BLOG: In the midst of difficult times in education teachers have a role as the defenders of human rights

Inka Havanto, M.A., is a history and social studies teacher, and coordinator of FCA’s Teachers Without Borders network.

The world is in the grip of many crises: climate change, wars, inequality, social polarisation, the erosion of democracy, information warfare, and the spread of misinformation and deliberate disinformation. Human rights, on which democracy and international peace are built, are under threat in many places, including Europe.

TEACHERS ARE ENTERING the classroom today to a range of new worries. Children and young people are experiencing climate anxiety, concern about the possibility of war and crises, and uncertainty about the future.

At times like these, it is important to support students in reflecting on the meaning and status of human rights. It is also important to instill the belief that the future is built – it is not something that just happens. Together, we can build a better future. Teachers have a significant opportunity and role as human rights educators.

The basis for human rights education is laid down in law

Human rights education consists of education, information, and activities aimed at raising awareness of human rights conventions and promoting respect for and the realisation of human rights throughout the world.

Human rights education is based on international human rights conventions that have been ratified by many countries, including Finland. These treaties also require that the subject be taught in schools. The treaty on economic, social, and cultural rights stipulates that education must “strengthen respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms [and] promote understanding, tolerance, and friendship among all nations and all racial, ethnic, or religious groups.”

Human rights education must be linked to real human rights issues

Tuija Kasan, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Helsinki, reminds us of an important point in her doctoral thesis on human rights education in schools, Unveiling Injustices: Revisiting Human Rights Education’s Legal, Political and Moral Ideals in a Nonideal World (2025). Human rights are not just ceremonial speeches or legal declarations, but the foundation of democracy and a just world. Human rights do not happen on their own; promoting them requires active work, visibility, expertise—and education.

Kasa points out that human rights education should not remain at the level of abstract ideals or legal texts, but must address real injustices and everyday experiences: “When students reflect on rights and injustice in real-life situations, learning becomes meaningful.”

Kasa uses the insightful concept of non-ideal theory, which means that attention should be paid to negative moral phenomena such as dehumanisation and inequality. Dehumanisation is one of the most serious human rights violations, which in extreme cases can lead to the destruction of another party and atrocities such as genocide.

“Schools provide an excellent opportunity to practice respect for common humanity and sensitivity to inequality. A just society requires citizens who are capable of thinking about the common good rather than their own interests.”

Human rights crises in the 2020s: the need for education and action

Respect for human rights is a prerequisite for democracy and peace, as stated in the 1948 Declaration of Human Rights. In the 2020s, human rights and democracy face serious challenges. Unfortunately, there is no shortage of topical issues when it comes to linking human rights education to concrete and real situations.

According to the State of Democracy report (IDEA 2024), civil rights and political equality have weakened: between 2019 and 2024, only a quarter of democracies developed, while nearly half took steps backward in their democratic development.

The fragility of democracy and freedom of speech is also demonstrated in the world’s oldest continuous democracy, the United States. Here, lists of words to be avoided have been drawn up for the administration and state funding, including words related to equality, climate change, and anti-racism (New York Times 2025)

In Finland, human rights problems are reflected in recurring racism scandals. According to an EU study (2023), Finland is one of the most racist countries in the EU for people of African descent, with about two-thirds of them having experienced discrimination in the last five years.

The massive war of aggression against Ukraine, which is about to enter its fourth year, highlights the repeated war crimes committed by Russia.

In the Middle East, we have witnessed the escalation of conflicts and a humanitarian catastrophe and famine in Gaza in recent years; Israel’s actions, which according to the UN Commission of Inquiry meet the criteria for genocide, as well as international disregard for the agreed rules of war when Israel responded to Hamas’s terrorist attack.

As social debate intensifies and conflicts and indifference to international law undermine peace and mutual understanding, we need education that strengthens our ability to put ourselves in another’s shoes and defend shared values.

Difficult topics belong in school – teachers provide support

Mikko Puustinen, University Lecturer in History and Social Studies Didactics at the University of Helsinki, edited the book ‘The Space of Disagreement – Dealing with Difficult Topics in Education.’ The book discusses how social polarisation is reflected in education and how difficult and emotionally charged topics – such as politics, racism, gender, and sexual ethics – can be discussed constructively in the context of teaching.

Puustinen emphasises that even though these topics evoke conflicting and difficult feelings and views, they are not necessarily controversial in themselves. For example, the Holocaust and evolution are true, regardless of what thoughts young people may have about them. Everyone should be able to participate in public debate or classroom discussions. However, this does not mean that all opinions or ways of thinking are equally valid in terms of knowledge.

Puustinen points out that the purpose of education is not to make students feel comfortable, but to get them to think. Understanding how reliable information is constructed develops critical thinking and the ability to recognise false and misleading information. It also supports student activity and participation.

There is no need to fear emotions in teaching. Teaching should evoke emotions such as empathy, joy, and understanding. Examples that feel bad, such as slavery, the catastrophic effects of climate change, and war, evoke unpleasant emotions. However, they are also a resource, as they make concrete the importance of human rights and social justice and contribute to the discussion on how to avoid repeating the horrors of history. “The classroom is a safe place to practice disagreement and listening. If schools avoid difficult topics, they teach that these topics cannot be dealt with constructively, together with those who disagree.”

Teachers are not alone – support and training are available

Upper secondary and secondary education in subjects such as geography, social studies, history, philosophy, and worldviews provides an ideal opportunity to address challenging, topical issues and implement human rights education.

Geography, as one example, provides a foundation for understanding different regional perspectives and conflicts around the world and encourages students to act responsibly in their everyday lives. Students are guided to respect human rights around the world, and teaching is linked to current topics by following the latest news from different parts of the world and critically reflecting on the background and regional significance of news events.

Together we can do more – sharing expertise and peer support

Many teachers hesitate to tackle difficult topics such as war, racism, or religion because they fear causing offense or feel incompetent. However, it is precisely the human rights perspective that provides security and direction: it provides a common framework based on law and the curriculum, from which constructive discussion can take place.

When it comes to human rights education, teachers do not have to go it alone. Organisations and researchers offer literature, training, and ready-made teaching methods.

Human rights education is not just about dealing with crises and injustice. It is about strengthening hope and agency, and recognizing the significance of one’s own actions and attitudes. Knowledge, methods, and peer support are important tools in this work. Join our training sessions, share your expertise, and receive support from your colleagues.

Human rights do not preserve themselves. They must be taught, defended, and lived out – now more than ever.

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Join Teachers Without Borders and FCA at the EDUCA education conference from 23-24th January 2026 in Helsinki, Finland.

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This opinion article was originally published in Naturassa 4/2025, the magazine of the Association of Biology and Geography Teachers (BMOL) and on the Teachers Without Borders website in December 2025.

Mikko Puustinen and Tuija Kasa were interviewed for this article.

Photos used in the article show teachers working in various FCA-supported projects. They may appear elsewhere on the website.
Main photo: Antti Yrjönen/FCA