Right to Education

The Right to Education program is a joint project of RFK Laureates in the Dominican Republic, Colombia and Guatemala, which began with a report on the issues Afro-descendants and indigenous peoples face in realizing their rights to education in Colombia, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic.

Based on testimonies gathered by the RFK Center Laureates and partners in Dominican Republic, Colombia and Guatemala and written with assistance from professors and students at Cornell University and University of Virginia Law Schools, the report highlighted how structural discrimination effectively deprived Afro-descendants, indigenous and ethnic minorities, especially the children of migrant workers and internally displaced people, of even the most basic access to education in many circumstances.  The report found these countries were not only ignoring the fundamental rights of these children but violates international human rights legal obligations to non-discrimination and equality. The report was prepared for a thematic hearing before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

Read the Report: Right to Education of Afro-Descendants and Indigenous Peoples in the Americas/Derecho a la Educación de Afro-Descendientes y Pueblos Indígenas en las Américas

Case Study: Dominican Republic  English Español

Case Study: Guatemala English Español

This ground-breaking report has garnered a significant response in the human rights community after being presented at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean Preparatory to the Durban Review Conference among other recent events and conferences.   The RFK Center has been encouraging these nations to address the unmet educational needs of at-risk communities without discrimination and has been working to ensure these injustices are addressed by providing input to upcoming international human rights laws, including the draft Inter-American Convention against Racism and all forms of Discrimination

Laureates Involved

• 1990: Amilcar Mendez Urizar, Guatemala
• 1998: Berenice Celeyta and Gloria Florez
• 2006: Sonia Pierre, Dominican Republic

Related Content

• Letter of Concern regarding Plight of Indigenous Communities in Colombia
• RFK Center and Delegation Find Poor Infrastructure in Colombia’s Indigenous Schools
• Colombian Constitutional Court Orders the Government to Provide Free and Compulsory Primary Education
• The Right to Education: A Multi-Faceted Strategy for Litigating Before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
• Outcome Statement from the Conference on the Right to Education of Minorities in the Americas
• RFK Center Files Amicus Brief to Challenge Consitutionality of School Fees in Colombia
• Experts, Advocates and Grassroots Leaders Convene in Colombia to Discuss the Right to Education
• RFK Center at United Nations First Forum on Minority Issues - Minorities and Right to Education
• Memo: The Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and the Durban Regional Review Conference of the Americas
• Inter-American Commission Hearing Explores the Right to Education for Afro-Descendant and Indigenous Communities

Attachments:

Case_Study_Dominican_Republic.pdf	94 Kb
Case_Study_Guatemala.pdf	106 Kb
Dominican Republic_Spanish.pdf	612 Kb
Guatemala_Spanish.pdf	653 Kb