What does human rights education look like in practice? It can look like people laughing together, sharing stories across cultures, and finding hope despite difficult realities.

In this five-episode podcast series, we reflect on the “Unleashing Human Rights” forum on human rights education in Budapest, Hungary.

Each episode features reflections from human rights educators who participated in the Forum, where more than 200 educators, activists, students and young people came together to review their commitment, express their concerns, and share a bold, inclusive and transformative vision for human rights education. 

The podcast explores why joy is not a distraction from human rights work — it is an essential part of it. Through the voices of young people at the forefront of the movement, the conversations offer an insight into human rights education and the people shaping its future.

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk has described human rights education as “the engine of the human rights system.” He emphasized that it is central to the future of human rights, ensuring that each new generation has the knowledge and tools to sustain, strengthen and renew the human rights system.

The Forum, co-organized by the Council of Europe and UN Human Rights in collaboration with several civil society organizations, highlighted that human rights education is more than teaching legal standards or international frameworks. It is about creating spaces where people feel seen, heard and empowered to act. Through interactive workshops, dialogue and shared experiences, participants demonstrated how education can build solidarity, strengthen resilience and inspire collective action in the face of discrimination and injustice.

Throughout the podcast, speakers reflect on the power of community and the importance of sustaining hope. In a world marked by conflict, inequality and shrinking civic space, moments of joy become acts of resistance. They remind us that defending human rights is not only about confronting violations but also about nurturing dignity, creativity and belonging.

Featured educators

Amanda Rossini Martins is a young human rights educator from Brazil, working for Latinas por el Clima and EmpoderaClima, organizations that promote climate education and raise awareness on climate justice through social media.

“I would say that human rights education for me means to be disruptive, but to be disrupted with reason and passion, to feel like we are part of this movement,” she said.

Listen for more of her take on human rights education:

Hear more from Andrés López:

Sai Khun Arthur is a researcher from Myanmar. Since 2023, he has worked as a human rights researcher, focusing on LGBTQIA+ rights, discrimination, sexual and reproductive health, and systemic sexism.

We asked Sai Khun why human rights education is essential.

“Human rights are like breathing — we need to breathe,” he said. “It's the same concept: as soon as we take our first breath, we receive those rights, but those rights have been broken consciously or unconsciously all the time and human rights violations are happening everywhere around the world. So human rights education is a way to let them understand about how to see these issues.”

Listen to more from Sai Khun:

Mangera explores these ideas here:

For Ava Kreutziger from the United States (shown above in the main photo), the Forum was an opportunity to connect with other human rights educators across the globe.

“This conference has felt like a catalyst for me. The privilege of being in a space with a diverse group of people with such a range of experiences, who share them so beautifully, and having the chance to listen and co-create knowledge together is something transformational.”

More about Kreutziger’s engagement with other educators:

The Forum sparked new ideas, forged meaningful connections and strengthened a shared commitment to advancing human rights education. The conversations captured in this podcast are a reminder that education has the power to transform individuals, strengthen communities and help shape a more just and inclusive future.