Original article

The use of debate in Human Rights Education. Problems, challenges and potentialities

Humberto Andrés Álvarez Sepúlveda^{1  *} 
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5729-3404

¹ Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción. Chile

ABSTRACT

The scarce didactic innovation in the teaching of subjects related to Human Rights Education is still a problem in the Chilean university system, which contributes to hindering the development of skills and knowledge linked to historical and citizen thinking. This article describes a didactic-evaluative experience based on the implementation of a debate in a group of students of Pedagogy of a Chilean university, with the purpose of discussing around the arrival of Christopher Columbus to the American continent, from the controversy that exists between the Eurocentric perspective and the indigenous position of this thematic. Within the Human Rights Education, this problematic is fundamental to know in order to advance in the conquest of a more committed and responsible citizenship, since it had a great scope in the conformation of the euro centrism in America and in the later emergence of the political scorn towards the recognition and protection of the indigenous rights. The methodology used is mixed and based on a descriptive case study. The survey and participant observation were used in the classes where the experience was conducted. It is concluded that the debate generated positive results in student learning, especially in the development of historical and citizen thinking and in the promotion of soft skills; also, some aspects to be considered in a future intervention were recognized, such as the difficult access to primary sources on Indian law and the excess of academic load that affects the students.

Keywords: teacher education; debate; historical laboratory; euro centrism; indigenous rights

Introduction

Although Human Rights Education (HRE) is transversal in thecurriculumand can be framed in various areas, it should be noted that within the teaching career it has a special place in the field of training of History and Social Sciences teachers, since which, following ^{Cavieres (2015)}, are the professionals who have a better academic preparation in Citizen Training. This area has had an important enhancement in Chile in the last decades, since the return of democracy, the recognition of human rights in the public debate and the obligatory nature of this subject in the third and fourth media allow us to verify this position.

In the foreseen context, and despite its growing importance in the country, HRE requires, from the didactic point of view, greater attention from researchers because the predominance of magistrocentrism still in force in the university system does not allow the development of skills and knowledge related to citizen thinking, such as the formation of an active citizenship, the creation of an environmental awareness and the adoption of an effective approach of respect and promotion of human rights ^{(Orellana and Muñoz, 2019)}and historical, such as source analysis, the development of historical empathy and the understanding of multi-causality, the temporality of processes, the historical relevance and the predominance of different interpretations , as a distinctive feature of historiography knowledge ^{(Guerrero, López and Monteagudo, 2019)} .

To try to reverse this lack of interest, it is essential to reorient university training in human rights towards didactic approaches that place greater emphasis on active student learning and the development of professional skills directly linked to the labor market. It is therefore important to make progress in implementing innovative strategies to facilitate the understanding of issues related to civic education, especially HRE.

The debate is one of the most effective methodologies, since it proposes a reform of thought and a different way of constructing knowledge ^{(Vásquez, Pleguezuelos and Mora, 2017}; ^{Salazar and Acuña, 2018}; ^{Cinganotto, 2019)}, which aims to explain the relevance of the historical phenomena in the present, as well as forging an education for human rights that aims to build a social commitment on the part of the student body.

In addition to the strategy, as ^{Magendzo and Toledo (2015)} indicate, it is also important to select historical problems or controversies that are relevant and pertinent to study for the understanding of present societies. In the regard, it is noteworthy that the implementation of a debate about what Christopher Columbus did, from the dispute between the Eurocentric perspective and the Indian stance that subject is an interesting topic within the EDH. Due to its scope in the conformation of Euro centrism in the American continent from the 16th century and in the subsequent emergence of political contempt for indigenous rights during the coming centuries, it is relevant to analyze this problem in historical perspective to advance in the conquest of a more active, responsible and committed citizenry for the development of humanity.

This challenge constitutes a real problem, because historically the school has taught the students that Christopher Columbus was the " discoverer " of America, since his arrival on the Guanahaní island (present-day Bahamas) on October 12, 1492 is quite a foundational milestone within of Eurocentric discourse, which has been used since the end of the 16th century, first in western culture and then almost throughout the world.

From the "discovery" of America derives Euro centrism that nullifies or mitigates the possibility of recognition and / or promotion of indigenous rights. In this light, the barbarian nations and the original ethnic groups, unlike the European peoples that function as historical bearers of universal reason, lack sovereignty and autonomy, since they have not yet managed to be a State.

Thus, since the 1500s, the Spanish conquest gave rise to two processes that articulately shape the subsequent history: modernity and the colonial organization of the world. In other words, with the beginning of colonialism in America, the cultural homogenization of knowledge, languages and the imaginary gave way, since, for the first time, the totality of space and time was organized - all cultures, peoples and territories of the planet, present and past - in a great universal narrative based on Euro centrism.

However, and despite the predominance of the Eurocentric perspective, recent studies ^{(Forbes, 2011}; ^{Espino, 2014}; ^{Taladoire, 2018)} have shaken the doctrinal foundations of Columbus' " discovery " of America, since they maintain that said character simply It reached a continent that was already inhabited thousands of years ago by various indigenous peoples (Inca, Mayan, Aztec, Mapuche, among others). This indigenous perspective questions the Eurocentric vision of the arrival of Columbus to America and vindicates the indigenous people as subjects possessing rights. This position is defended by several indigenous peoples, especially the Mapuches, who question the term " discovery of America " considering it a Eurocentric name, which ignores the presence of their ancestors in the continent and that conceives it as " lands " before as peoples, in order to culturally legitimize the subsequent Spanish colonization.

The current discussion on this issue occupies a primary role in the EDH, since both the arrival of Christopher Columbus to America and the existence of a large number of written sources, laws and traditions of the native peoples, contributed to the formation of a conception of indigenous rights from the Eurocentric perspective and from the indigenous position.

It is essential to transfer this controversy to university education to advance in the protection of indigenous rights. In this phase, the debate plays a fundamental role as a didactic strategy because it allows the development of citizen and historical thinking in the students, since it helps them to investigate the premises that articulate historical problems and defend their own points of view with rational and pertinent criteria according to the discipline.

The objective of this article is to analyze the implementation of a debate in a group of Pedagogy students from a Chilean university, in order to discuss the Columbus expedition. Likewise, this research aims to offer methodological references that allow replicating the experience in diverse educational contexts to innovate in the teaching of topics related to human rights.

This experience arises from the need to enhance the role of students in their own learning process related to HRE; likewise, it aims to contribute to changing the negative perception of the students about the teaching of Citizen Training, since an important part considers it boring and attached to a normative-institutional perspective that focuses on reviewing the constitutional guidelines of the current Rule of Law.

Materials and methods

Context and implementation of the experience

The debate was implemented during the first and second semester of 2019 in a sample of 105 students, which was organized into 15 groups of 7 members each. This sample was intentional and was based on the following criteria: students of Pedagogic careers; who have taken subjects with content related to history and its didactics; and that the study programs of the curricular activities studied consider the expedition of Christopher Columbus to the American continent as a compulsory subject.

To develop the debate, the students followed the following work itinerary:

Phase I. Preparation: In the two previous weeks to the activity, the teacher explains all content related to the working methodology of the debate and the main existing positions on the company of Columbus. This explanation is complemented by a discussion preparation guide, which describes its operational phases and the respective evaluation criteria. Then, the affinity work teams are formed.

Phase II. Laboratory History (Session 1): The students develop a historical laboratory ^{(Salazar, Orellana, Muñoz and Bellati, 2017)}, to simulate them the work of the historian in the classroom from the search, selection and treatment of sources they are key and pertinent to elaborate their respective arguments. To support this instance, a list of sources was made ( table 1 and table 2), which could be expanded by the students.

Table 1 - Sources of the Eurocentric Position  

Paintings inspired by the”discovery” of America: various painters like John Vanderlyn, Dióscoro Puebla and Albert Bierstadt, have reflected in his works the expedition of Columbus as a milestone that changed the course of Western history from the representation of said character as a man who had the mission to civilize the aboriginal peoples. To highlight his figure, artists resort to contrasting colors and often put the Genoese navigator at the center of the painting. Referential links: Landing of Columbus (John Vanderlyn, 1847): https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anexo:Crist%C3%B3bal_Col%C3%B3n_en_la_pintura#/media/Archivo:Landing_of_Columbus_(2).jpg First landing of Christopher Columbus in America (Dióscoro Puebla, 1862): https://www.museodelprado.es/coleccion/obra-de-arte/primer-desembarco-de-cristobal-colon-en-america/fe9c76e5-eae5- 4586-9adb-83b8c92cbdce Columbus takes possession of the New World (Currier and Ives, 1893): https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/Columbus_Taking_Possession.jpg Columbus Landing (Albert Bierstadt, 1893): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bierstadt_Albert_The_Landing_of_Columbus.jpg For God, Gold and Glory (Igor Babailov, 2016): http://babailov.homestead.com/columbuspainting.html

