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45

Values Education and Human Rights:

The Living Values Educational

Programme in AsiaCHRISTOPHER DRAKE

E

ach time we look at the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it offers usa timely reminder of the fundamental human standards that we all want, andneed, to live by. It remains one of the most inspiring documents written in

recent times and its simple truths constitute a basic blueprint for daily life, remind-ing us of our rights and also the responsibilities that we have toward our fellowhuman beings. Recognition of these rights and responsibilities is the foundation offreedom, justice, and peace in the world. Yet over 50 years after the Declarationsproclamation by the United Nations General Assembly, and despite its widespreadendorsement and actions to uphold it, human rights continue to be violated on aninternational, social, professional, and interpersonal level.

The vision of what we want to achievetheuniversal observance of fundamental rights andfreedomsis clear. The Declaration is a vision

that has now been endorsed by governments,championed by organizations, and claimed byindividuals worldwide. And yet, notwithstand-ing its universality, its standards are often rel-egated to the backseat of social progress, leav-ing exploitation, violence, and injustice to pre-

vail in one form or another. It is as if the linkbetween aspiration and action, between prin-ciple and practice, has been severed, exposinga gap between what we believe and accept ascorrect and what we actually do.

This raises the question of why we are un-able to do that which we want to do: to im-plement clear and cherished aspirations thatmake for a better quality of life for all. Theaspirations of the Declaration may be high,but are they really beyond our reach? Theyare certainly neither physically nor financiallyimpossible and they have widespread politi-

cal acceptance; they embody a way of life,and values, which we all believe in and iden-tify with. So how can we implement the com-

mon standards of achievement set out in theDeclaration?

Education must undeniably be at the heartof our efforts and, along with other compo-nents of such education, there should be agreater focus on the value system that is theframework around which the Declaration hasbeen crafted.

Effective human rights education must helpindividuals identify and adopt personal andsocial values that they can call on to guide theirdecisions, relationships, work, and life as a

whole. It must help them develop a depth ofcharacter and a clear sense of their own iden-tity, integrity, and what they believe to be im-portant in life.

Given the universality of human values andrights, it follows that education can no longerlimit itself, whether by content, gender bias,

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46 HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION IN ASIAN SCHOOLS

or age cut-off, but must transcend these fron-tiers. Education must become an inclusive,universal, lifelong learning process that em-braces the family and community, as well asthe classroom, as places of learning. In a world

where rights are too often abused, leading topoverty, deprivation, and insecurity of manykinds, the maximization of all inner personalresources is essential. A values-based and rights-based approach to education requires that all

within society are engaged in learning, forthemselves and others.

We must learn, and keep learning, about therights we have as individuals but also aboutthe responsibilities that go with them. To doso, we must embrace the values that are the

building blocks and the very essence of rightsand responsibilities. We cannot truly under-stand rights and responsibilities without firstunderstanding the values on which they arebased.

As important as the task itself is how we learnabout and teach these values. Young mindshave energy, drive, and curiosity, but need guid-ance and road-markers if their journey towardresponsible citizenship, maturity, and wisdomis to be secure and successful. Such guidance

should respect and reflect the dignity, indivi-duality, and freedom of reflective and criticalchoice of the learner. Values such as respect,responsibility, love, honesty, tolerance, andcooperation must not just be thrown down at

youth from on high but role modeled andpractically experienced if they are to be freelyinculcated and become part of the instinctiveand spontaneous behavior of young people. Ina suitable environment, youth can learn, ac-quire, and express such values and correspond-

ing attitudes, habits, and behavior. Indeed,young minds are often a more fertile groundwithin which such values may grow and flour-ish, and in preparing the world citizens of the21st century, education must have human,moral, and spiritual principles and values at itsheart, and the resulting expression of them asits aim.

Living Values

Addressing this need, the Living Values Edu-cational Programme offers a package of mate-rials containing practical methodologies and

tools for use by teachers and parents to enablechildren to explore and develop 12 key per-sonal and social valuescooperation, freedom,happiness, honesty, humility, love, peace, re-spect, responsibility, simplicity, tolerance, andunity.

