EDUCATING IN HUMAN RIGHTS AND PROMOTING DIGNITY: MEMORIES AND EXPERIENCES OF CANCER PATIENTS AND COMPANIONS AT THE CASA DE APOIO IN CAMPO MOURÃO – PR

Abstract

This article analyzes practices for promoting human rights and human dignity in the context of assistance offered by the Casa de Apoio dos Doentes de Câncer in the city of Campo Mourão, in the state of Paraná. The objective is to understand how these practices are implemented, despite the lack of historical mapping and government financial support. The theoretical contribution to Human Rights was founded by Hannah Arendt (2013). Regarding the debate on promoting the dignity of human life, Norbert Elias (2001; 2006) was the main reference. Regarding Human Rights Education, we use it as a theoretical reference Paulo Freire (2019), Vera Candau (2012). The research was carried out through forty interviews with patients and companions, conducted over six months, in the year 2023. The methodology adopted is action research, which involves collaboration between the university and the community, allowing for practical remembrance and the production of oral narratives (Benjamin, 1985).  We were able to understand through sensitive listening to the memories that there is a gap between the rhetoric of protecting human rights and the effective practice of these protections in vulnerable contexts.  We also highlight the importance of translaborating work on subjects as a political act, so that we can awaken in time and in the relationship with others (Ricouer, 2007). We conclude that the realization of human rights requires a continuous and collective commitment, emphasizing the importance of inclusive educational practices and public policies that prioritize the well-being of all, especially the vulnerable.