The questions to be asked when referring to human rights and human rights education (HRE) for minorities are – how to use HRE to: a. minorities to become active participants in societal decision making processes and b. achieve equality and justice between majority and minority groups in any given society? In this paper I will discuss human rights education as an empowering tool – helping individuals to become aware of human rights and empowering them not only to claim their own basic human rights but also to advocate for the rights of others. It is this empowerment and action combined that helps to bring about equality and justice for all. For minorities and other groups and individuals in society, this means being knowledgeable about each others’ political, civil, economic and cultural rights, customs and history so that there is respect for, and recognition of, difference. To achieve this, it is important to identify the problems faced by minorities and the needs of these groups and to endeavour to overcome shortcomings in education systems so that diversity in society is seen as a positive thing – something which is beneficial to all.