The program is a nonprofit partnershipamong educators from around the world. It isendorsed by UNESCO and sponsored by theSpanish National Committee of UNICEF, thePlanet Society of UNESCO, and the Brahma

Kumaris, an international nongovernmentalorganization (NGO), in consultation with theEducation Cluster of UNICEF (New York).

Background

The program grew out of an internationalproject begun in 1995 by the Brahma Kumaris

World Spiritual University, an NGO in gen-eral consultative status with the Economic andSocial Council of the United Nations and in

consultative status with UNICEF, to celebratethe 50th Anniversary of the UN. Called Shar-ing Our Values for a Better World, the projectfocused on 12 core values. Its themeadoptedfrom a tenet of the Preamble of the UnitedNations Charterwas [t]o reaffirm faith infundamental human rights, in the dignity and

worth of the human person. Living Val-ues: A Guidebookwas published as part of thisproject. It provided value statements on the12 core values and included activities and fa-

cilitated workshops for creating and sustain-ing positive change. It also contained a smallsection on values activities for students in theclassroom. That sketchy classroom curriculumbecame the inspiration and impetus for Living

Values: An Educational Initiative.Living Values was born when 20 educators

from around the world gathered at UNICEF

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Values Education and Human Rights 47

headquarters in New York City in August 1996to discuss childrens needs, the participantsexperiences of working with values, and howthey could integrate values into the process oflifelong learning. The meeting was co-spon-

sored by the Education Cluster of UNICEFand the Brahma Kumaris. Using theguidebookand the Convention on the Rights of the Childas a framework, the global educators identi-fied and agreed upon the purpose and aims of

values-based education worldwide in both de-veloped and developing countries.

The educators were so motivated by thisexperience that they committed themselves toprepare the Teachers Education Kit and topilot it in their schools. As piloting spread to

about 70 countries, the consensus was that thekits contents could be developed into effec-tive training and evaluation processes.

The program materials have been developedby educators from around the world, in con-sultation with UNICEFs Education Cluster,

with the support of UNESCO and the spon-sorship of the Spanish Committee forUNICEF, UNESCOs Planet Society, andBrahma Kumaris. The programs approach isexperiential, participatory, and flexible, allow-

ing it to be adapted according to varying cul-tural, social, and other circumstances. It alsocontains special modules for use by parents andcaregivers and for refugees.

The program provides a means for educa-tors around the world to collaboratecreat-ing, sharing, and dialoguing as they work witha variety of values-based educational experi-ences. This cooperative partnership has pro-duced positive results in a variety of educationalsettings, as described in more detail below.

The programs contents are varied and in-clude reflections and discussions as well asgames and other practical activities for use

within school curriculums and other educa-tional contexts. The common elementamong these activities is that all have valuesat their core. Some then create situations ofsimultaneous teaching and learning where

values become tools for building, sharing,and integratingwhere learning is an expres-sion of what we believe in and live for. Al-lowing children and young adults to exploreand understand values while immersed in

their daily school experience, the program isbased on the view that each human beinghas the potential for peaceful and loving at-titudes and actions and the right to grow andlearn new life skills. When educators createopen, flexible, creative, and yet orderly, val-ues-based environments, students will natu-rally move closer to understanding their own

values, rights, and responsibilities and de-velop their own way of thinking.

The programs vision is of people living to-

gether in a world of inclusion, in which thereare respect and appreciation for each culture.Its activities aim to help children and youngadults learn to perceive, understand, and actin ways that promote peace, justice, and har-monious coexistence, and respect diversity. Itis only with values such as these that humanity

will be able to comprehend, face, and resolvethe challenges in todays world.

Purpose and Aims

The purpose of the program is to provide guid-ing principles and tools for the developmentof the whole person, recognizing that the in-dividual is composed of physical, intellectual,emotional, and spiritual dimensions. Its aimsare the following:

Help individuals think about and reflecton different values and the practical im-plications of expressing them in relationto themselves, others, the community, and

the world at large. Deepen understanding, motivation, and

responsibility with regard to making posi-tive personal and social choices.

Inspire individuals to choose their ownpersonal, social, moral, and spiritual val-ues and be aware of practical methods fordeveloping and deepening them.

