Understanding Democracy and Human Rights: Key Concepts and Principles

Extract

[...] - Learn to debate, listen and develop your reflection - give a word or a notion to the students on which they must reflect - teach them to use tools (dictionary, timeline) - show them how to make proposals, participate in decisions Supports : Each support is projected on the board and a copy is given to each student. - Text of the Declaration of Human Rights. - Chronological timeline with key dates of the French Revolution and important events. - Images that can illustrate the important events of the French Revolution. [...]

[...] This text guarantees the freedom and rights of all French people. It sets the foundations of democracy such as the sovereignty of the people, the separation of powers or even equality before the law. The Declaration of the Rights of Man of 1789 is now part of the preamble of the French Constitution. It is therefore an important text to which we must all refer. This declaration has also inspired many other texts such as for example the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 or the European Convention on Human Rights of 1950. [...]

[...] - Giving examples of rights and freedoms - Identify the key words or expressions Reflection : - Is freedom absolute? Can the law limit it and if so, for what purpose? - Is democracy a perfect regime? What are the other possible political regimes? (Dictatorship, monarchy, etc.) - Comparing the organization and functioning of democracy with life within a school ( [...]

[...] Sovereignty (in other words, the power to decide and govern) comes from the people or the nation (i.e., the totality of citizens). No one and no entity can exercise power that does not come from the people. Each representative or leader must speak and decide on behalf of the people. Article 6 deals with the creation of the law and equality before the law. It is made by the people, in the case of a direct democracy, or by representatives, if it is an indirect democracy. [...]

[...] Work/tasks requested from students : - On the text of the Declaration of the rights of man The document is projected onto the board and each student works on their copy to circle or underline the important elements. Observation : - What is the title and what is the date ? - What are the authors ? - What symbols are represented ? (The character at the top and to the left represents the French people liberated from their chains with the crown of sovereignty ; the character at the top and to the right symbolizes reason. [...]