Human Rights Education Now!

Human Rights Educators USA
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Human Rights Education Now! is a podcast that aims to (1) inform a broader audience in the U.S. and internationally about human rights education (HRE) stories, practices, related issues and theories, (2) expand awareness and knowledge about HRE USA and its programs, and (3) engage partner individuals, groups and organizations in changing the conversation about rights in the U.S. to one employing a human rights education lens.

  1. Aug 3

    Episode 78: Dr. Abraham Magenzo

    Dr. Abraham Magenzo is one of Latin America's leading scholars in human rights education. He earned his Licentiate in Education from the University of Chile, a master's degree in Education and History from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a doctorate in Education from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Throughout his distinguished career, he has served as Director of the Interdisciplinary Program for Educational Research (PIIE), a member of Chile's Center for Training, Experimental and Pedagogical Research, a professor and researcher at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, and a member of the Curriculum and Evaluation Unit in Chile's Ministry of Education. Abraham has worked as an educational consultant for organizations including the Organization of American States (OAS), UNESCO, the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI), the Ford Foundation, and the Carlos Galán Institute in Colombia. He is an active member of both the Chilean Network and the Latin American and Caribbean Network on Human Rights Education. His contributions to education have been recognized with Chile's Gabriela Mistral Award in 2004 and the country's National Education Award in 2017. He currently serves as a professor at the Universidad Academia de Humanismo Cristiano in Santiago, Chile. —-------- In Episode 78, Dr. Abraham Magenzo reflects on the personal and historical experiences that shaped his lifelong commitment to human rights education (HRE). Drawing on the legacy of the Holocaust and the human rights violations committed during Chile's Pinochet dictatorship, he explains how these events inspired his work to rebuild democratic society through education after the return of democracy. Abraham discusses the early challenges of introducing HRE in Chile and throughout Latin America, emphasizing the importance of developing scholarship, educator networks, and regional collaboration. Throughout the conversation, Abraham highlights the need to connect human rights to people's everyday lives rather than treating them as abstract legal concepts. Inspired by Paulo Freire's educational philosophy, he argues that HRE must use accessible language grounded in learners' lived experiences. He also examines contemporary challenges, including poverty, migration, Indigenous rights, and the rise of right-wing political movements, stressing that human rights are indivisible and must encompass economic, social, cultural, civil, and political rights. The episode concludes with reflections on the growth of human rights education across Latin America, the importance of international collaboration, and his belief that the field's next step is to move from discussion to meaningful action. Abraham emphasizes that protecting human dignity requires educators, communities, and institutions to transform human rights principles into everyday practice. Topics discussed: Origins of Dr. Abraham Magenzo's commitment to human rights educationThe Holocaust and Chile's Pinochet dictatorship as formative influencesRestoring democracy through human rights educationBuilding human rights education networks across Latin AmericaPaulo Freire's influence on human rights educationMaking human rights accessible through everyday languageHuman rights in daily life, families, schools, and communitiesPoverty as a human rights issueMigration and the rights of immigrantsIndigenous rights and contemporary political challengesInternational collaboration among human rights educatorsMoving from dialogue to action in advancing human rights Full topic listing available for PDF download HERE. Listen on our HREUSA podcast website HERE. Introduction and Closing Music Credit:  “Awakening-Spring” by Ketsa, from the Album Night Vision.  Available at the Free Music Archive:  https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ketsa/night-vision/awakening-spring/ This music is used in accordance with this Creative Commons License: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Information about that license is available here  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Human Rights Education Now! is produced and distributed in accordance with Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International.  Information about this license is available here:  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

  2. Jul 3

    Episode 77: Dr. Mary Elizabeth Curran

    Dr. Mary Elizabeth Curran is Professor of Language Education at the Rutgers Graduate School of Education. She directs the Office of Local-Global Partnerships and prepares future language education teachers and researchers. Her scholarship focuses on community-engaged language education, language teacher education, and global teacher education. She is the founder of the award-winning Conversation Tree: Community-Based Language Partnership Program and serves as co-editor of the Global Teacher Education book series published by Bloomsbury. Dr. Curran has championed multilingualism through her research, teaching, and community partnerships. Her work builds meaningful connections between universities and local communities while promoting language justice, cultural sustainability, and equitable educational opportunities for multilingual learners. Episode Summary In this episode of Human Rights Education Now!, Mary Curran discusses how her passion for language education became a commitment to multilingualism, community engagement, and human rights. She explains how learning additional languages fosters empathy, strengthens relationships across cultures, and helps create more inclusive communities. Drawing on her work at Rutgers University, she describes the development of the award-winning Conversation Tree program, which connects university students with multilingual community members through reciprocal language learning. The conversation explores language as a fundamental human right and examines the harmful effects of subtractive bilingualism, in which individuals lose their heritage language and, with it, important cultural, familial, and personal connections. Mary shares examples from long-standing exchange partnerships between Rutgers and communities in Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, highlighting efforts to preserve the Mayan language while developing future Indigenous leaders. She also reflects on the importance of community partnerships, documentary storytelling, and local language preservation efforts. Mary addresses the impact of recent immigration policies on multilingual communities, emphasizing the need for schools and universities to protect immigrant families and expand access to education. She discusses New Jersey's Seal of Biliteracy, the importance of multilingual teacher preparation, and broader efforts to make language learning a societal priority. Drawing inspiration from Paulo Freire and Gloria Anzaldúa, Mary concludes by advocating for multilingualism as a human right and calling for professional preparation programs that equip educators and public servants to serve linguistically diverse communities. She closes by reinforcing the need to treat multilingualism as a shared responsibility and a human right. Topics discussed: Origins of Mary Curran's work in language education and multilingualismLanguage learning as a human rightThe Conversation Tree community language partnershipCampus-community engagement through language learningSubtractive bilingualism and language lossExchange partnerships with Mexico and preservation of the Mayan languageImmigration policy and supporting multilingual communitiesNew Jersey's Seal of BiliteracyGlobal teacher education and transnational partnershipsIndigenous language preservationPaulo Freire's influence on language educationGloria Anzaldúa and language as identityMultilingual teacher preparation and professional licensingFull topic listing available for PDF download HERE. Listen on our HREUSA podcast website HERE. Introduction and Closing Music Credit:  “Awakening-Spring” by Ketsa, from the Album Night Vision.  Available at the Free Music Archive:  https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ketsa/night-vision/awakening-spring/ This music is used in accordance with this Creative Commons License: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Information about that license is available here  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Human Rights Education Now! is produced and distributed in accordance with Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International.  Information about this license is available here:  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

  3. Jun 1

    Episode 76: Dr. Pedro Gonzalez

    Dr. Pedro Gonzalez is a leading human rights advocate and Assistant Professor of Human Rights at Northern Arizona University. His expertise spans criminology, criminal justice, and comparative cultural studies. Pedro's doctoral work in Holocaust Studies at the University of Texas at Dallas informs his teaching on the Holocaust, human rights, and Latin American and Mexican history. Pedro’s research centers on human rights, genocide, migration, memory, and state-sponsored violence in Latin America. He has held fellowships with Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy and Columbia University’s Institute for the Study of Human Rights, serves on the Faculty Advisory Council at Seven Generation Indigenous Knowledge Center, and received the 2025 Ed O’Brien Human Rights Education Award, recognized by Human Rights Educators USA. Episode Summary Dr. Pedro Gonzalez traces his commitment to human rights education to childhood experiences in Mexico City, where encounters with police repression, labor unrest, and stories of torture and disappearance left lasting impressions. He explains how his academic study and mentorship enabled him to connect these memories to broader frameworks of ethics, history, and advocacy, framing the episode around his journey from personal experience to professional engagement. The episode centers on how Latin American history, critical pedagogy, and ethics shape Pedro's approach as an educator and scholar. He discusses weaving human rights into his university courses by encouraging dialogue, empathy, and respect for human dignity. Highlighting his work on forced disappearances in Mexico, Pedro shares how he uses photography and public exhibits to preserve memory and resist erasure—connecting remembrance and activism to resistance against state violence, exemplified by his links to the Madres de Plaza de Mayo. Pedro addresses contemporary challenges in the United States and Mexico, focusing on migration, dehumanization, nationalism, and polarization, and their relevance to human rights education. He describes teaching migration and human rights through historical, political, and cultural perspectives, emphasizing migrants' lived experiences and structural causes of displacement. The episode concludes with reflections on hope, ethics, and responsibility, drawing from Emmanuel Levinas and underscoring memory and solidarity as central to advancing human rights education. Topics discussed: Origins of Dr. Pedro Gonzalez’s work in human rights and human rights educationChildhood experiences with repression and violence in Mexico CityLatin American history, ethics, and human rights pedagogyIntegrating human rights into university teachingForced disappearances and photography as testimonyMemory, memorialization, and resistance to historical erasureCultural heritage and human rightsMigration, borders, and nationalismHumanizing migrants through educationDehumanization, polarization, and digital mediaEmmanuel Levinas, ethics, and responsibility toward othersHope, dignity, and solidarity in human rights work Full topic listing available for PDF download HERE. Listen on our HREUSA podcast website HERE.   Introduction and Closing Music Credit:  “Awakening-Spring” by Ketsa, from the Album Night Vision.  Available at the Free Music Archive:  https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ketsa/night-vision/awakening-spring/ This music is used in accordance with this Creative Commons License: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Information about that license is available here  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Human Rights Education Now! is produced and distributed in accordance with Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International.  Information about this license is available here:  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

