The launch event for the 3rd edition of "Compasito - Manual for Human Rights Education with Children" was organised by the Youth Department of the Council of Europe in the context of the Hungarian Presidency of the Committee of Ministers on 20 October 2021 at the European Youth Centre Budapest.
The programme started with the presentation of the manual by Rui Gomes, Head of the Education and Training Division of the Council of Europe Youth Department, and one of the authors and editors of this revised version of Compasito. In his introduction, he referred to the words of Marija Pejčinović Burić, Secretary General of the Council of Europe: “For children to fully exercise their rights, they must know what these rights are. Learning about them makes children more aware and resilient and strengthens their ability to act as human rights defenders, both in their own interests and by advocating for others.”
He also underlined that “Compasito is very much the essence of human rights education: information and activities that support children and young people to develop their knowledge, skills and attitudes, and empower them as learners who will contribute to the culture of human rights – a culture where everyone is respected.”
The introduction was followed by an engaging panel discussion with invited experts: Dr. Mária Herczog (Family, Child, Youth Association, Hungary), Dr. Liza Bukor (Department for Equal Opportunities and Children’s Rights, Office of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights, Hungary), Tinna Rós Steinsdóttir (Office of the Ombudsperson for Children, Iceland), and Adam Lambe (Irish Secondary Students' Union (ISSU), Ireland) - and moderated by Ante Rothemund, Head of the Youth Department of the Council of Europe.
Following the valuable inputs from the panellists and a lively exchange with the audience, Antje Rothemund concluded by expressing her wish that “the power of human encounter, common learning and getting to know the other is something that educators are facilitating, and with Compasito we hope to have made this important work easier.”
