Part 1 – Understanding democracy and human rights

The idea of education for democratic citizenship and human rights education is not new. Civic or citizenship education has been present in various European countries for many years and has been implemented in many different ways. Mainly this has consisted of informing learners about the political system – that is to say, the constitution – in place in their country, using formal methods of instruction. The underlying model of citizenship has therefore been a passive and minimal one. Citizenship for the vast majority of ordinary people has consisted in little more than the expectation that they should obey the law and vote in public elections. These responsibilities have been prescribed by the legal and cultural environments that citizens live in. Some countries have also included human rights education in their curriculum. Increasingly, educators across Europe are becoming aware of the links between education for democratic citizenship and human rights education.

In recent years, however, events experienced and changes taking place across Europe have challenged this model of citizenship. They include:

• ethnic conflicts and nationalism;
• global threats and insecurity;
• development of new information and communication technologies;
• environmental problems;
• population movements;
• emergence of new forms of formerly suppressed collective identities;
• demand for increased personal autonomy and new forms of equality;
• weakening of social cohesion and solidarity among people;
• mistrust of traditional political institutions, forms of governance and political leaders;
• increasing interconnectedness and interdependence – political, economic and cultural – region-ally and internationally.

In the face of challenges such as these, it has become clear that new kinds of citizens are required: citizens that are not only informed and understand their formal responsibilities as citizens, but also active – able to freely contribute to the life of their community, their country and the wider world, and actively participate in ways that express their individuality and help to solve problems.