Part II Human rights education theory, principles and approach Principle 1: Relevant to participants Human rights education is participant-centred and relevant. No human rights education activity occurs in isolation. It will occur in a moment or period of time and in a particular environment, whether this is place-based or internet-based. It will involve people who bring with them their own perceptions, experiences, viewpoints, priorities, preferred ways of learning and levels of knowledge. It will also be influenced by the structures and relationships that exist. The “relevant to participants” principle requires the human rights educator to have a thorough understanding of the participants; who they are, the environments in which they live, the way they learn, their religious and cultural backgrounds and beliefs and the human rights issues they face. The human rights educator needs to be innovative and adaptable to ensure that the education activity is relevant and meaningful to the participants. 78 79 79 80 81 Child marriage, the plight of migrant workers and the need to uphold the land rights of Malaysia’s indigenous peoples are the focus of a powerful new social documentary, Hak Yang Hilang 78. Produced by the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) and UNAM (United Nations Association of Malaysia) Youth, the documentary explains each issue through stories and statistics. The 20-minute documentary is available on a campaign website at www. hakyanghilang.org. It features video materials and information dedicated to each issue: • Child Marriage79 • Orang Asli land rights80 • Migrant workers’ rights81 The campaign website provides up-to-date information and statistics on each issue, an overview of SUHAKAM’s current work, its recommendations to government to improve the human rights situation, and relevant links to the Sustainable Development Goals. Trailers for Hak Yang Hilang have been widely promoted on social media to engage young Malaysians in a conversation about human rights. Further information is available online at www.asiapacificforum.net/news/ human-rights-film-spotlights-contemporary-challenges/ (2019) The Office of the Ombudsman/NHRI Samoa ensures that their approach, practices and methods of human rights education weave in the concept of Fa’asamoa (traditional system of roles and responsibilities that spell out different relationships within the family and community) to ensure that people understand and relate to human rights in a way that is relevant.81 78 Available online at www.facebook.com/pg/SUHAKAM/videos/. 79 Available online at www.hakyanghilang.org/chapter2?fbclid=IwAR0D1Uyux0ZKmeH-Rpt3FH9VSzoA1vIt3nUJe_QdGzVoCWGr YgDXl8eOpTc. 80 Available online at www.hakyanghilang.org/chapter-3. 81 The Parliamentarian 2018: Issue Four. Contextualising human rights is crucial from the perspective of a small state (pp 310 & 311). Available online at https://issuu.com/theparliamentarian/docs/theparliamentarian2018issuefourfina/62. Chapter 4: Human rights education theory and principles | 35