Release of UNESCO “Teaching Respect for All” Educational Guide

On July 17, 2014, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) announced the successful completion and release of the Teaching Respect for All (TRA) implementation guide, a set of guidelines and materials for educators to integrate into existing curricula to promote tolerance and respect for all regardless of gender, race, religion, or sexual orientation. This initiative was co-sponsored by the governments of the United States and Brazil and began work in January 2012.

“The U.S. and Brazil are deeply committed to promoting universal human rights by confronting discrimination and violence in all forms” said U.S. Mission to UNESCO Chargé d’Affaires Beth Poisson. “Both of our countries continue to face the legacy of a struggle for civil rights and racial equality. We know that it is critical that we continue to educate future generations on how to achieve tolerance and respect for all people, regardless of color, gender, class, sexual orientation, physical ability, or creed.”

The joint initiative was launched by the United States and Brazil through UNESCO and was announced by President Obama during his visit to Brazil in 2011.  Funded by the United States, this initiative has culminated in the TRA Implementation Guide, a compilation of best practices from around the world that were piloted in diverse environments, including Brazil, Cote d’Ivoire, Guatemala, Indonesia, Kenya, and South Africa. This multilateral, comprehensive approach was important to ensuring the guide can be adapted to states’ varied national and local contexts, policy priorities, and social and cultural backgrounds.

To read the complete Teaching Respect for All Implementation Guidelines, visit http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0022/002279/227983E.pdf

To hear testimonials from policymakers, teachers, and students about the guide, watch this video: http://youtu.be/UtkAXLTa76A.


If you would like to join the Teaching Respect for All online platform, visit https://en.unesco.org/respect4all/.