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Encourage educators and caregivers tolook at education as providing students

with a philosophy of living, thereby facili-tating their overall growth, development,and choices so they may integrate them-

selves into the community with respect,confidence, and purpose.

The objective of the program is to integrateuniversal core values in existing school curricu-lums. From this there may be built an enablingenvironment in which students can exploretheir innate values. This, in turn, can lead tothe development of an ethos of peace and non-

violence within the classroom and school com-munity. The program of fers practical skills and

tools to promote these core values and encour-ages its users to adapt them according to theircultural, religious, social, and other circum-stances. The program aims at building an en-

vironment in which youth can be assisted indeveloping their self-identity from early child-hood and pre-, primary-, and secondary-schoollevels.

Materials

The initial version of the materials, the Educa-tors Kit, became available for piloting in March1997, and by late spring it was being pilotedat 220 sites in over 40 countries. By mid-1999,it was in use at over 1,500 sites in 62 coun-tries. Following piloting, it was divided intoseparate books and expanded, reflecting com-ments and including contributions from edu-cators around the world. The books currentlyavailable are

Values Activities for Children, Ages 3-7,

Values Activities for Children, Ages 8-14, Values Activities for Young Adults, Facilitators Guide for Parent Values

Groups, and Values Activities for Refugees and Chil-

dren-Affected-by-War.

The first three books suggest reflective andvisualization activities that encourage studentsto access their own creativity and inner gifts.Communication activities teach students toimplement peaceful social skills. Artistic activi-

ties, songs, and dance inspire students to ex-press themselves while experiencing the valueof focus. Game-like activities are thought-pro-

voking and fun; the discussion time that fol-lows them helps students explore effects of dif-ferent attitudes and behavior. Other activitiesstimulate awareness of personal and social re-sponsibility and, in the case of older students,awareness of social justice. The development ofself-esteem and tolerance continues throughoutthe exercises. Educators are encouraged to uti-

lize their own rich heritage, and develop theirown activities, while integrating values intoeveryday activities and the curriculum.

In theFacilitators Guide for Parent ValuesGroups,facilitated sessions are designed to helpparents and caregivers develop the understand-ing and skills needed to encourage and posi-tively develop values in children. The processincludes sessions that help parents reflect ontheir own values and how they live those

values. In many group sessions, parents play

the games their children will play and learnadditional methods to foster values-relatedsocial and emotional skills at home. Commonparenting concerns are addressed, as are par-ticular skills to deal with those concerns. Theguide can be used as a precursor to theprograms activities or as part of an existingparenting class or program. Parents are askedto think, create, and model the values they

would like their children to enjoy. Methodsare also presented to show parents how to in-

corporate values as they nurture their childrensdevelopment. The process-oriented sessions aredesigned so parents can

assess which values are most important tothem,

determine which values they want to im-part to the children,

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build awareness about how children learnabout values, and

develop understanding and skills they canuse in teaching children about values.

In the Values Activities for Refugees andChildren-Affected-by-War, 50 daily lessons pro-

vide tools to begin a healing process of releas-ing and dealing with grief while developingpositive adaptive social and emotional skills

with the values of peace, respect, and love.Teachers are encouraged to proceed to thenormal values activities after the 50 lessons arecompleted.

The last book, now in the final stages ofdevelopment, is the Educator Training Guide,

which covers the various activities within edu-cator training workshops. Sessions include

values awareness, creating a values-based at-mosphere, and skills for creating such an at-mosphere. Sample training agendas are offeredfor one-, two- and three-day educator train-ing programs and a five-day train-the-trainersession.

Material has been translated into many lan-guages. Values Activities for Refugees and Chil-dren-Affected-by-Warhas been translated into

Serbo-Croatian and Karen. Translation ofVal-ues Activities Books for Children and ValuesActivities for Young Adultsinto Arabic, Cam-bodian, Chinese, German, Greek, Hebrew,Hindi, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Karen,Malay, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish,Thai, Turkish, and Vietnamese is at least partlydone.

Implementation and Initial Evaluation

Substantive piloting of the activities in schoolsbegan in the spring of 1997, although a fewschools had been experimenting since 1995

with the first few Living Values activities. ByJune 1998, pilot results from schools indicatedincreased motivation in students, more coop-erative and respectful behavior with both peers

and teachers, and more ability to focus on theirschool tasks.

