In the midst of a comfortable career as a teacher at a private\nschool, a young woman in Bali made an unusual decision: to resign and\nbuild a human rights education community for vulnerable groups.<\/p>\n
This step was taken by Fransiska Gabriella, an international\nrelations alumna who now resides in Bali. She felt that human rights\nknowledge had not yet reached those who needed it most.<\/p>\n
The momentum came on 10 December 2025, coinciding with International\nHuman Rights Day. That day marked the establishment of the We Know Human\nRights community.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe idea and concept came from me, but this community is supported\nby Youth for Human Rights International in California,\u201d said Founder of\nWe Know Human Rights, Fransiska Gabriella, when interviewed by the\ndetikBali team on Sunday (19\/4\/2026).<\/p>\n
\u201cThey will help support the delivery of books, clothes, so the needs\nare supported by them,\u201d Gabriella added.<\/p>\n
The journey to establish the community was not short. Gabriella\nadmitted to spending nearly nine months since March 2025 designing the\nconcept and building networks.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut designing the idea and choosing the network took quite some\ntime. So from Youth For Human Rights International, her name is Emma. At\nthat time, I was on the phone with her for four hours to discuss my\nideas, the problems that actually occur in Indonesia that I want to\nhighlight,\u201d Gabriella recounted.<\/p>\n
Chooses to Resign and Focus on Building the Community<\/p>\n
Previously, Gabriella worked as a teacher delivering human rights\neducation at a private high school in Bali. However, she felt the\nmaterial did not reach the groups that needed it most.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany of them do not understand human rights. Ignorance about human\nrights makes people unaware of their rights as humans. Human rights do\nnot consider ethnicity, race, religion, or anything other than the fact\nthat we are born as humans. The school is good, but I felt the knowledge\nwasn\u2019t reaching them. Because the students I taught were privileged\nchildren, their lives are comfortable,\u201d Gabriella explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cSimilar to people who don\u2019t want to bother with politics, they feel\npolicies don\u2019t affect them, so why bother with politics, even though it\ndoes. So for them, it requires self-awareness,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
From there, she decided to leave and focus on building We Know Human\nRights. The community targets vulnerable groups, such as women,\nchildren, and people with disabilities.<\/p>\n
Many Children Think Poverty is Fate<\/p>\n
In her journey, Gabriella observed a recurring pattern of ignorance\nturning into acceptance of injustice.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany children think poverty is fate. They can\u2019t go to school, can\u2019t\neat, so it\u2019s fate because they were born poor. And they normalise it,\u201d\nGabriella explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople assume they are poor because they are lazy, but that\u2019s not\ntrue. There is something called structural poverty, where no matter how\nhard you work, you remain poor because the system sustains it that way,\nnot because of laziness. You can\u2019t escape, like a vicious circle,\u201d she\nadded.<\/p>\n
According to her, the understanding that human rights are inherent\nfrom birth is still not widely comprehended, especially by vulnerable\ngroups.<\/p>\n
Human Rights, Art, and Literary Gallery Project<\/p>\n
To make education more accessible, Gabriella packaged it through a\nsimple approach: art and stories.<\/p>\n
She designed the \u2018Human Rights, Art, and Literary Gallery\u2019 project,\nwhich combines art and literacy in teaching human rights, particularly\nto children.<\/p>\n
We Know Human Rights has collaborated with several shelters,\nincluding Rumah RUTH Bali (Yayasan Rumah Tumbuh Harapan), which assists\nwomen with unwanted pregnancies (KTD), and Yayasan Peduli Kemanusiaan\n(YPK) Bali for people with disabilities.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt Rumah RUTH, many of them leave their children to be raised there.\nAt YPK, it\u2019s generally children with disabilities with cerebral palsy,\u201d\nGabriella said.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the project, I usually take the human rights issue closest to\nthem; there are 30 points of human rights based on the Universal\nDeclaration of Human Rights. So because there are many children, I take\nchild marriage, for example. It can lead to child grooming, sexual\nviolence. At YPK, it can lead to discrimination,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n
The drawing method is chosen so children can tell their stories\nwithout pressure. She only gives one simple question.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you imagine a peaceful life in the future, what would that life\nbe like?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTheir answers are very simple. No one wants to be president or get\nrich. For them, having a small shop, living in the village. Being able\nto fly kites. Or wanting to be a farmer, in the countryside, living\nhappily. Some want to have a caf\u00e9, live happily with their children,\nhappy. That\u2019s it, nothing extravagant. So things we consider ordinary\ncan be dreams for others,\u201d Gabriella said.<\/p>\n
From Introvert to Learning to Open Up<\/p>\n
Behind her role, Gabriella admits she is not someone who easily\nappears in public spaces. She describes herself as an introvert.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut actually, I\u2019m very socially awkward, very introverted. At first,\nI didn\u2019t want to make social media because the goal is purely for\neducation. But then I made a website. I don\u2019t like publicity, but Emma\nsaid we need it too, so more people know, the better,\u201d she\nexplained.<\/p>\n
She then created the site weknowhumanrights.wixsite.com, opened\nsocial media accounts, and opened volunteer registrations to expand the\ncommunity\u2019s reach.<\/p>\n
We Know Human Rights also began involving teachers, social workers,\nand other communities so that human rights education does not stop at\none point.<\/p>\n
\u201cInitially, it was suggested to do a march, but after consulting,\nthey had difficulties gathering in public places. Because they were\nasked for permits. Even though it\u2019s a public park. So I was afraid it\nwould be difficult. Then I thought of making murals,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n
She then designed mural activities at schools or shelters featuring\nthe 30 articles of human rights, hoping they can be read by future\ngenerations.<\/p>\n
Human Rights Education Often Overlooked<\/p>\n
Amid various cases of slow<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/the-spirit-of-modern-kartini-this-woman-chooses-to-resign-for-human-rights-education-in-bali-1776747062", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }