Importance of Human Rights Education

I found the arguments (in the Branson-Purta article) insisting on the importance of teaching human rights very interesting, particularly the third point made stating that human rights represents a field of knowledge which serves as an organizing framework. A lot of the times, students and adults think that it is the developed countries' duty to help eradicate poverty, provide aid, etc... to the third world. What people fail to realize is that the right to freedom from poverty, illness, hunger, etc... is what should be driving this reaction to developing countries. I think learning about human rights expands and enriches individuals to become more aware of their own rights and those of others in more broad contexts. America has been criticized as being a country that is self-oriented and ignorant, but by teaching human rights, we will be able to combat these accusations to help increase awareness of global human rights. This will help close the social, wealth, and health disparities that are so prevalent in our world today and help increase the status of third world countries.