Exercise #48
Human Rights Violations in Social and Ethnic Conflicts
Authors: Fedortsiv O., Burbela E., Dzhyvak V.
60 minutes
Description
Students receive a brief case illustrating human rights violations in a social or ethnic conflict, analyse the rights at stake, then discuss findings in small subgroups, agree on practical steps, and reflect on how international standards apply.
Methodological Guide
Objectives
Deepen understanding of universal human rights principles such as equality, dignity, and freedom, and their international standards in a multicultural context. Learn to identify human rights violations — including discrimination based on ethnic, cultural, social, or religious origin — and understand their consequences for different social groups. Assess how cultural, religious, and social factors influence the realisation of human rights in multicultural societies. Develop tolerance, mutual respect, and strategies for interacting with people from different cultural backgrounds.
Expected Outcomes
Students will be able to identify forms of human rights violations in social and ethnic conflicts. Students will know key international human rights protection mechanisms. Students will recognise how social, cultural, and ethnic factors contribute to the escalation of conflicts and rights violations. Students will develop strategies for protecting human rights based on international standards.
Exercise Procedure
Stage 1 (10 min): Students read the case narrative slideshow individually. Stage 2 (15 min): Students work through the branching scenario, making decisions at each node. Stage 3 (10 min): Students write a short institutional remedy proposal. Optional: subgroup sharing and full-group debrief (25 min).
Mode of Implementation
Individual activity with optional subgroup discussion after all three stages are complete.
Role of the Teacher
Provide clear instructions and set the pace. Facilitate group discussion, stimulate engagement of all participants, provide constructive feedback, and summarise learning outcomes. Ensure inclusiveness and adaptation to the cultural context of the group.
Theoretical Basis
Human rights are universal, inherent, and indivisible principles ensuring the dignity, equality, and freedom of every person. They are enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966), and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966). Core principles: universality (rights apply to all regardless of culture, religion, or ethnicity), inalienability (rights cannot be taken away), indivisibility (all rights are equally important and interrelated), and equality and non-discrimination (equal rights for all, no discrimination on any basis). In multicultural societies, human rights provide the main mechanism for ensuring equality, preventing discrimination, and integrating diverse cultural and social groups.
Practical Application
Students act as analysts reviewing a human rights case. Working individually first, they apply international human rights standards to a specific conflict scenario. They then form subgroups to compare perspectives, formulate shared conclusions, and identify 1-2 practical steps. A designated speaker presents the subgroup's findings to the whole group.
Knowledge Transfer
Skills developed here transfer to professional practice in healthcare, social work, education, mediation, and humanitarian aid: the ability to recognise human rights violations, apply international standards, and communicate across cultural boundaries.
Reinforcement & Reflection
Self-reflection journal prompts. Peer discussion prompts. Activities to consolidate learning: Bias Map exercise, Role Play, Impact Diagram, and a Feedback report based on real-life examples.
Required Resources
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948). International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966). UN Convention Against Torture. Optional: projector or computer for presentations.
Assessment / Evaluation
Self-assessment: Stage 3 written response. Peer assessment: subgroup comparison of branching-scenario paths taken. Teacher observation: participation, depth of reflection, quality of case analysis, and engagement in discussion.
Practical Tips
During discussions, listen actively and respect others' points of view. Recognise cultural differences and remain open to different perspectives. Use international human rights standards (UDHR, ICESCR) as a reference framework when analysing cases.
Discussion Topics
How can social and ethnic conflicts exacerbate human rights violations, and which groups suffer most? What international mechanisms are most effective for protecting human rights in conflict situations? How can human rights principles be used to overcome stereotypes and discrimination in multicultural societies?
Further Resources
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) - https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights. International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966) - https://www.ohchr.org/. UNHCR - https://www.unhcr.org. Amnesty International - https://www.amnesty.org.
Additional Remarks
The case narrative centres on a 27-year-old pregnant conflict refugee. Facilitate with care; some students may have personal or familial experience of conflict displacement. Contact the authors (Fedortsiv O., Burbela E., Dzhyvak V.) for additional context-specific cases.