Discussion on human rights education and sustainable development

The Narxoz University hosted a panel discussion “Human Rights Education: Contribution to the Future”. The event participants discussed issues related to human rights education as one of the criteria for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Kazakhstan.

The organizer was the Eurasian Center for Economic and Legal Research of the School of Law and Public Administration. Opening the event, the rector of Narxoz University, Professor Andrew Wachtel, drew attention to the need to introduce human rights issues not only in legal programs, but also for a wide range of educational programs.

Among the participants in the event were representatives of the education system, teacher training organizations, the UN system, non-governmental organizations, as well as students from Almaty universities. The speakers were UNESCO National Education Specialist Meirgul Alpysbayeva, Director of the Sustainable Kazakhstan Research Institute of Narxoz University Brendan Duprey, Deputy Director of the Eurasian Center for Economic and Legal Research Elena Bondarenko, Street Law Project Coordinator and UN Certified Human Rights Trainer Khalida Azhigulova.

Speakers presented examples of standards and best practices that have been implemented at the regional and national levels, including the UNESCO #righttoeducation campaigns, the Education for Sustainable Development in the Western Balkans program, the Street Law Kazakhstan project. The Eurasian Center presented a project plan for the implementation of tools and skills for human rights education in schools in Kazakhstan, which includes trainings for teachers to introduce new approaches in the educational process, as well as the development of the first online education platform in the field of sustainable development, the first module of which will be the course on Citizenship and Human Rights.

Speakers and participants also concluded that human rights education is an integral component and condition for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in Kazakhstan, for which it is important to ensure that teachers use modern approaches and tools to develop teamwork skills, intercultural communication, dialogue and participation.

The organizers of the meeting also invited the participants of the discussion to continue the dialogue and work together to develop education in the field of human rights and sustainable development in Kazakhstan.

You can get the meeting materials and contact the organizers by writing to eurasiancenter@narxoz.kz.