STRENNA 2008

by Pascual Chávez Villanueva

EDUCATING WITH THE HEART OF DB

THE PREVENTIVE SYSTEM

HUMAN RIGHTS

“It is not difficult to see in working out an educational plan and in educational practice the effective promotion of the rights that are proclaimed in international declarations: the right to life; the right to education and training; the right to rest, recreation and play; the right to work.”¹

_C ardinal Tonini used to say to young people gathered together for the ‘Confronto 2001’: “First we are human beings and then citizens.” Life makes us brothers and sisters, it makes us similar to each other, and it should be possible to live it with dignity in every corner of the earth. The right to a “life of dignity for all” ought to be guiding-force that leads us to commit ourselves to the education of the new generations. The defence of life is the basic foundation of the many interdependent activities in various social political and cultural fields. The struggle for the defence of life ought to be a bridge that unites the limited prospects and conditions for survival of the great masses of the poor with the broad horizons of a more human life of higher quality enjoyed by the few. These ideals cannot be absent from educational efforts so that we don’t forget that we are human beings and the human race ought to be the first species to be protected.

 In 1948 at the United Nations there was the proclamation of Human Rights. Some peoples have never even heard of them. Others don’t know them simply because their governments are the first to ignore them and trample them underfoot. How can we speak about the right to life if the most developed societies are the first to sacrifice innocent lives through laws permitting abortion? How can we speak about educating to respect for human rights when there are huge numbers of children and adolescents who don’t even have the right to an education? In November 1989, in New York, the Rights of the Child were proclaimed. The 2nd article speaks about without discrimination of any kind: “All the rights ought to be applied to all children without exception, and the State is obliged to adopt the necessary measures to protect them from any kind of discrimination.”² What can be said then about ethnic minorities; about the millions of “street children”; about children dying of hunger; of minors sold or sexually exploited? Where is the right to play for the too many child labourers?

 We believe that the human race has sufficient resources available so that all the inhabitants of the globe can live with dignity. And yet the statistics confirm that the north/south divide widens each year, and while the few are rolling in money, a great number of the poor can scarcely survive. It is well-known that economic interests determine the priorities of a materialistic society and that advertising is the magic wand employed by the insatiable greed of the multinationals. Only aggressive and competitive societies are valued and this approach has also made its way into education, its establishments and associations. What can be done? Education ought to become more and more a window thrown open onto the world situation and an motive force to transform the humanity. For this reason in classrooms the voice of the voiceless needs to be heard, the hunger, the thirst, the nakedness of so many forgotten peoples need to be felt; the efforts being made by so many people committed to the great causes of the dignity of women, of peace, respect for creation need to be known… Fortunately from a variety of directions (NGO, Voluntary Service…) one sees a convergence in the defence of life, of the human being and his/her rights, of peoples and their rights, of the planet and its rights.

 Our priorities, therefore, ought to be directed to the formation of persons who are really free, critical, socially committed, who find their motivation in the Gospel. Is education perpetuating the old competitive system or is it opening up paths towards co-responsibility, solidarity, social justice? It wouldn’t be a bad idea to establish some criteria if we want to see to it that education becomes an effective means for the improvement of society. First: a critical mentality as a means to analyse the situation. Second, a concern for others that will allow us to establish excellent relationships with them. Third, respect for the Declaration of Human Rights which can be a focal point for all educators. Fourth, involvement and commitment so that these criteria don’t remain expressions of mere good will. The promotion of human rights is a Salesian issue. The Preventive System is meant to cooperate with many other agencies in the transformation of society, working for a change in the criteria of life and ways of looking at it, for the development of a culture of consideration for others, of a sober style of life, of a constant attitude of sharing generously and of a commitment to justice and the dignity of every human person. Education to human rights, in particular those of children, is the best way to bring about everywhere this commitment to prevention, to all-round human development, to the building of a world that is more equitable, more just and more sound. 