Episode 55: Dr. Rick Halperin & Julie Rinker, Part Two

In Episode 55, Dr. Rick Halperin and Julie Rinker continue their conversation on the intersection of human rights education (HRE), literacy, and activism. Julie discusses how her doctoral work uses HRE to support students with reading disabilities, merging social justice with practical interventions for literacy challenges. The episode delves into the harsh realities and evolving methods of capital punishment in the U.S., with both guests emphasizing the importance of public education to inspire change and action. Rick shares firsthand experiences as a human rights monitor in conflict zones like Gaza and Central America, while both highlight the influence of personal role models in shaping their advocacy. The episode closes with powerful quotes and concrete recommendations: make HRE a mandatory part of U.S. education from early childhood through higher education and ensure all teachers are equipped to help struggling readers through a human rights lens.Topics Discussed Using human right education to support students with reading disabilitiesChallenges and decline in use of the death penaltyConcerns over execution methods, including nitrogen gasImportance of rehabilitation and transformation in incarcerationRick’s monitoring work in Gaza, Central America, and Northern IrelandHarsh realities of daily life in GazaRole models: Fran Bowman (Julie), Charles Hamilton Houston (Rick)Inspirational quotes on dignity, literacy, and hopeCalls to make human rights education mandatory from K–12 through universityAdvocacy for equipping all teachers to support struggling readers through a human rights lensFull topic listing available for PDF download HEREListen on our HREUSA podcast website HERE. Introduction and Closing Music Credit:  “Awakening-Spring” by Ketsa, from the Album Night Vision.  Available at the Free Music Archive:  https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ketsa/night-vision/awakening-spring/This music is used in accordance with this Creative Commons License: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Information about that license is available here  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/Human Rights Education Now! is produced and distributed in accordance with Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International.  Information about this license is available here:  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/