  4. May 5

    Episode 75: Dr. Teresa M. Cappiali

    Dr. Teresa M. Cappiali is an academic and international consultant. She founded NOIWE, a Sweden-based organization focused on transforming education using Transformative- Emancipatory Pedagogy (TEP). For 14 years+ and across five continents, she has developed this framework, combining knowledge, empathy, and critical thinking to create classrooms grounded in dialogue and collective transformation. Teresa holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the Université de Montréal and has held positions at several major research institutes. She now works with the Raoul Wallenberg Institute and at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University. Her work promotes inclusive and fair approaches to education worldwide. In this episode, Dr. Teresa M. Cappiali introduces Transformative-Emancipatory Pedagogy (TEP) as a framework for reimagining education as a tool for human rights, dignity, and social transformation. She traces her intellectual journey from traditional “banking” models of education to progressive and, ultimately, emancipatory approaches, drawing on the work of Paulo Freire and decolonial traditions. Cappiali highlights how TEP and human rights education focus on dignity, empathy, and responsibility. She discusses how Maria Montessori’s work shapes her ideas and stresses the need to connect with students’ real experiences to support their growth. TEP encourages critical thinking through respectful dialogue and tackling tough issues. The episode explores the use of TEP to promote inclusion and empower students, especially in migrant communities. Teresa explains the need to address controversy with a pedagogy of "discomfort" while keeping learning respectful and supportive. She ends by stressing hope, healing, and the integration of knowledge from many fields as key to global human rights education. [Full bio on HREUSA podcast website] Topics discussed: Origins of Teresa Cappiali’s work in human rights educationTransformative-Emancipatory Pedagogy (TEP) and its foundationsFrom “banking education” to emancipatory education modelsHumanistic values: dignity, empathy, and interconnectednessMontessori’s influence on human rights educationCreating supportive, dialogic classroom environmentsCognitive dissonance and engaging controversial issuesApplying TEP to migration and social justice issuesInstitutional change through student voice and participationPedagogy of discomfort and critical dialogueRole models, hope, and interdisciplinary approaches to HREDownload podcast listing HERE. Listen on our HREUSA podcast website. Introduction and Closing Music Credit:  “Awakening-Spring” by Ketsa, from the Album Night Vision.  Available at the Free Music Archive:  https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ketsa/night-vision/awakening-spring/ This music is used in accordance with this Creative Commons License: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Information about that license is available here  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Human Rights Education Now! is produced and distributed in accordance with Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International.  Information about this license is available here:  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

  5. Apr 1

    Episode 74: Mischa Geracoulis

    Mischa Geracoulis is the Outreach and Engagement Officer at Project Censored and Production Lead at The Censored Press. She contributes to the State of the Free Press yearbook, serves as a Project Judge, and is the author of Media Framing and the Destruction of Cultural Heritage (Routledge, 2025). She is also a Global Press Freedom Expert and Index Respondent with Reporters Without Borders. Her work focuses on human rights, journalistic ethics, press freedom, and the preservation of cultural heritage. She holds an M.A. in Education and Media Studies and a B.A. in International Development, with a concentration in Southwest Asia and North Africa.  In this episode, Mischa examines how human rights, journalism, and the preservation of cultural heritage intersect, focusing on the legacy of the Armenian genocide. She discusses how cultural erasure and historical silences cause ongoing human rights violations and how journalism documents these histories to resist erasure. The conversation centers on cultural heritage as a human rights issue, focusing on Rafael Lemkin’s work and media narratives. Mischa’s discussion of “change-centered” journalism and the role of microhistories in amplifying marginalized voices links to Edward Said’s Orientalism and critiques of media and power. Mischa describes her work with Project Censored, focusing on promoting critical media literacy and defending freedom of expression under Articles 19 and 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The episode centers on contemporary censorship, particularly political pressures on academic and journalistic freedom, and how media institutions shape or suppress truth. The discussion concludes with a global perspective on the destruction of cultural heritage (the case of Nagorno-Karabakh) and a call for educators to integrate critical media literacy and cultural heritage into human rights education. Mischa emphasizes empowering people to critically analyze media and identify whose voices are included/excluded is essential to advancing human rights today. Topics discussed: · Origins of Mischa Geracoulis’ work in human rights and journalism · Armenian genocide and cultural erasure · Journalism’s role in documenting human rights abuses · Cultural heritage as a human rights issue · Microhistories and change-centered journalism · Edward Said’s Orientalism and media analysis · Project Censored and media accountability · Critical media literacy in human rights education · Censorship, propaganda, and academic freedom · Cultural destruction in Nagorno-Karabakh · Educators’ role in preserving cultural heritage Download full topic listing. Listen at HREUSA podcast website. Introduction and Closing Music Credit:  “Awakening-Spring” by Ketsa, from the Album Night Vision.  Available at the Free Music Archive:  https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ketsa/night-vision/awakening-spring/ This music is used in accordance with this Creative Commons License: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Information about that license is available here  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Human Rights Education Now! is produced and distributed in accordance with Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International.  Information about this license is available here:  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

  6. Mar 2

    Episode 73: Jane Williams

    Professor Emeritus Jane Williams has built a distinguished career spanning legal practice, government legal service, academia, and civil society activism. She played a pivotal role in securing legislation on the rights of the child in Wales and was instrumental in the campaign for a Welsh Youth Parliament. At Swansea University, she co-founded the Observatory on Human Rights of Children (now the Observatory on Human Rights and Social Justice) and the Children’s Legal Centre Wales. Her scholarship and advocacy focus on devolution, child law, and children’s rights. She's pioneered pedagogical innovations, including trans-Atlantic Street Law collaborations and human rights–based research with children. In Episode 73 of Human Rights Education Now!, Jane Williams reflects on the roots of her commitment to children’s rights, shaped by witnessing the impact of poverty on children’s lives and by her legal training. She discusses the challenges of advancing children’s rights within the legal profession and the transformative influence of the UK Human Rights Act. A core focus of the conversation is the development of Wales’ Children’s Parliament and the Children’s and People’s Assembly of Wales, created in the context of devolution and informed by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Jane explains how these initiatives demonstrate the practical integration of children’s participation rights into democratic structures. She describes the founding of the Observatory on Human Rights and Social Justice and the Children’s Legal Centre Wales, institutions dedicated to research, accountability, policy advocacy, curriculum reform, and embedding children’s rights into formal systems. Drawing on figures like Eglantyne Jebb and Janusz Korczak, Jane calls for abolishing the minimum voting age so governments must treat children as political actors. Read full episode description HERE. Topics discussed: Origins of Jane Williams’ work in children’s rightsImpact of poverty on children’s livesLaw as a pathway to children’s rights advocacyWales’ devolution and the creation of the Children’s ParliamentThe role of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in Welsh reformIntegrating children’s rights into institutions and legal practiceCurriculum reform in Wales and human rights educationNationalism, migrant children, and decolonizing legal educationHistorical role models in children’s rightsAbolishing the minimum voting age as a strategy for advancing children’s rightsFull topic listing available for PDF download HERE. Listen on our HREUSA podcast website HERE.  Introduction and Closing Music Credit:  “Awakening-Spring” by Ketsa, from the Album Night Vision.  Available at the Free Music Archive:  https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ketsa/night-vision/awakening-spring/ This music is used in accordance with this Creative Commons License: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Information about that license is available here  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Human Rights Education Now! is produced and distributed in accordance with Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International.  Information about this license is available here:  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

