Compass

Human rights cannot be defended by legal measures alone. They need to be protected and safeguarded by everyone, including young people. Human rights are best respected and appreciated when we know them, stand up for them and apply them in our lives.

Compass provides youth leaders, teachers and facilitators of human rights education activities, whether professional or volunteers, with concrete ideas and practical activities to engage, involve and motivate young people in living, learning and acting for human rights. It promotes a comprehensive perspective on human rights education and sees young people as actors for a culture of universal human rights.

Compass was originally published in 2002 and is now available in more than 30 languages. A version specifically designed for human rights education with children - Compasito - enjoys a similar success. In 2012 Compass was fully revised and updated to include new activities and information about human rights issues such as disability and disablism, migration, religion, remembrance, war and terrorism. In this 2015 reprint chapter 5 has been revised and the full texts of the background information moved to .

Compass is a practical tool and resource for citizenship and human rights education. It is an essential companion for all those who are curious and interested in making the right to human rights education a reality for everyone.

The Council of Europe is the continent's leading human rights organisation. It comprises 47 member states, 28 of which are members of the European Union. All Council of Europe member states have signed up to the European Convention on Human Rights, a treaty designed to protect human rights, democracy and the rule of law. The European Court of Human Rights oversees the implementation of the Convention in the member states.