Kerry Kennedy, the daughter of assassinated US politician Bobby Kennedy, is launching a human rights curriculum which aims to teach students how confronting injustice can bring change.
The programme tells the stories of people who have faced imprisonment, torture and repression – and will help teachers explain current news about refugees fleeing Syria.
It aims to show students how resistance and perseverance create change, and how anyone, no matter who they are, can make a difference.
The curriculum – called “Speak Truth to Power” – will include issues such as slavery, environmental degradation, religious freedom and political engagement.
It uses the stories of human rights activists from around the world to encourage students to act to stop abuses.
Ms Kennedy, who is the president of Robert F Kennedy Human Rights, the Washington-based human rights charity, hopes the curriculum will make students “citizens of the world”.
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Speaking ahead of the launch today at Lilian Baylis Technology School in Vauxhall, south London, she said: “I would love to see teachers across the United Kingdom bring the curriculum to their schools and students, creating the tiny ripples of hope that lead to real and lasting change.
“The idea is to blend human rights into the very fabric of what schools teach, not to regard it as something ‘extra’ or incidental to their missions.”
Education Secretary Nicky Morgan, who will speak at the event, welcomed the initiative. She said: “We want all young people to leave school well-rounded, confident and resilient, and fully prepared for life in modern Britain.
“That means encouraging them to become active and engaged citizens, promoting integration and building a One Nation society.”
The programme is currently taught to more than one million students in the United States and around the world at levels from pre-school to law school.
It would be up to individual schools whether they adopt the curriculum, which is free. The materials are provided online and training is funded by Robert F Kennedy Human Rights.
