Direitos humanos: utopia num mundo distópico?

This paper questions whether human rights are not part of a utopia that in the face of contemporary society challenges and dystopias is gradually disappearing. It finds that the historic trajectory of human rights includes periods of emergence and latency. An overview of the present situation reveals significant advances in relation to human rights norms, monitoring, denouncing and awareness, despite contradictions, in particular between norms and their enforcement in sovereign national States. The literature suggests that this progress is less a result of sanctions than of dawning awareness of human rights’ moral legitimacy. Therefore, schooling and education in general havespecial significance. As regards schools, profound changes are needed: better knowledge of students, and establishing an ambience founded on actual example of human rights practice and respect. Curricula need to embrace interdisciplinarity and active methodologies to encourage students to take ona protagonist role. KeywordsHuman rights; Human rights education; Curricula; Modernity