The Asian Experience

The following pages describe some of the re-sults and outcome of the activities in some

Asian and other countries. No formal researchprogram has been undertaken, but all evalua-tions of the results of using the program mate-rials have been positive. While evaluations havebeen received from a limited number of sites,Newcastle University in Australia is beginninga more formal evaluation of results at sevenschools that recently began implementing theprogram. Institutions in several other coun-

tries are considering independent evaluations.InJapan, a major factor to getting activities

off the ground has been to translate the mate-rials into Japanese. The translation of theAc-tivities Book for 3-7 Year Oldsand theActivi-ties Book for Young Adults is now complete,that of theActivities Book for 8-14 Year Oldsismore than half finished, while work is under-

way on theActivities Book for Parents. A steer-ing committee of 13 educators and other indi-

viduals has also been formed to help initiate

workshops with the materials. The first work-shop was scheduled for October 2000 in To-kyo, with pre-workshop training taking placein September.

InVietnam, the program is just beginning.Values Activities for Children, Ages 8-14 hasbeen translated, and training is scheduled forthe Ministry of Education in Hanoi for 25teachers.

In Korea, program implementation is un-derway at Seoul International School,

Songnam. In 1999, the administration ap-proved adoption of the program to supportexisting program outcomes in health and so-cial studies in the elementary school, and theintroduction of Living Values at the high-school level through a new 9th-grade life-skillsclass.

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In Singapore, several training sessions havebeen held for teachers.

InAustralia, a number of training sessionshave been held. One, for example, was held inNewcastle, New South Wales, in September

1999, hosted and organized by Sandra Lloyd,district superintendent for the Department ofTraining and Education, Lake Macquarie Dis-trict. Principals, selected teachers, and a par-ent from eight schools attended the training,as did representatives from a Catholic school,a long-stay day care centre, the local EthnicCommunities Council Multicultural ChildrensResource Unit, the office of the Dean of theFaculty of Education at the University ofNewcastle, and a volunteer refugee worker.

Many of the schools said that the programwould complement existing ones and are toadopt it. Some have already reported goodresults. For example, after piloting the 3-7

Values Activities Peace Unit for just a few weekswith her composite class of grade-two and -three students, Vicki Tweendale of GlendaleEast Primary School reported: The childrenresponded well to the exercises, which included

visualizations, painting and the Star story.She had the most fun when listening to the

childrens conversations about peace while theywere painting: The children are so enthusias-tic that they want to set up a special valuescorner and have started talking about makinga friendship quilt.

Living Values has also had encouraging re-sults in Malaysia. To quote Shahida AbdulSamad, the programs coordinator in Malaysiaand the mother of a young family:

On 1 September 1999, 32 moral educa-

tion teachers from 32 secondary schools gath-ered at Malaysias oldest mining town in Ipoh,

Perak State, to attend a one-day Living Val-

ues Train-the-Educator program. The success

of this program was the result of the com-

mitment, teamwork, and planning of

Rahimah Sura, a teacher; Hamdan Mohamed,

from the Perak State Department of Educa-

tion; and the Institut Antarabangsa IQRA,

an institution of higher education. The lead

facilitator was Rahimah Sura, who had ear-

lier attended the Living Values Train-The-

Trainer we had conducted in April 1999,

which was co-sponsored by the Ministry ofEducation.

Initially sceptical about the program, Mrs.

Rahimah decided to test it out in her class-

room. She was so impressed with the positive

changes it had on her students that she con-

vinced the state education department to con-

duct a training program for moral-education

teachers in the District of Kinta. The training

was conducted in the Malaysian national lan-

guage, and some of the activities were trans-

lated into Malay for the training program.There were 13 criteria by reference to

which the training was evaluated. All partici-

pants rated the program very highly and

unanimously agreed that it had met their ex-

pectations in terms of content and relevancy

to the issues that teachers and students are

facing in todays environment. The challenges

that some of the teachers faced when imple-

menting Living Values were the following:

They had difficulty expressing their feel-

ings verbally. Values were not consistently role mod-

eled by parents and other teachers who

were not exposed to the program.

