Queering Human Rights Education in Times of Crisis and Conflict

Abstract

Drawing from our personal experiences as educators (one lecturer and two doctoral candidates), in this study we take the term “queering” as a deliberate action to trouble power and replace a binary (either/or) with more nuanced, complex, and fluids ways of understanding the world. We urge to queer Human Rights Education (HRE) in Higher Education Institutions of the Global North in order to think and act upon more just and human possibilities in the field of education. Considering the troubling times we are experiencing as humanity, we offer our critical reflections regarding the role of the field of education, institutions (universities), and actors (faculty/scholars and students). Our lines of inquiry revolve around two main areas: What is the role of HRE within a historical context of increased systematic violations to Human Rights across the globe? What premises, practices, and assumptions regarding HRE should be challenged and reexamined in order to better respond to crisis and conflict at micro, macro, and meso levels? By using queer theory, we plan to examine what is normalized, how it is normalized, and how such normalization has effects on people and institutions (Schmidt, 2010).

Presenters

Daniela Romero Amaya
Lecturer, International and Comparative Education, Teachers College, Columbia University, United States

Details

Presentation Type

Paper Presentation in a Themed Session

Theme

Learning in Higher Education

KEYWORDS

Human Rights Education, Conflict, Crisis, Higher Education, Queer Theory