Joy as resistance: A podcast series bringing human rights education to life
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.