Emphasis within the schools as a whole

was more on the upcoming exams, and,

as the training took place in the midst

of the examination period, most teach-

ers felt that they were unable to imple-

ment Living Values immediately.

After two months, feedback forms weregiven to all 32 teachers, 28 of whom re-

sponded. The 32 teachers in turn had shared

the material with other moral-education

teachers and they increased threefold to 97.

Almost 3,000 students experienced some of

the activities from the program. The major-

ity of the teachers noticed positive changes

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in the students and in the classroom atmo-

sphere as a whole. What students once re-

garded as a dreaded subject, they now looked

forward to so that they could share their

thoughts, feelings, and ideas with others.

Many teachers reported that students weremore self-confident, more aware of the effect

of their actions on others, more respectful of

others feelings, and, overall, happier and

more self-assured. Twenty-five teachers (or

78% of them) responded positively. These

were some of their observations:

Behavior changes positively.

Student-teacher relations improve.

Students are more self-confident, fo-

cused.

They are more interested in the moral-education class.

They have respect for peers.

The classroom atmosphere is more

peaceful. Students are cooperative.

Students ability to concentrate is in-

creased.

Students love the activities and look for-

ward to more.

They are more creative, have their own

ideas, and want to be heard.

Teachers feel more confident of theirgrasp of the subject and how to teach it

as they experience its value and better

understand it.

Students are proactive.

They are able to relate to a situation,

their behavior, and the value of the sub-

ject.

They know how to handle difficult situ-

ations.

Five teachers (16%) felt that time was tooshort to tell if students behavior was chang-

ing. The remaining two (6%) felt the class

was too big to do the activities, that there

was no reinforcement of the values from other

teachers and parents, and that they were not

effective alone. (Classes were held once a

week, with each session lasting from 20 to

40 minutes each. The teacher-to-student ra-

tio, on average, was 1:31).

Living Values has been underway in Indiain one form or another for a number of years

now, and programs held include the follow-ing:

train the trainers; teachers training; programs for students; programs for young adults; and programs for parents and guardians.

All the five main books have been translatedinto Hindi and some are ready for publication.

In Thailand, a group of Karen teachers have

been implementing the Children-Affected-by-War program for over a year. In late April andearly May 2000, trainers Diane Tillman andRachel Flower returned to the site of their 1999training and spent 10 days with a special groupof refugees and teachers. Having visited thecamp several times during the year to monitorprogress, Ms. Flower reported:

They say that landmines are everywhere

now. But still Karen people flock into Thai-

land, using ever-changing routes, and therefugee camps are set to burst. And yet, whilst

they lament what has happened to them, they

do not let it dampen their spirit and their deep

desire to make a difference in the world. At

least this is what we had the privilege to ob-

serve when we spent 10 days visiting the

camp. Our visit was multipurpose:

Guide a new group of 24 teachers

through an experiential training in

the use of Children-Affected-by-War

materials. Interview as many as possible of the 37

teachers from last years group who had

been using the Living Values material

over the school year.

Further train nine of the teachers who

had chosen to become trainers them-

selves.

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Train a small number of teachers to run

the Parent Values Groups.

This was not an easy task when new, stricter

conditions on NGO work in camps dictated

that we could not stay overnight. Instead, wehad to spend the best part of four hours each

day in transit to and from the nearest town,

much of it through extremely rugged terrain.

But of course it was worth it. Not only to

meet and train a new group of dedicated

teachers, but also to reconnect with old

friends, share experiences of the year, and

enjoy the feeling that something very special

is happening. It was truly heartwarming to

hear of the positive changes, both in their stu-

dents, and also in their own lives, and feelthe sense of hope that these teachers are en-

gendering in those around them.

My students are so happy! said one. I

feel as if my heart is soft now. I used to have

such a hard heart. Now I enjoy the chil-

dren, said another. I used to get angry so

quickly before. I didnt feel as if I was a good

teacher. Now I love to encourage them.

