News
INW and UNESCO discuss citizenship education and human rights on World Day of Social Justice
The Nelson Wilians Institute (INW), in partnership with UNESCO, hosted the "Cidadaniar Dialogues: Education for Citizenship, Human Rights, and the Culture of Legality" at the MASP auditorium in São Paulo. Held on February 20, in observance of the World Day of Social Justice, the event brought together experts and educators to discuss key topics such as citizenship, human rights, and the culture of legality.
On this symbolic date, the event reaffirmed UNESCO’s commitment to building a world where the rights of all individuals are fully respected. More than just a discussion, it served as a call to action to strengthen the development of global citizens who are increasingly aware of the importance of human rights, justice, and equality.
“Being here today, at an event called Cidadaniar Dialogue, is highly symbolic for us and invites us to reflect on how we can advance education for global citizenship that promotes justice—a social justice for all,” stated Marlova Jovchelovitch Noleto, Director and Representative of UNESCO in Brazil, in her opening remarks.
Anne Wilians, founder of INW, emphasized that educating for citizenship means empowering individuals to understand their rights and responsibilities while encouraging critical thinking. “When we teach citizenship, we are not only fostering transformation but also opening doors to opportunities for everyone to collectively contribute to building a more just future,” she affirmed.
The event featured two main discussion panels, moderated by journalist Basília Rodrigues, a CNN Brasil presenter and expert in politics and the judiciary. The first panel, titled "Education for Citizenship – How to Strengthen the Culture of Legality?" included participation from Maria Victória Benevides, Emeritus Professor at the USP School of Education; Alexsandro do Nascimento, Director of Policies for Comprehensive Basic Education at the Ministry of Education (MEC); and Carolina Alves de Souza Lima, Associate Professor of Human Rights at PUC/SP.
The second panel, “From Theory to Practice – How to Put Citizenship into Action?”, brought together Andréa Freitas, Professor of Political Science at Unicamp; Luciana Asper y Valdés, Public Prosecutor at MPDFT and Coordinator of the “Na Moral” Program; Madu Macedo, Educator and Author of the Em Miúdos Collection; and João Tavares, Co-founder and Executive Director of the National Network for Citizenship Education.
Throughout the discussions, panelists shared their experiences, strategies, and approaches to strengthening global citizenship education and raising awareness of the importance of human rights, justice, and equality.
Cidadaniar Guides: Tools for Social Transformation
During the event, the “Cidadaniar Guides” were introduced teaching-learning materials developed as part of the Cidadaniar Project, an initiative led by UNESCO in Brazil in partnership with the Nelson Wilians Institute (INW).
The Cidadaniar Guides are based on the Global Citizenship Education (GCE) approach, which fosters an understanding of rights and responsibilities. These guides aim to support learning and the promotion of active citizenship, targeting educators and multipliers.
A total of seven modules have been developed to facilitate human rights and citizenship education in diverse contexts, as well as to guide outreach activities for civil society organizations (CSOs). The publications will be made publicly available in April, expanding the project's reach and impact.
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