Teaching the History of Human Rights

The public debate about human rights continues to evoke controversy in American society, despite the widely-held belief that individuals have certain inalienable rights that no government can or should take away. Recent arguments about the dangers of terrorism and the use of torture, indefinite detentions, targeted assassinations, secret surveillance, and the denial of habeas corpus have reappeared often in the American and international media. But how did the idea of human rights develop as a key theme in modern societies? How do we teach students about the history of this idea, the ways in which the meaning of “human rights” has evolved, and the arguments for limitations on the rights that human beings should possess? How does the history of “human rights” help us understand the contemporary world - from the eighteenth-century “age of revolutions” to the modern movements for civil rights and the current responses to terrorism?

This PHE workshop will examine these questions and provide materials for teaching about the meaning and expansion of human rights since the 18th century. It meets NC Course of Study Competency Goals: World History 1.01, 4.01, 4.05, 6.01, 6.02, 6.03, 6.06, 8.05, 8.06; AP World History 1.05, 5.04, 7.04; AP European History 2.04, 2.10, 3.03, 3.05, 3.06, 5.04, 6.04; U.S. History 1.02, 2.05, 7.03, 9.04, 9.05, 11.03, 12.06; AP U.S. History 4.04, 5.01, 15.01; Civics and Economics 3.06, 6.01, 10.02, 11.06; AP U.S. Government 1.02, 9.01, 9.02, 9.03, 9.04

This workshop will be led by PHE's own Dr. Lloyd Kramer. Lloyd is a Professor of History at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He specializes in 19th century France with acute emphasis on cultural exchange, nationalism, and identity.

It will be held at the Carolina Center for Educational Excellence, located off of Seawell School Road in Chapel Hill. It will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and participants can earn .5 CEU credits.

There is ample parking at the facility. A light continental breakfast and full lunch will be provided to attendees. There is no cost for this workshop.

To register, please send an email to phe@unc.edu by Monday September 28th. Please spread the word by distributing our flyer
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