EDUCATIONAL MUSIC TOOLS TO PROMOTE HUMAN RIGHTS AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE

How can we make human rights engaging for young people?
In this project, we started with a challenge: human rights are essential, but often perceived as distant or difficult to grasp—especially by youth. That’s why we chose to approach this topic in a accessible way, using non-formal education methods and tools that speak their language.

At the heart of our approach is music. Not only is it a universal language, but it’s also deeply emotional, creative, and memorable—the perfect foundation for learning. Music helps young people connect with complex ideas, stimulating logical thinking, memory, abstract reasoning, and self-expression. It turns learning into an experience, not just a task.

By combining lyrics and sound, we use songs to introduce and explore key human rights principles, encouraging youth to listen actively, reflect, discuss, and share. Music helps internalize these messages, amplifying their emotional and social impact. It also opens space to talk about diversity, intercultural dialogue, and the values of tolerance and solidarity—the backbone of our international collaboration.

In a time when radicalization and division are rising across Europe, learning about human rights through music becomes more than education—it becomes a peace-building process, empowering young people to become active, responsible citizens.

The development of our methodology is grounded in two essential international documents that guided our content, values, and educational goals.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)

The UDHR is a landmark in the history of human rights. Adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948, it outlines the fundamental rights and freedoms that belong to all people—regardless of nationality, background, or belief. It served as our main reference when working with youth aged 15 to 30, providing a universal framework to discuss dignity, equality, and justice.

Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)

The CRC defines who children are and what rights they hold, placing responsibility on governments to protect and promote those rights. It emphasizes that all rights are interconnected and equally important. Recognized as the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history, the CRC guided our work with younger participants (ages 10–15), helping us shape tools that are age-appropriate, empowering, and inclusive.

By rooting our approach in these two key texts, we ensured that our project promotes a shared understanding of human dignity, while adapting to the different needs, experiences, and capacities of young people.

This is the final step of our journey—and here’s where it all comes together. Below, you can explore and download the full set of music, tools, and methods we’ve developed throughout the project.

Resources are divided into two main target groups and each tool includes a materials list. Some activities also require you to print additional items, like playing cards or instructions, clearly noted where needed.

You’ll also find a section with extra tools we used during our Youth Exchange—warm-ups, energizers, and group-building games with a musical twist that we wanted to share with you.

All music is freely available on our SoundCloud.