Human rights education in language teaching

Abstract

Publicado online en 2016 Our intercultural citizenship project was an approach to human rights education in language teaching and involved the study of the 1978 Football World Cup held in Argentina at the time of a military dictatorship. It aimed at addressing human rights violations and enhancing awareness of democratic participation by empowering students to become "transformative intellectuals", i.e. citizens engaged in self and social change through knowledge and action (Giroux, 1999; McLaren & Farahmandpur, 2005). Students were invited to research the 1978 World Cup during the "Dirty War" (1976-1983), a period that was euphemistically referred to by the government of the time as the "Proceso de reorganización nacional" (Process of National Reorganisation). During this time, anyone suspected of being a subversive or an anarchist was abducted, often tortured, or made to "disappear". The kidnapped people became known as "desaparecidos" (the "disappeared"). During this period of extreme military repression, totalitarianism and censorship, anyone who expressed their dissent put their lives at risk. Despite this, the mothers of the disappeared gathered in Plaza de Mayo, a square in front of the site of Argentina's government, in non-violent demonstrations, calling for their children. They carried pictures of their missing children and wore white scarves on their heads that symbolised their children's nappies. This soon drew international attention to the brutalities and abuse of power that permeated the most basic aspects of existence in Argentinas society.