Presentation on human rights and human rights education

Prof. Dr. Pham Quang Minh took a souvenir photo with Prof. Donald B. Holsinger and his wife.

The presentation by Professor Donald B. Holsinger was entitled “From Aspiration to Global Human Rights Standards: On the Occasion of the 70th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights”. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a declaration of fundamental human rights adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10, 1948 in Paris, France. The Declaration includes 30 articles, listing the minimum rights that every individual is entitled to, regardless of race, skin color, gender, language, religion, etc. or any other circumstances. Vietnam joined this Declaration in 1982.

Although the Declaration has a global scope, there have been many differences among UN member states in the interpretation and application of the concept of human rights. According to Professor Donald B. Holsinger, not every country has been willing to comply with the 30 provisions that have been set out in history. This is because each country has its own political, economic, social, cultural, and educational characteristics. There have even been disagreements on some provisions, especially in the areas of freedom of religion and belief and freedom of expression.

Prof. Donald B. Holsinger

As someone who has spent nearly half of his life experiencing diverse lives in countries other than his homeland, Professor Donald B. Holsinger opposes the imposition of one country's human rights views on another. He also believes that a country's economic development does not necessarily equate to the level of human rights protection; and human rights are not completely identical to happiness. In fact, many developed countries have been criticized for a number of human rights issues. On the contrary, in some underdeveloped countries such as Mozambique, people live very happily and express optimism about the future. Regarding Vietnam, Professor Donald B. Holsinger highly appreciates our country's progress in implementing human rights as well as improving people's happiness in recent times. One proof is that in 2018, Vietnam was voted one of the 5 countries with the highest Happy Planet Index in the world.

To promote the implementation of human rights, Professor Donald B. Holsinger considers education as one of the key factors. Because only through educating citizens about their rights and responsibilities, each country can help them understand the true nature of the concept of human rights. Thereby avoiding misunderstandings and conflicts of interest when applying this concept. In this process, higher education and postgraduate institutions also play an important role, because this is where the elite and the elite of society study and work. According to Professor Donald B. Holsinger, it is scholars and university lecturers such as the staff of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities who will be the most up-to-date and sensitive class to the country's human rights issues.

Professor Donald B. Holsinger also spent time discussing with the audience topics such as schools of thought and major debates on human rights issues today; barriers in implementing human rights in countries; basic theoretical issues on human rights today; the relationship between conflicts of political interests and human rights conflicts.

Professor Donald B. Holsinger is currently working at the Geneva Office for Human Rights Education; he is also a sociologist and Distinguished Professor of International Development Studies at Brigham Young University since 2007. He received his PhD in International Development Education from Stanford University in 1972. He also served as a Senior Education Adviser to the World Bank from 1975-1987.