Close the Gap: An Educator Guide

1. What do you think the Organizing Apprenticeship Project is trying to achieve? How is its approach innovative?
2. Jermaine Toney says the legislators were moved and cried when they heard of the results of the report card and wanted to talk to the project staff. How do you explain their reaction?
3. One of the legislators who received a good grade on the report card did not have a lot of people of color in his district. Why do you think it was important for him to move these issues forward anyway?
4. When Jermaine says that "racial justice is part of our values," to what values do you think he is referring?
5. How does lack of racial justice impact all Minnesotans?

Take the Human Rights Temperature of Your School

1. Have participants evaluate their school's human rights climate (i.e. take its "temperature") by completing the survey questionnaire below. This is also available online at http://www.hrusa.org/hrmaterials/temperature/interactive.php. It might be appropriate to have participants conduct research into school conditions, using the survey items below, prior to completing the instrument or prior to developing an action plan.
   


2. Prepare for class discussion by creating a 1-4 rating scale on a chalkboard or newsprint. Then have participants call out responses to each item. IMPORTANT: Participants might not wish to make their own responses public. Consider collecting the questionnaires and redistributing them so that participant anonymity can be assured.
   


3. Discuss the findings from the survey, drawing on the following questions to move from analysis and evaluation to the development of an action plan. In which areas does your school appear to be adhering to or promoting human rights principles? In which areas do there seem to be human rights problems? Which of these are of particular concern to you? Elaborate on the areas of concern, providing examples and identifying patterns in human rights violations. How do you explain the existence of such problematic conditions?
   


• Do they have race/ethnicity, class, gender, disability, age, or sexual orientation dimensions?
• Are the issues related to participation in decision-making (who is included and who isn't)?
• Who benefits and who loses/suffers as a result of the existing human rights violations?
• Other explanations to consider. Have you or any of your fellow community contributed in any way to the construction and perpetuation of the existing climate (e.g., by acting in certain ways; by not acting in certain ways-ignoring abuses or not reporting incidents)? Were those completing the questionnaire representative of the population of the school? Would you expect different results from a different group of people? In what ways might another group's responses differ and why? Should these differences be of any concern to you and to the school community? When determining which human rights concerns need to be addressed and how to address them, how can you be certain to take into account the perspectives and experiences of different people? What needs to be done to improve the human rights climate in your school? What action(s) can you and your group take to create a more humane and just environment where human rights values are promoted and human rights behaviors practiced?


4. Review questionnaire item #25, stressing the importance of assuming responsibility and acting. As a group, brainstorm possible actions the group might take to improve the human rights situation. Decide on a short list of options for action. Thoroughly debate and discuss the list before any decision regarding actions to be taken.
   


5. Based on the group discussion, choose items for action and develop an action plan. The action plan should identify goals, strategies, and responsibilities.
   

1. Human Rights Framework

   Human Rights Squares
   This activity aims at revealing what participants already know about human rights and stimulating discussion about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and categories of rights. It focuses on equality and racial justice as one of the fundamental human rights principles.
   
   Introduce the activity and hand out the Human Rights Squares Handout. Explain that people should go around the room and get an answer in each box from a different person. Whoever completes all squares first should shout out "Bingo!" Everyone should then return to his or her seats for debriefing and discussion.
   
   Debriefing and discussion:
   Before debriefing a facilitator may want to review the following resources, and, if necessary make copies for the group:
   
   1. What are Human Rights? (From Human Rights Here and Now, http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/edumat/hreduseries/hereandnow/Part-1/whatare.htm)
   2. Universal Declaration of Human Rights
      Full text: http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/instree/b1udhr.htm
      Poster: http://www.hrusa.org/thisismyhome/resources/UDHR_Poster.pdf
   3. Human Rights Principles Poster: http://www.hrusa.org/thisismyhome/resources/HR%20principles%20RGB%20(framework%20p1).pdf
   4. Evolution on Human Rights, including categories and generations: http://www.eycb.coe.int/Compass/en/chapter_4/4_2.html
   5. Human Rights at Your Fingertips: http://www.un.org/rights/50/game.htm
   
   Discussion Questions
   
   • Which questions were the hardest to answer? Why?
   • What did you already know about human rights and what was new?
   • How did you know about human rights violations? Discuss local examples of human rights violations and discrimination.
   • What are the most important human rights principles?
   • Why do we need racial justice and equality to promote human rights for all?
     
   
   
   Human Rights Squares Handout
   



2. Localizing statistics

   Students can also review the Minnesota Legislative Report Card on Racial Equality that offers statistics and insight into legislative efforts pertaining to people of color in Minnesota at http://www.oaproject.org/files/MN_Racial_Equity_Report_Card_05-06.pdf.
   
   Other useful sites:
   
   1. Twin Cities Compass www.tccompass.org
   2. Mind the Gap Report http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/rc/reports/2005/10cities_sohmer/20051027_mindthegap.pdf
      
   
   

3. Creative Expression

   Have the students reflect on the human rights climate in their school. They can write an essay or a poem about their own experiences. Volunteers can then read their work to the class and discuss areas of weaknesses and strengths in their school regarding human rights and diversity.