Human Rights Education
Peaceful Planet Human Rights Education has its origins in the 1950s, when a disagreement between the democratically elected Iranian Government and the western oil industry brought my grandfather, Sir Arnold McNair, later Lord McNair, into playing a key role as President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague, Holland. This set in motion a train of events whose reverberations have continued until the present time. The International Court is where countries bring civil cases against other countries.
Rights, national sovereignty, and national dignity were important factors in that dispute. Sir Arnold took a stand in support of those principles and is remembered in Iran to this day for what he did. Peaceful Planet Human Rights Education emerged many years later as a direct result of those events in the 1950s. A request in 2014 to talk to a Farsi language discussion group in London about Sir Arnold’s role in that intense geopolitical drama, and about human rights in the context of those years led to my organising 170 workshops on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in London, most delivered in Farsi.
Discovering Human Dignity
While teaching human rights, it became increasingly clear that laws and rights alone do not explain why people treat one another with respect or contempt. This led to a deeper exploration of human dignity and the work of Dr Donna Hicks on human dignity and her 10 elements and 10 temptations to violate dignity
The additional focus on dignity gradually developed into broader interests in how education, systems, institutions, science, and community participation affect the ability of individuals and communities to live with dignity, capability, and meaningful agency. Â
Understanding dignity raised wider questions. What enables people to participate effectively in society? Why do some communities flourish while others struggle? What role do education, science, institutions and community participation play?
Areas of Work
Human Rights Education
Human Dignity
Science for Citizens
Educational work based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its practical relevance to everyday life. Our flagship course is Know Your Human rights.
Work exploring dignity, wellbeing, participation, and constructive human relationships expressed in our Human Dignity Awareness Training Workbook
Helping people understand systems, evidence, institutions and practical scientific thinking in everyday life. Science for Citizens is a new educational programme currently under development.
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Particpatory Research
London Infrastructure Taskforce
International Collaboration
Collaborative and community-based approaches including mapping, citizen science, lived experience inquiry, local capability-building, focused on community empowerment and improving services.
Community-focused work exploring infrastructure, public systems, participation, and wellbeing within local communities.
Applying the same principle and methodology to educational and developmental collaboration with individuals and organisations in different countries and cultural settings.
Peaceful Planet benefits from the experience, knowledge, and guidance of advisors and collaborators from a range of educational, professional, scientific, governance, and community backgrounds.