In Episode 65, Jeff Plantilla offers insights on strengthening human rights education (HRE) by emphasizing diversity, supporting local initiatives, and adapting messages to cultural contexts. He highlights the importance of addressing concrete issues, such as housing as a human right, and reflects on the challenges facing HRE in Japan.

Jeff shares that the individuals who have influenced him are those who show humility, respect, patience, and determination. He cites a quote from a Filipino farmer leader—“We should not entrust to people with full stomachs, the resolution of problems of us who are hungry”—which echoes Paulo Freire’s approach of listening to people and empowering communities.

For advancing HRE in Asia, Jeff recommends targeting concrete issues central to people’s lives, basing actions on careful study of their lived experiences, and co-developing solutions with communities from the ground up.

Topics Discussed:

• Leadership recommendations: Diversity in HRE and prioritizing local initiatives
• Housing as a human right and specific challenges in Japan
• Cultural adaptation: Tailoring HRE messaging to local norms
• Influences: Humility, patience, and determination as guiding traits
• Key quotes: Empowerment through listening to marginalized voices
• Strategic recommendation: Ground HRE work in local issues and community-driven solutions
• Closing reflections

Full topic listing available for PDF download HERE.

Listen on our HREUSA podcast website HERE. 

Introduction and Closing Music Credit: “Awakening-Spring” by Ketsa, from the Album Night Vision. Available at the Free Music Archive: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ketsa/night-vision/awakening-spring/

This music is used in accordance with this Creative Commons License: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Information about that license is available here https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

Human Rights Education Now! is produced and distributed in accordance with Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International. Information about this license is available here: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/