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UNRWA Innovates: Human Rights Education and Student Parliaments Take the Right to Education to the next level

31 August 2021

From its inception, UNRWA education has innovated to provide the best possible learning environment for Palestine refugees. In 1950, the Agency offered pre-vocational training to 600 young women and men to supplement their education. Fast forwarding to 1999, UNRWA began teaching Human Rights, Conflict Resolution and Tolerance (HRCRT) Education in its schools. This supplementary content sought to empower Palestine refugee students by encouraging them to know and exercise their rights, uphold the rights of others and be proud of their Palestinian identity. In 2012, UNRWA has adopted an HRCRT Policy to update and harmonize HRCRT Education in all five fields of operation across the Middle East. By 2013, an HRCRT Toolkit was developed as a practical guide for UNRWA teachers to help them create and sustain a culture of human rights in their classrooms and schools!

In 2014, UNRWA began celebrating Human Rights Day as a means to reach out to communities and to promote a culture of human rights. While increasing community awareness about human rights, celebrating Human Rights Day also demonstrates to parents, and the community at large, that in UNRWA schools children are learning to create a better world by becoming active, responsible, and respectful citizens. Human Rights Day activities at the UNRWA Hussein Eid School, Damascus, Syria. © 2016 UNRWA Photo by Taghrid MohammadIn 2019, all UNRWA schools designated the ‘Standing Together to Stop Bullying’ Day as February 21. The day focuses on informing students about the causes and effects of bullying, as well as the ways that we can work to combat it. Activities on the day include interactive, child-friendly activities which incorporate parents and the community at large. Student from the UNRWA Hebron Boys’ School participating in the ‘Standing Together to Stop Bullying’ Day activities, West Bank. © 2020 UNRWA Photo by Marwan BaghdadiUNRWA school parliaments have been a key component of the HRCRT Programme since 2001 and consist of elected representatives from each section (classroom) in a school. Every year, all UNRWA schools hold elections to form the School Parliaments and the elected students are tasked with representing all students and supporting their local communities. School Parliament elections at the UNRWA Al Mashare’ Preparatory Girls’ School in Jordan. © 2019 UNRWA photo by Ala’a AmouraA Field-level Student Parliament comprises all presidents, vice-presidents and secretaries of the Area-level Student Parliaments in that Field. UNRWA has five Field-level Student Parliaments. Each of these elect a president, a vice-president and a secretary. At the Field-level, student parliamentarians meet regularly with the Field Directors to help resolve issues in their Fields and represent their peers in high-level meetings. Here, the Gaza Field Level Parliament meet with Secretary-General Mr. António Guterres. © 2017 UNRWA Photo by Tamer HamamIn November 2017, the first Agency-wide Student Parliament (ASP) was created. The ASP comprises 22 members representing each of the Agency’s five fields of operation. The overall goal of the establishment of the ASP is to increase the participation of UNRWA students across the Agency, as well as locally, regionally, and globally. ASP members Aseel Soboh and Ahmad Baker speaking at Global Business Coalition for Education meeting at U.N. General Assembly. © 2018 UNRWA Photo by Ozlem EskiocakIn addition to updating how elections were run to ensure compliance with COVID-19 best practices, the UNRWA ASP also developed an awareness-raising animated video. All the messages used HRCRT animated characters that UNRWA students are familiar with from existing HRCRT videos. UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini visits an UNRWA school in Sbeineh camp and met with school parliamentarians in October 2020. © 2020 UNRWA Photo by Taghrid MohammedMeet Majd Qatanani. A twenty-year-old Palestine refugee living in Jordan, he graduated from UNRWA schools in 2017 and is the founder and CEO of the Green Mark Project. It’s a social venture that offers landscaping and gardening services for rooftops, playgrounds and public spaces. “As an UNRWA student, and a member of the Student Parliament as well, I had the opportunity to learn about human rights and youth activism, which motivated me to be a leader, a youth activist, and a problem solver,” said Majd. © 2021 UNRWA PhotoAnother ASP achievement was when Aseel Soboh, a 17-year-old UNRWA student from Lebanon and a member of the first-ever ASP addressed the 2021 ECOSOC Youth Forum Ministerial Roundtable. This interactive virtual roundtable featured discussions among Ministers, government representatives, youth organizations and youth delegates on national progress, gaps and next steps in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda with and for youth. “As a representative of Palestine refugee youth, my message for you is that we want to contribute to change, like young people everywhere. Young Palestine refugees, like all young men and women everywhere, are change makers. We too are the future,” said Aseel. © 2021 UNRWA Photo

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