Another teacher talked of how her students

were now so adept at using the conflict reso-

lution skills theyd been taught that they neverfight now. They used to anger quickly and

fight regularly, she said. And now they do

not fight. Her smile stretched from ear to

ear. Some Living Values students tell non-

Living Values students when they fight: You

dont have to fight, you can solve your prob-

lems. Would you like us to help? They all

spoke of how many of the children were so

much more confident and happier. They have

been able to let go of some of their anger

and grief and move on into a healthier way ofbeing. And they certainly seem to love the

Living Values lessons a great deal. One teacher

told us that one of his students always used

to skip class, but once the Living Values les-

sons started up this child came every day.

We also heard stories of more peaceful

households, where previously a lot of argu-

ing would take place. One man told us about

his own children and how, in sharing Living

Values activities with them, they became such

good examples in their camp section that

other parents were constantly asking him what

his secret was. This gave rise to an impromptuparents group. Another told us of how his

own children use Living Values to remind him

when he is not being a good example him-

self, and they also model healthy behavior for

their siblings who havent yet been in Living

Values classes.

In short, the word is out that Living Val-

ues is cool, and more and more people want

some of it for themselves.

The camp leader is so pleased with the re-

sults of the program that he organized a meet-ing with all his section leaders and education

coordinators so they could learn more about

what Living Values involves. They now want

to have a coordinators training program some

time later in the year.

A group of 25 teachers is now ready to

train others, and so next year the hope is that

they can lead it themselves with minimal (if

any) help from us. In this way the training

can spread to other camps. The teaching

material has been updated and translated intothe Karen language, so the teachers are well

equipped to share their treasures with oth-

ers, with the help of the crayons, paper, pens,

card, markers, and so on that wed bought

with some private donations.

It was a joy to be with these people and to

share the spirit of their uplifting songs and

their strong resolve. It is always a humbling

experience and a very special one. Special

thanks to Diane for her love and tireless dedi-

cation, and to Bharati for her compassion andgenerosityshe initiated a collection in

Singapore and brought boxes of goodies into

the camp, including soft toys, bags, hats,

books, and much-needed medicines. Milk

powder was also bought, which is particu-

larly good for the newcomers, many of whom

are very weak when they arrive.

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Three hundred schools have implementedthe program in Mauritius. One teacher, Mrs.Nellapotesawmy, noted, Pupils are more hon-est. They share their knowledge with friendsin difficulty. Quarrels are less frequent for they

are learning to respect and love their friends.Mr. Borthosow added, The values do help alot to give satisfaction to one and all. Frankly,the complaints like Monsieur, he hit me, Hepushed me, He took my cake, and Hedoesnt allow me to play, have diminished alot.

Activities in Hong Kongare also underway,and eight workshops and training sessions havebeen offered for a total of over 200 local edu-cators. These have led to some values activities

being undertaken in schools and, even thisearly, the response so far has been encourag-ing. In early 1999, a draft Chinese translationof the Values Activities for Children Aged 3-7

was presented to the Education Departmentfor review and some 250 copies were subse-quently printed. The first draft ofValues Ac-tivities for Children Aged 8-14in Chinese wasalso completed not long thereafter. Discussionsare underway with the Beijing Institute ofEducation with regard to the editing, publish-

ing, and use of both these books.Living Values teacher-trainer Lai Lai-Fong

has used program activities in a secondaryschool within the Tung Wah Group of schoolsand quickly found that children even in thisnon-stop city have a natural affinity for peaceand readily warmed to activities that helpedthem develop and express it.

Following a meeting with teachers, pilotingof Living Values began in September 2000 ata local primary school, Hsin Tsi Wan, on a

whole-school basis. Four lessons a month arededicated to the program and, in liaison withthe Education Department, progress will bemonitored and evaluated. Contact is also be-ing maintained with other schools with regardto piloting.

Meanwhile, activities are also set to start atthe two kindergartens of Jimmys Education

Institute, following a training conducted therefor 20 teachers. The program is also beingimplemented at Teens Tonic Child Develop-ment Centre, whose principal, Karen Ng, re-ports that the program has helped children and

parents to become more aware of the impor-tance of values.

