A Ministry of Education-organized human rights forum between Taiwan and South Korea wrapped up Jan. 11 in the southern city of Kaohsiung, spotlighting the government’s commitment to boosting regional exchanges on universal values.
The three-day International Human Rights Teaching Seminar, attended by more than 200 academics, government officials and school instructors, saw discussions on a variety of topics spanning course design, the development of democracy in Taiwan and South Korea as well as the role education plays in facilitating transitional justice.
According to Deputy Education Minister Fan Sun-lu, the meeting is the MOE’s first international event focusing on human rights education. She added she hopes it has laid the foundation for more practical collaboration between the two sides in the future.
Ahn Kyongwhan, a professor emeritus at Seoul National University’s School of Law, said both Taiwan and South Korea experienced authoritarianism and violence in their recent histories. Human rights education should be aimed at helping people reflect on this past and fostering a democratic consciousness among the young generation, he added.
During the seminar, human rights course designers for schools in southern Taiwan and South Korea shared best practices on teaching the subject and encouraging students to think independently.
Attendees also visited sites in Kaohsiung connected to past human rights abuses including the former city government building, now the Kaohsiung Museum of History, where clashes occurred during the February 28 Incident, as well as War and Peace Memorial Park. (CPY-E)
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