Social Justice Activism

Key areas of knowledge for learners to understand the meaning of the RoL and CoL,
include:
Good citizenship, representation of individuals’ voices in formal institutions, as
well as rights and duties of citizens;
The justice system;
Human rights;
Conflict prevention and peacebuilding;
Global, national, and local expressions of the RoL and culture of lawfulness;
Democratic values such as transparency, accountability and inclusiveness;
Local, visible expressions of a culture of lawfulness through pluralism and
egalitarianism;
Causes and consequences/impacts of crime on family, community, society, as
well as safety;
Responsible and ethical decision-making.
Key Attitudes and Values
Attitudes and values are developed across a broad range of settings, including in
the home, in schools, and through the experiences that individuals gain in broader
social and cultural contexts (i.e., through socio-emotional learning). Developing positive
attitudes and values is the foundation to the holistic and healthy development of
learners at all ages.
Attitudes and values also help learners make responsible decisions (proactive behavior)
and be resilient when faced with dangerous or threatening situations (responsive
behavior). Most importantly is the sense of ‘self-efficacy’, which means a belief in one’s
own abilities to meet challenges, complete a task successfully, and succeed in reaching
a specific goal. A sense of self-efficacy combined with high levels of motivation provide
the conditions for resilience, which is key to promoting a CoL and the RoL.
School practices that lead learners to address issues that affect their own lives and
those of their peers and family also nurture civic engagement, which is key to
the sustainability of a culture of lawfulness. When learners invest in learning processes
through a personal effort, they take individual and collective responsibilities that nurture
civic maturity. There are other outcomes of socio-emotional learning that are relevant to
the RoL, such as learning to value equality, fairness, mutual respect and integrity and
develop attitudes, values and capacities, including:
A sense of belonging to a community;
Self-identity and positive self-image;
Social awareness (empathy, inclusion);
Relationship skills (communication, cooperation, and conflict resolution);
A sense of personal security;
Resilience (especially for persons vulnerable to becoming a victim or being
recruited into crime);
Mindfulness;
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