With so many teachers now introduced tothe program, a seminar to consider questionsof implementation was held in January 2000at the Education Departments Teachers Cen-tre for an invited group of teachers, studentguidance officers, and three curriculum expertsfrom the governments Curriculum Develop-ment Institute. Led by Derek Sankey, partici-pants were guided into an evaluation of the

main practical issues in implementing a locallysensitive values-based educational program.Starting with the premise that the problem withmost curriculums is that they leave values out,small group discussions deliberated on whetheror not values can find a designated slot withinthe new curriculum currently being developedfor Hong Kong in the context of overcrowdedclassrooms, the pressure of exams, passive stu-dents, and teacher-directed learning. With theprogram as the focal point for the workshop,

the key points that emerged were synthesizedby group facilitators. In summary, while someteachers expressed concerns with regard to is-sues such as classroom seating arrangement,the rigid attitudes of head teachers, schoolpolicy, and parents intolerance to new ideas,it was thought that, with sufficient guidance,the program activities would be applicable tolocal schools. The materials can be adapted toreflect the local culture and customs. Althoughsome teachers said they would feel comfort-

able carrying out program activities, otherswould like more training and support. It wasagreed that once teachers have internalized the

values themselves, the program can be imple-mented successfully.

Peter Williams worked with somewhat olderstudents for several months in a middle schoolin Beijing, China. When he asked his Chinese

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colleague, Ao Wen Ya, why she thought a peacevisualization was successful, she said: It helpedthe children to find peace by themselves. Ithelped the children to feel happy and relaxed.It made them really want to be happy and

motivated to build a better world and be kindto each other. She also noted: Sometimesthe children can be naughty in class; they dontconcentrate. Now they are more engaged intheir subjects because they are interested. Theyare motivated to learn because they are valuedas people They are now calmer and not asnaughty. The quality and standards of workare higher. They are willing to take risks toexpress themselves well with more confidence.Mr. Williams added: The lessons really did

something. Their attitude is more positive, andthey are better organized both individually andas a group. An observer from the Chinese

Academy of Sciences commented that themotivation of the children had been greatlyenhanced and that this was transferred to otherlessons. Although the program is not formallybeing implemented at the school, there havealso been some follow-up sessions. Meetingshave also been held with and presentationsmade to teachers, other educationists, and vari-

ous universities, including the Beijing Instituteof Education, Peking University, the NationalCentre for Education Development Research,Capital Normal University, and Beijing Nor-mal University.

Conclusion

Recent years have seen an erosion of some ofthe political and geographical walls behind

which human rights have been abused, but in

their place we often encounter cultural andethnic differences that are exploited to justifyabuses. Awareness of shared values can help usrecognize and respect the universality of hu-man rights. To reaffirm faith in the dignity and

worth of the human person, we must first un-derstand why we have such worth and thenexperience it. Human rights are derived from

the worth of the individual and that worth canbe seen in the exercise of reason and conscienceand the expression by the individual of valuessuch as respect, freedom, and responsibility. Wemust bring those human values back into our

personal, professional, and societal relationshipsto reaffirm the worth of the individual. When

we do so, human rights will be the unwrittenlaws that will be upheld and followed natu-rally by everyone, everywhere, as a way of life.It is only when we have such a values-based oreven spiritual perspective that we can be freeand equal and can truly act toward one an-other in a spirit of brotherhood as urged bythe Declaration.

The practical outcome of using Living Val-

ues activities in schools, and an awareness ofthe changes that can come about, are helpingto strengthen appreciation of the benefits, rel-evance, and necessity of values in the classroom.This in turn is highlighting the crucial role tobe played by educators, as education must be

values based if it is to provide the indispens-able preparation that is needed for life in a

world where, too often, human rights are un-der attack. The demands that are being im-posed on front-line teachers, and their need

for training, materials, and support cannot beunderestimated. It is hoped that Living Valuesmaterials, and a supporting network, can helpeducationists in meeting the challenges facingthem. But policymakers, public authorities,parents, and educators must come together and

work together. Only then will it be possible todeliver empowering values-based and rights-based education, without which formal edu-cation is not meeting its aim of equipping youthfor the journey toward a better tomorrow.

All of us collectively determine the future ofhumanity. The more we accept the personalchallenge and responsibility of bringing these

values back into our daily lives, the moreeveryones rights will be observed and the morecertain and secure the future will be. Thechoice, and the consequences, are ours.

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