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Human Rights Educator

A Human Rights Educator’s goal is to equip people with the knowledge, skills and attitudes they need to claim and defend their rights and the rights of others.

Tasks | Skills | Salary | Requirements | Workplaces | Career Paths | Related Courses | Master’s Programmes

Tasks: What Does a Human Rights Educator Do? 

A Human Rights Educator specializes in designing and delivering educational programs to foster a better understanding of human rights. They create curricula, lead workshops, and empower individuals to become informed advocates for human rights, ultimately promoting respect for human dignity and equality within society. Typical tasks of human rights officers could include:

  • Create curricula, lesson plans, and educational resources that facilitate the teaching of human rights.
  • Lead workshops, seminars, and training sessions to educate individuals and groups about human rights.
  • Empower learners to think critically about human rights issues, encouraging them to analyze and address violations effectively.
  • Work in collaboration with educational institutions, organizations, and community groups.
  • Assess and measure the impact of human rights education programs to continuously improve their efficacy and relevance.

Skills: What Skills Does a Human Rights Educator Need?

A Human Rights Educator should possess a strong background in pedagogy, which includes expertise in designing and delivering effective educational programs. This involves developing clear learning objectives, creating engaging and inclusive curricula, and employing a variety of teaching methods to cater to diverse learning styles and needs.

  • Pedagogical Expertise: Proficiency in instructional design, curriculum development, and teaching methods to effectively convey human rights concepts and principles. This includes the ability to adapt materials for various age groups and educational settings.
  • Empathy and emotional intelligence: A high degree of empathy to connect with learners on a personal level, understand their diverse backgrounds and perspectives, and create a safe and inclusive learning environment.
  • Facilitation Skills: The capability to facilitate group discussions, workshops, and training sessions, fostering open dialogue, active participation, and mutual respect among participants.
  • Human Rights Knowledge: A deep understanding of international human rights laws, treaties, and declarations, as well as current human rights issues, enabling educators to provide accurate and up-to-date information to learners.
  • Openness: An open-minded and receptive attitude to new ideas, perspectives, and feedback, allowing for continuous learning and adaptability in the evolving field of human rights education.

Salary: What Do Human Rights Educators Earn?

The salaries of Human Rights Educators can vary depending on the employing organization. Smaller NGOs tend to offer relatively modest salaries, while larger NGOs and intergovernmental organizations like the United Nations more competitive compensation. For instance, a Human Rights Educator at the OHCHR in Geneva, starting at the P3-Level (higher entry level), receives approximately 11,000 CHF per month (tax-free). In contrast, a Human Rights Educator working with a smaller NGO may earn an annual salary of around 25,000-30,0000 EUR. The table below offers a comprehensive breakdown of Human Rights Educator salaries within the United Nations. Human Rights Educators at the UN are frequently called Training Officers.

Note: UN salaries consist of base salaries plus post adjustment. Post adjustment is a fancy term for a payment bonus you receive every month depending on your duty station and other factors. In the table below Afghanistan includes danger pay and hardship allowance. The UN salary numbers below include post adjustment.

Duty station P-1 (0 years xp) P-3 (5 years xp) P-5 (7 years xp)
New York USD 5,370.52 USD 8,718.10 USD 12,575.89
Afghanistan USD 7,721.38 USD 10,207.88 USD 13,359.10
Vienna USD 4,264.01 USD 6,917.37 USD 9,971.70

Workplaces: Where do Human Rights Educators work? 

Many Human Rights Educators work in schools, colleges, and universities, where they teach human rights courses, conduct workshops, and engage with students on human rights issues. Human Rights Educators can also be found in numerous human rights-focused NGOs such as Amnesty International or Equitas.  Some government departments and agencies also hire Human Rights Educators.

Amnesty International OHCHR Equitas
Council of Europe UNITAR Schools
NGOs Universities Government Agencies

Career Paths: How to become a Human Rights Educator?

Like many jobs in human rights, there isn’t a fixed career path. But if you’re interested in becoming a Human Rights Educator at the UN, gaining experience at human rights NGOs and earning a master’s degree is a good route. Getting into the UN as a Human Rights Educator can be challenging for beginners, so it’s often easier after a few years of experience. While online courses provide foundational knowledge, a master’s degree is typically needed for most Human Rights Officer positions.

Related Online Courses

If you want to become a Human Rights Educator, the courses below can help you develop basic skills and they are a great way to explore your own interests. They are not a replacement for a higher education degree. You can audit the courses for free or opt-in for a paid certificate.

International Human Rights Law

Online Course
🎓 Université catholique de Louvain
⌛ 60 hours
🗣️ English
Topics: Case Studies, Civil Liberties, Human Rights Law, International Law, International Courts, Refugee Rights, Women’s Rights

Child Protection: Children’s Rights in Theory and Practice

Online Course
🎓 Harvard University
⌛ 32 hours
🗣️ English
Topics: Child Protection, Children’s Resilience, Children’s Rights, Human Rights, Human Rights Law, Refugees & Migration

Master’s Programmes to Become a Human Rights Educator

LLM International Human Rights Law

University of Law
🚩 United Kingdom
⌛ 12 months
🕔 Full-time, Part-time
🎓 On-Campus, Online
▶ Apply by December 25, 2024
Founded in 1876, ULAW is among the top universities to study a LLM in International Human Rights Law globally. The curriculum of the LLM focuses on international human rights law, human rights protection and includes practical training on human rights advocacy, international criminal law and dispute resolution. ...

Master of Laws (LL.M) in Human Rights

University of Hong Kong
🚩 Hong Kong
⌛ 24 months
🕔 Full-time, Part-time
🎓 Blended
▶ Apply by February 29, 2024
The Master of Laws (LL.M) in Human Rights Programme (‘Programme’) was established in 1999 in response to the growing demand for knowledge about human rights in the Asia-Pacific region. The Programme focuses on human rights issues of global concern, including in the Asia-Pacific region, and aims to foster an active learning environment....

 

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Human Rights Careers

Human Rights Careers (HRC) provides information about online courses, jobs, paid internships, masters degrees, scholarships and other opportunities in the human rights sector and related areas.

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