Dare to Overcome 2024 Roundtable Discussion: Advancing Human Rights and Business Skills Education
The Dare to Overcome 2024 roundtable discussion focused on advancing the Dare to Overcome Human Rights, Business Skills & Peace Secondary School Curriculum, an innovative initiative aligned with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16. This program, piloted in India, combines human rights education with business skills to foster inclusive peace and prepare students for future challenges.
Key Updates from the Roundtable
Opening Remarks by Dr. Brian Grim (DTO Chair): Dr. Grim emphasized the potential global impact of the curriculum, highlighting its origin in Geneva and desired adaptations in Fiji, Ghana, Nigeria, the Philippines, and beyond. He noted India’s pioneering role in integrating this curriculum, supported by institutions like the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS) and MIT World Peace University (MIT-WPU). He called for corporate support to fund and scale the project, emphasizing the curriculum’s alignment with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) mandates.
Pilot Curriculum Highlights
MIT-WPU’s Contributions: The Global Harmony Initiative at MIT-WPU bridges human rights education and business skills, aligned with the university’s mission of fostering global peace. The pilot began on September 30, 2024, involving five schools and 368 students across rural, urban, and semi-urban demographics. Dr. Shalini Tonpe and her team highlighted the transformative potential of targeting 9th-grade students, a critical age for developing abstract thinking and addressing ethical dilemmas. Using the Dare to Overcome curriculum, they crafted lessons combining human rights knowledge, like the right to equality, with business skills such as networking and critical thinking. Additionally, students co-created music and stories to enhance emotional engagement and reinforce the curriculum’s themes.
Outcomes and Challenges
Positive Outcomes
- – Increased awareness and understanding of human rights.
- – Enhanced empathy and critical thinking skills among students.
- – Creative outputs, including 10 original songs promoting equality and unity.
- – Engagement across diverse student groups, showcasing the curriculum’s adaptability.
Challenges Identified
- – Curriculum constraints include limited depth in certain topics.
- – Cultural and social barriers, with some minority schools hesitating to share perspectives.
- – Limited availability of trained teachers.
- – Sensitivity of certain topics, requiring careful handling.
Recommendations
- – Integrate human rights education into existing curricula.
- – Provide multilingual resources and teacher training.
- – Foster industry collaboration for resource sharing and volunteer engagement.
- – Utilize innovative pedagogies, such as storytelling and music.
Q&A and Future Directions
Participants raised several important questions, including:
- – Parent Engagement: While teachers’ feedback was reviewed, involving parents emerged as a priority.
- – Expansion to Younger Age Groups: Interest was expressed in adapting the curriculum for younger students, acknowledging developmental differences.
- – Longitudinal Studies: Tracking long-term impacts was suggested to measure the program’s efficacy.
- – Corporate Involvement: Companies like Salesforce and Dell expressed interest in supporting the curriculum through volunteer programs and tools.
Future Goals
- – Expand the pilot to underprivileged schools.
- – Propose the curriculum to India’s Ministry of Education for nationwide adoption.
- – Develop a scalable, online version of the curriculum to allow crowdsourcing and continuous improvement.
- – Strengthen global partnerships, positioning India as a leader in CSR and human rights education.
Concluding Remarks
Dr. Aleena Sebastian emphasized the importance of national and global relevance, advocating for collaboration among researchers, educators, policymakers, and communities. The roundtable concluded with a collective commitment to refining the curriculum and exploring innovative ways to amplify its impact. As a unique intersection of human rights and business skills education, the Dare to Overcome curriculum holds promise to shape a generation of empathetic, skilled leaders dedicated to peace and inclusion.
Read full notes from Roundtable here.