This activity reveals what participants
already know about human rights and the issues that are
of concern to them. It also stimulates discussion about
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and categories
of rights.
1. Give everyone a copy of Handout 1,
Human Rights Squares. Everyone tries to get an answer and
a signature from a different person for each square.
Stop after five minutes.
2. Debrief the game:
- Which were the easiest squares to
find answers for? The most difficult? Why?
- Which squares had global answers?
US answers? Local or community answers?
3. Discuss:
- Can you match any of these squares
to articles of the UDHR?
- Which of the squares are related
to civil and political rights? To social, economic, and
cultural rights?
- What additional squares might you
create for this game?
Source: Adapted from David Shiman, Teaching
Human Rights, (Denver: Center for Teaching International
Relations Publications, University of Denver, 1993) 2-3.