All citizens of the European Union enjoy fifty distinct fundamental rights, regardless of their place in society: child or adult, female or male, employed or unemployed, member of a majority or of a minority....

Do you know what these rights are? Do your students?

The answer to these questions is often ‘no’. Yet an understanding of these rights is fundamental to the exercise of one’s rights and responsibilities as a citizen.

We are pleased to present 'Mind Your Rights', a teaching tool on the European Charter of Fundamental Rights. Through this tool, your students will:

• Learn about and understand their fundamental rights;
• Analyse the importance of these rights in their daily life;
• Consider whether personal responsibilities are associated with these rights;
• Gain a deeper understanding of the meaning of citizenship;
• Develop a beautiful paper mural to decorate their school;
• Participate in a competition to have their own art-work incorporated into a public work of art as a unique expression of the European Charter of Fundamental Rights.

'Mind Your Rights' also presents a novel pedagogical approach which can be adapted by teachers for use in other subject areas.

Pilot Project

This pedagogical tool will, in the 2009-2010 school year, be piloted in a total of 300 schools in five countries: the Czech Republic, Estonia, Ireland, Greece and Romania.

'Mind Your Rights' is aimed at students aged 13-16, and can be used by CSPE, European Studies, Religion or English teachers* in conjunction with an art teacher.

Teachers participating in this pilot must commit to providing feedback on this tool. All feedback will be reviewed and evaluated. In each country, the school that provides the most constructive and convincing feedback will have the outputs of this activity converted into a public work of art. In Ireland, the winning school will also receive a cash prize of €500 and a further €500 donation to a charity of their choice.

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* The project is not limited to these subject teachers and other teachers may apply. The project does however require the participation of an art teacher.

Pictures: © Generation Europe Foundation