The Alexandrian Bulls of 1493: America was conquered when the absolute monarchies began to consolidate in Europe and the Church-State relationship was strengthened from the great ecclesiastical concessions that were granted to the European crowns. In this context, the Alexandrine bulls were one of the first documents that laid the foundation for the Indian Law that had validity in colonial America. These pontifical opinions gave Spain and Portugal the right to conquer America, the obligation to evangelize it and they also served to justify the massacre of indigenous peoples, since they overlooked their rights as individuals. In this way they were imposed on the continent for the next 500 years. European settlers invaded the American Indian and later and national tates continued with the same policy of domination. Referential links: Indian Binary: http://pares.mcu.es/ParesBusquedas/servlets/Control_servlet?accion=4&txt_accion_origen=2&txt_id_desc_ud=1681583 Royal document to Juan de Sámano to deliver to the archbishop of Santiago the two Bulls of Alexander VI on the granting of the Indies to the Catholic Monarchs, so that he may keep them in the archive with the other writings referring to the Kingdom: http://pares.mcu.es/ParesBusquedas/servlets/Control_servlet?accion=4&txt_accion_origen=2&txt_id_desc_ud=250974 Royal provision to attorney Francisco Ceinos, prosecutor of the Indies, appointing him attorney general and empowering him to ask the archbishop of Toledo to order several transfers of the two bulls of Alexander VI on the Indies concession, in the form of law, to serve As a public instrument, in case the originals were lost in a fortuitous case: http://pares.mcu.es/ParesBusquedas/servlets/Control_servlet?accion=4&txt_accion_origen=2&txt_id_desc_ud=250981 First Bull Intercaetera (1493): https://www.biblioteca.org.ar/libros/158131.pdf

"Treatise on the just causes of the war against the Indians" of Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda: This written evidences the strong defense that led Ginés de Sepúlveda on the legitimacy of the conquest of America and the inferiority of the natives against the Spaniards, which, according to the vision of the Spanish priest, justified the use of indigenous slavery in imperial exploitations. Such ideas led Ginés de Sepúlveda to face Bartolomé de Las Casas, with whom he had several controversies in the Board of Theologians of Valladolid that King Carlos I convened in 1550 to define the limits of the " just war " and the treatment they deserved Indigenous. Referential link: Controversy between Bartolomé de las Casas and Juan Gines Sepúlveda about the limits of the " just war " and the treatment that the indigenous people deserved: http://www.bibliotecanacionaldigital.gob.cl/visor/BND:8937

Table 2 - Sources of the indigenous position  

"A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies” by Bartolome de las Casas: is a source that promotes the protection of indigenous rights, because in it the Spanish friar denounced the atrocities committed by the Spaniards in America during the conquest and subsequent colonization. This book has been used by indigenous peoples and other partisan sectors to defend the indigenous position on the arrival of Columbus to the American continent, since Bartolomé de las Casas's vision considered indigenous people as rational human beings and free to project their own lives. These ideas influenced subsequent conceptions of people's self-determination. Referential link: The Brief Report of the Destruction of the Indies by Bartolomé de las Casas: http://www.cervantesvirtual.com/descargaPdf/brevisima-relacion-de-la-destruccion-de-las-indias/

The Council of the Indies in Spain (1524-1812): It is created in 1524 to advise the king on the executive, legislative and judiciary, it is also a source of Indian law, because here there were a set of legal rules were applied or not during the Spanish domination in America. Studies on Indian laws reveal a set of protective approaches by the Crown towards indigenous peoples, such as those we will see below: ▪ The indigenous people were free human beings. ▪ The natives were vassals of the King and, like the Spanish, they had to pay a tribute to the Crown with the fruit of their own labor. ▪ No one can take indigenous people as slaves. ▪ The encomenderos (Indians owners) must protect, evangelize and defend the indigenous people. ▪ Indigenous people should not serve encomenderos for their personal service. Referential links: Compilation of laws of the kingdoms of the Indies: sent to print and publish by the Catholic Majesty of King Don Carlos II, our lord (Volume 1): http://www.bibliotecanacionaldigital.gob.cl/visor/BND:8940 Compilation of laws of the kingdoms of the Indies: sent to print and publish by the Catholic Majesty of King Don Carlos II, our lord (Volume 2): http://www.bibliotecanacionaldigital.gob.cl/visor/BND:8941 Compilation of laws of the kingdoms of the Indies: sent to print and publish by the Catholic Majesty of King Don Carlos II, our lord (Volume 3): http://www.bibliotecanacionaldigital.gob.cl/visor/BND:8942 Compilation of laws of the kingdoms of the Indies: sent to print and publish by the Catholic Majesty of King Don Carlos II, our lord (Volume 4): http://www.memoriachilena.gob.cl/602/w3-article-8943.html The state in Indian law: founding period (1492-1570): http://www.bibliotecanacionaldigital.gob.cl/visor/BND:7839

