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Research analyzes human rights actions developed at Unicamp

Master's thesis highlights the University's adherence to the Pact and the creation of an Observatory

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Extensive research analyzing the production and dissemination of knowledge about human rights education at Unicamp highlights its adherence to the Pact University for the Promotion of Respect for Diversity, the Culture of Peace and Human Rights, as well as the institutionalization of a Human Rights Observatory. Thais Dibbern's master's thesis presents a quantitative and qualitative survey and analysis of management actions, research projects and extension practices developed between 2006 and 2017, in addition to the results of a questionnaire applied to teachers involved in these activities.

The research was supervised by Professor Milena Pavan Serafim and co-supervised by Professor Mauro Cardoso Simões, being developed together with the Interdisciplinary Postgraduate Program in Applied Human and Social Sciences, at the Faculty of Applied Sciences (FCA).

Thais Dibbern collected a total of 428 research studies (articles, theses, dissertations, books) and 370 extension activities (projects, extension courses, events) developed by Unicamp faculties and institutes, even if they did not register the terms “human rights education” or “education for human rights”. “I collected data over a period of eleven years and found that, in terms of research, the topic of human rights has always been present at the University. As for extension practices, despite the difficulty in locating data, the theme has become more prevalent since 2010”, says the author, who has a degree in public policy management.

Professor Milena Serafim points out that the initial purpose was to look at human rights education also at undergraduate level, but that the long period involved would require considerable data collection. “We ended up prioritizing research and extension, especially because during graduation there would be times when curricula were or were not revised, that is, when a subject would appear to not include the content in the syllabus, when it could appear as being taught. But, even removing the teaching part, the dissertation provides a broad enough approach for us to observe the extent to which Unicamp is producing knowledge in the field of human rights education.”

The author of the research informs that, institutionally, Unicamp presents several management actions related to the issue, the main one, in her view, being the adherence to the University Pact for Education in Human Rights in 2017, which had as one of its results the creation of the Human Rights Observatory. “In research, there is a greater predominance of the topic in the human sciences and applied human and social sciences, especially at the IFCH [Institute of Philosophy and Human Sciences] and to a lesser extent in the health sciences and exact sciences.”

In relation to extension practices, Thais continues, the predominance is in the Institute of Economics (IE), Faculty of Education (FE), Faculty of Medical Sciences (FCM), Faculty of Mechanical Engineering (FEM) and Faculty of Technology (FT). “In this case, human rights appear more frequently through community extension projects, extension courses and various events (seminars, permanent forums, etc.), the majority of which are in applied social sciences. The main theme is the right to the environment, followed by gender, class and race and, less frequently, the right to education.”


Quiz

The dissertation included a questionnaire online sent to around 200 teachers linked to human rights actions and identified in the survey, obtaining 54 responses. “The themes they highlighted in relation to research production were the right to health, the environment and gender, class and race. With regard to extension practices, teachers expressed topics such as care for the homeless population and the rights of children and adolescents, as well as the relationship between human rights and the media”, points out Thais.

When asked whether they knew or were aware of the existence of institutional policies at Unicamp that encouraged the carrying out of research or extension practices in human rights, the vast majority of teachers, according to the research author, indicated that they did not exist or were unaware. “Although they themselves dealt with the topic, they were not aware of, for example, the University Pact for the Promotion of Respect for Diversity, the Culture of Peace and Human Rights, or other official documents on the subject. Those who were unaware were mainly from the exact sciences and health sciences.”

It was also asked whether teachers saw difficulties in developing research and extension practices on the topic, and 79,6% of respondents indicated that there were difficulties and obstacles. “The main responses were the lack of or insufficient institutional and financial support; academic productivism as an impediment; the lack of knowledge on the part of teachers about the subject of human rights education and the government documents that legitimize it; and the demoralization and delegitimization of the topic given the current context of the country.”

Photo: Scarpa
Thais Dibbern (left), author of the dissertation, and professor Milena Pavan Serafim, advisor

Thais Dibbern explains that education in human rights is constituted as a fundamental right in the Constitution and in the National Plan and in the National Guidelines for Education in Human Rights. “They are recent documents, but they advocate their incorporation from elementary school to higher education; and in the case of universities, it can be applied across the three pillars: in teaching, through specific subjects or others that cover human rights themes; in research, with the creation of research groups on the topic; and in extension, adopting, more than the provision of services, the formative aspect of human rights education, with greater dialogue and closer ties between the university and the local community.”

For professor Milena Serafim, these are discussions transversal to any professional training course, which ultimately seek to promote a more civic-minded education. “All courses, regardless of the area, should incorporate, to some extent, discussions related to social participation, the environment, gender, race, media and so on. These elements are present in the Constitution and, therefore, are fundamental elements to be debated.”


current context

Regarding the current context of conservative attack on social achievements and, more specifically, on public universities themselves, Thais Dibbern suggests that Unicamp, with its adherence to the University Pact and the creation of the Human Rights Observatory, should take initiatives to promote research on the topic, even with notices, and incorporate it into the curriculum or in an optional subject, as well as improving this dialogue with the community through extension. “It would even be a way of breaking with these somewhat distorted views on the issue of human rights and hate speech and violence.”

Advisor Milena Serafim is of the opinion that the university will play a fundamental role in this national scenario, as one of the guarantors that discussions on human rights do not get lost or become partisan. “We, as producers of knowledge and trainers of professionals, must, from the perspective of future generations, continue working so that the university has a plural role and is more committed to society, guaranteeing the precepts of human rights.”

In Thais Dibben's research, 87% of Unicamp professors who responded to the questionnaire demonstrated agreement in relation to human rights education as one of the social commitments to be assumed by the institution.

 

 

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