Correction: Episodes 50 & 51 with Equitas are available on Human Rights Education Now!

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Human Rights Educators USA

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Mar 11, 2025, 10:41:05 AM3/11/25

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Dear all,

We are pleased to announce the availability of our latest installment of podcast episodes in Human Rights Education NOW! Episodes 50 & 51 feature conversations with Dr. Candace H. Blake-Amarante and Jean-Sébastien Vallée.

Dr. Candace H. Blake-Amarante is the Knowledge Manager at Equitas, where she creates and shares knowledge on human rights education. An author, she focuses on children's rights and incorporates the voices of children with chronic illnesses in her works, including The Dream Machine and You, Me and Victor Hugo! She holds a Ph.D. in political science from Columbia University.

Jean-Sébastien Vallée is the Director of Education and Communications at Equitas, with 20 years of experience in education and human rights. He has developed educational tools and facilitated training programs worldwide. Formerly a human rights educator at the Québec Human Rights Commission, he holds a Master's in Second-Language Education from McGill University.

Episode 50: Equitas, Part One

Candace and Jean-Sébastien were drawn to human rights through their professional experiences—Candace via her doctoral research and storytelling, and Jean-Sébastien through his work in language education. Their current roles at Equitas emphasize practical, collaborative approaches, including creating dialogue spaces and survivor-centered initiatives. They address challenges in engaging public institutions, supporting Indigenous rights, and implementing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's recommendations. Equitas is actively working to decolonize its policies by incorporating non-Western perspectives, challenging mainstream narratives, and fostering equitable knowledge-sharing through projects like "Power of Equality."

Topics Discussed:

Origins of Interest in Human Rights: Candace's passion grew through research and storytelling; Jean-Sébastien was driven by supporting marginalized communities.
Influence of Prior Work: Candace uses storytelling to make human rights accessible; Jean-Sébastien applies his language education experience to HRE.
Equitas' Strategies: Works globally with local partners, facilitates dialogue, and creates survivor-centered approaches.
Challenges in Implementation: Preparing participants for sharing experiences, engaging institutions like law enforcement, and supporting gender-based violence survivors.
Indigenous Rights & Reconciliation: Recognizing Indigenous land and advancing Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommendations.
Decolonizing Equitas' Work: Collaborating globally to reshape education programs, confront biases, and integrate non-Western perspectives.

Full topic listing available for PDF download HERE.

Listen on our Buzzsprout podcast website HERE.

Episode 51: Equitas, Part Two

Candace and Jean-Sébastien emphasize the importance of engaging young people in human rights work by connecting activism to historical and disciplinary knowledge. They discuss how educators must integrate a human rights perspective into their teaching, fostering self-reflection and transformative learning beyond facts to include attitudes, skills, and behaviors. The conversation highlights the challenges of decolonizing education, advocating for the inclusion of colonization studies in curricula and fostering a sense of global community beyond national identities. They highlight the importance of "togethering" — uniting people across borders to build a more inclusive human rights movement. Addressing rising authoritarianism, Equitas is working on projects to create safe spaces for activists and provide training to counter oppression. Influential human rights defenders and theorists inspire their work, including Janusz Korczak, Aly Sanou, and Charlot Jeudy. Ultimately, they advocate for embedding human rights education more deeply into Canadian policies and curricula.

Topics Discussed:

Engaging Youth in Human Rights: Link activism with historical and disciplinary knowledge, like climate change and scientific literacy.
Human Rights Education (HRE) for Teachers: Emphasize universality, self-reflection, and continuous learning beyond knowledge.
Decolonizing Education: Address knowledge gaps, incorporate colonization studies, and promote global unity.
Building Inclusive Movements: Move from exclusion-based to inclusion-based discourse; let local communities lead.
HRE and Cosmopolitanism: Promote global citizenship rooted in respect for human rights.
Countering Authoritarianism: Develop safe spaces for activists and training programs to combat oppression.
Influential Role Models: Jean-Sébastien is inspired by global human rights defenders; Candace by child rights theorist Janusz Korczak.
Inspirational Quotes: Candace values optimism in education, while Jean-Sébastien highlights human rights as an interconnected whole.
Future of HRE in Canada: Advocate for implementing the World Programme for Human Rights Education.