The ABCs of Human Rights: Life long learning & Human Rights

Welcome back to MHREC’s The ABCs of Human Rights: A Community Voice Project.

Human rights are not abstract concepts. They are principles that shape our everyday lives. But understanding them fully takes time, reflection, and continued practice. That’s where lifelong learning comes in.

Lifelong learning is the idea that education doesn’t stop at school or further education. Instead, it continues throughout life, adapting to new challenges and opportunities. When we connect this with human rights education, we discover a powerful tool for building more just and inclusive communities.

Human rights issues evolve over time. New technologies, migration, environmental changes, and global challenges bring fresh questions about fairness, dignity, and equality. By engaging in lifelong learning, people can develop the skills and awareness they need to navigate these changes responsibly.

For example, understanding the right to education is not only about attending school. It’s is also about adults having access to training, language learning, and opportunities that help them participate fully in society. Similarly, lifelong human rights education encourages us to think critically, challenge injustice, and work together to protect the dignity of every person.

By exploring rights in creative and accessible ways, we encourage participants to see learning as an ongoing process. A process that strengthens both individual confidence and collective resilience.

Reflection question: If you could choose a skill to develop, which would it be and can you draw parallels to a human rights principle?

The ABCs of Human Rights: A Community Voice Project is built on this simple idea: that knowing our rights helps us use them, defend them, and make sure they are upheld for everyone.

This non-formal learning opportunity is co-funded under Erasmus+ through the Directorate for Lifelong Learning and Employability (DLE) within the Ministry for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation (MEYR).