A Path to Dignity: The Power of Human Rights Education is a 28-minute movie that presents three stories illustrating the impact of human rights education respectively on school children (India), law enforcement agencies (Australia) and women victims of violence (Turkey).

Human Rights Education Associates (HREA), Soka Gakkai International (SGI) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) have jointly produced this film as a tool to raise awareness about the positive role that human rights education can play in fulfilling human rights.

A key message is that “one person can make a difference” in solving problems in society. Human rights education can transform people’s lives, empowering individuals on a path to dignity and bring about positive change in their respective communities and societies. In this sense, human rights education plays a fundamental role in ensuring equality and equal opportunities, combating discrimination and preventing human rights violations.

The film also shows the significance of United Nations instruments and frameworks ‒ such as the World Programme for Human Rights Education (2005 – ongoing) in advancing implementation of human rights education. A Path to Dignity includes statements by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the President of Costa Rica, a country which has been playing a crucial role for human rights education in the United Nations context.

HREA, SGI and OHCHR started production of the film in 2010 in anticipation of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training, which was adopted by the General Assembly on 19 December 2011.

A Path to Dignity is available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Japanese, Russian and Spanish. For More information, please visit the “A Path to Dignity” Website.

The Carr Center for Human Rights Policy will organize an event at Harvard Kennedy School of Government around this movie on Friday, February 22, 2013, from 12:00 – 1:30 pm at the (in room Taubman 275). For more information about this event, please click here.