role in highlighting human rights violations in the local society and can empower students to stand up for their rights and the rights of others, but it can also lead to frustration and anger. The study also shows that when the context makes it difficult to follow the international ideals, the result is that human rights education practices are guided by and dependent on local norms.