Child human rights defenders and schools: when HRE and activism can, but should not collide

Children are human rights holders, claimants and defenders. However, until recently little has been known about the views and experiences of children who act to defend human rights, including what they would like to learn at school. This chapter presents the findings from a global consultation with children who identify as human rights defenders, acting to protect or promote human rights, focusing on their experiences in education and their views as to what they need to learn in order to be able to act effectively. Drawing on both the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, it sets out the rights to which children human rights defenders are entitled, with a specific focus on their education. The chapter discusses how these rights can be respected, protected and fulfilled in schools, drawing on the lived experiences of children who act as human rights defenders.