  7. Feb 3

    Episode 72: Jack L. Nelson

    *Read full bio on HREUSA website* Jack L. Nelson is a veteran educator and scholar whose career spans public schools and higher education in the United States and abroad. In 2001, he received the National Council for the Social Studies’ National Academic Freedom Award. He began teaching in Denver, Colorado, and later worked with migrant worker children in Riverside, California. He earned his B.A. from the University of Denver, his M.A. from California State University, Los Angeles, and his Ed.D. from the University of Southern California. In Episode 72, he reflects on his career in education and his lifelong defense of academic freedom as a fundamental human right. He traces the origins of his critical stance to the era of McCarthyism, describing how censorship, political persecution, and fear shaped academic life in the mid-20th century. He discusses the marginalization of critical scholars, the suppression of dissenting curricular materials, and the personal costs borne by educators who challenged dominant narratives. The conversation explores the evolution of his work in human rights education and its deep connections to social studies education, emphasizing that democratic education must engage students with controversial issues and alternative perspectives. Jack addresses ongoing threats to intellectual freedom, i.e., book bans, political pressure, and erosion of tenure protections, while warning of the dangers posed by growing numbers of non-tenured faculty. He argues that academic freedom requires more than ethical commitments—it demands enforceable legal and structural protections. Drawing inspiration from figures i.e. John Dewey and Bob O’Neill, he concludes by calling for national standards for tenure protections across K–12 and higher education and for stronger coalitions among educators to defend intellectual freedom as a cornerstone of democracy. Topics discussed: Origins of Jack Nelson’s career in education McCarthyism and its lasting impact on academic freedom Critical scholarship and challenges to mainstream history education Censorship of educators and curricular materials Human rights education within social studies education Academic freedom as a human right Tenure, intellectual freedom, and structural protections Contemporary threats to democracy and education Role of professional associations in defending educators John Dewey’s influence on democratic and civic education Full topic listing available for PDF download HERE. Listen on our HREUSA podcast website HERE.  Introduction and Closing Music Credit:  “Awakening-Spring” by Ketsa, from the Album Night Vision.  Available at the Free Music Archive:  https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ketsa/night-vision/awakening-spring/ This music is used in accordance with this Creative Commons License: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Information about that license is available here  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Human Rights Education Now! is produced and distributed in accordance with Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International.  Information about this license is available here:  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

  8. Jan 5

    Episode 71: Laura Lundy, Part Two

    In Episode 71, Laura Lundy examines global challenges to children’s rights, with particular attention to migration, poverty, and participation. She discusses the persistent failure of media and adult institutions to recognize children—especially child migrants—as full rights holders. Laura highlights the role of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in advancing participation rights over time and reflects on both the barriers and successes of child rights education. The conversation explores the essential role of law in human rights education, arguing that understanding local legal frameworks empowers children to become advocates for their own rights. Laura addresses contemporary challenges in the UK, including child poverty, opposition to children’s rights frameworks, and the erosion of protections driven by libertarian ideology. She also considers the fragility of social safety nets in the United States and the harmful impact of censorship on children’s access to information. The episode concludes with reflections on role models such as Gerison Lansdown, Janusz Korczak, Michael Freeman, a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt emphasizing change in “small places,” and a call to fully implement Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) as a global strategy for advancing children’s rights. Topics discussed: World migration and children’s rights Media inattention to child rights and child migrants UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and participation progress Law as a foundation for child rights education Teachers as duty bearers in advancing children’s rights Child poverty as a central barrier to rights realization Libertarian challenges to child protections Impact of censorship and weak social safety nets Role models in children’s rights advocacy Article 12 of the CRC and child participation as a global strategy Full topic listing available for PDF download HERE. Listen on our HREUSA podcast website HERE.  Introduction and Closing Music Credit:  “Awakening-Spring” by Ketsa, from the Album Night Vision.  Available at the Free Music Archive:  https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ketsa/night-vision/awakening-spring/ This music is used in accordance with this Creative Commons License: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Information about that license is available here  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Human Rights Education Now! is produced and distributed in accordance with Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International.  Information about this license is available here:  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

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About

Human Rights Education Now! is a podcast that aims to (1) inform a broader audience in the U.S. and internationally about human rights education (HRE) stories, practices, related issues and theories, (2) expand awareness and knowledge about HRE USA and its programs, and (3) engage partner individuals, groups and organizations in changing the conversation about rights in the U.S. to one employing a human rights education lens.

Information

  • Creator
    Human Rights Educators USA
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    78
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Human Rights Education Now!
  • Show Website
    Human Rights Education Now!