Episode 64: Jeff Plantilla, Part One

Jefferson R. Plantilla started legal education work in the Philippines in 1985 in the Structural Alternative Legal Assistance for the Grassroots (SALAG). He became the Coordinator of the Asian Regional Resource Center on Human Rights Education (ARRC) in Thailand from 1992 to 1995. From July 1995, he started working at the Asia-Pacific Human Rights Information Center (HURIGHTS OSAKA) in Japan. He conducts research, develops international teaching materials, and edits the annual Human Rights Education in Asia-Pacific publication, as well as several training resources used throughout the region. He participates as a resource person in workshops and conferences in Asia. His writings are available at HURIGHTS OSAKA website and in Academia.

In Episode 64, Jeff Plantilla recounts his journey into human rights education (HRE), beginning with law school training and the impact of living under martial law during the Marcos regime in the Philippines. His early exposure to human rights violations shaped his activism and lifelong dedication to HRE. He describes his influential work with the Asia-Pacific Human Rights Information Center, where he advanced education initiatives during the UN Decade for Human Rights Education. With support from local governments in Osaka, his work included collaborating with national human rights commissions, organizing workshops, and producing instructional materials. These efforts contributed to the creation of regional networks that shared resources and strategies across the Asia-Pacific. We explore HRE in Japan, highlighting the legal mandate for HRE, challenges of addressing systemic human rights conflicts versus interpersonal relations, and anti-discrimination education focused on the Burakumin community in western Japan. Jeff notes the lack of public awareness about discrimination against Burakumin and stresses the importance of embedding these topics into legal and educational frameworks.

Topics Discussed:

• Origins of interest: Law school training and life under Marcos’ martial law
• Impact of violations: How Philippine human rights abuses shaped his activism
• Asia-Pacific HRE work: Building networks, workshops, instructional materials, and government support in Osaka
• National human rights commissions: Their role in advancing HRE
• HRE in Japan: Legal mandates, human rights conflicts vs. human relations, and anti-discrimination work with Burakumin communities
• Closing reflections on sustaining HRE initiatives in the region

Download full topic listing PDF and listen on our HREUSA podcast website. 

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/