Parliaments and treaty Indians treaties: through the colonial period, one of the biggest concerns of the Crown was peace in border areas that existed in their domains. In the Chilean case, especially in the 17th and 18th centuries, the parliament was the most important instance to deal with the problems of border coexistence between the colonizers and the indigenous leaders. Parliament’s descriptions provided by the writers realize the ceremoniousness and luxuriousness in the way they were conducted. Due to their imprint, these sources of information defend the arguments of the indigenous position as it shows the need for indigenous peoples to set border limits and negotiate peace agreements. Referential links: Letter to Hon. Mr. Bo. Fr. Don Julian de Arriaga (December 12, 1771, Santiago de Chile): http://www.bibliotecanacionaldigital.cl/visor/BND:68619 Map of the Lonquilmo camp in which it celebrates parliament between Ambrosio O'Higgins and the Araucanians: http://www.bibliotecanacionaldigital.gob.cl/visor/BND:99532 From the practice of parliaments between Spanish and Indians, when the new governor arrives in the kingdom, and when peace is established: http://www.bibliotecanacionaldigital.gob.cl/visor/BND:98434 Of the peace of Negrete and of the articles of his convention: http://www.bibliotecanacionaldigital.cl/visor/BND:99529 The Parliament of Tapihue, 1774: http://www.bibliotecanacionaldigital.gob.cl/visor/BND:98435

Customs, laws and collective traditions of indigenous people: in spite of the eloquent process of acculturation of Europe in America, the culture of indigenous peoples, in some cases, has endured for centuries, and still maintain the principles of unity between nature of man and the cosmos, as well as they preserve their laws and traditions that differentiate it from the national states. These customs constitute a key source to defend the indigenes position, since they form the basis of the oral laws that regulate collective coexistence and the elements that make up the customary law of indigenous nations. Referential link: ... Listen, winka ...! Four essays on Mapuche national history and an epilogue on the future of José Millalén: https://books.google.cl/books?id=lKB4a8rb1tAC&printsec=frontcover&hl=es&source=gbs_atb#v=onepage&q&f=false

Phase III. Introduction to the debate (session 2): In the day of the assessment, and after the Implementation of the historical laboratory groups, during the first 20 minutes of class, come together to share arguments, complementing ideas and make decisions about the debate. Then, they select the moderator and the subtopics that each student will develop (five minutes).

The discussion begins with the exhibition by the moderator on the issue and the controversy that he presents (three minutes). Subsequently, the speaker chosen by each team exposes the defended position (five minutes per team).

Phase IV. Argumentation: the moderator asks all the members of each team to present, in two minutes, the main arguments that support their position; for this, they base their ideas with evidence, examples and statistics obtained from the research carried out. The other students take notes during the presentations and actively participate in the search for new ideas to support their teams. After a 15-minute pause, each group, once they analyze what the counterpart has said, prepares their arguments to present their replies.

Phase V. Contrargument: The moderator asks the speakers of each team to perform questions and, after each, respond and raise their respective releases in up to three minutes. Following this dynamic, each student is concerned with nullifying the argument of the other or refuting the evidence when it does not seem reliable, pointing out the contradictions or inconsistencies of the counterpart.

Phase VI. Close: The moderator asks each team member to make his conclusion in a maximum of four minutes. The teacher evaluates the debate and during the end of the class will deliver his verdict on the best performing team.

Design of the investigation

The research is mixed and based on a descriptive case study that aims to analyze the implemented debate, based on the verification of the problems, strengths and potential of said strategy and the importance of addressing the aforementioned historical controversy to forge a to effective HRE in the current education system.

Methods and instruments

The data collection method was the survey and participant observation of the classes where the experience was applied. The instruments used to collect information were the following:

• Attendance sheet: to record the physical attendance of students in classes that watched the debate provides an important indicator to ascertain the degree of responsibility and commitment they had with the activity.

• Teacher's field diary: throughout the experience, a field diary has been carried out where all those questions related to the problems and benefits that the students had during the activity have been noted, the aspects that must be considered in a future intervention and the assessment of the students on the debate. The observation was approached from a broad perspective, trying to obtain an overview of the sessions. As for the structuring of observation, it was made unsystematically, collecting events in chronological order, without using any encoding or previously defined categories. After analyzing the content of the diary, the observation units were built inductively, extracting the necessary information to answer the matrix of questions that guides the analysis of the results (Table 4).

• Rubric: to evaluate the debate has chosen to use an analytical section, as this type of instrument is very useful to analyze in detail each of the skills associated with the discussion and allows a higher degree of feedback to the student. The rubric used was designed based on eight evaluative aspects (initial presentation, argumentation, counter-argumentation, questions, conclusions, management and respect for time, team attitude, and research and use of information).

• Survey (Table 3): with the purpose of knowing the perception of the students, a Likert-type survey was applied with 11 items and five response options: 1 = totally disagree; 2 = Disagree; 3 = neither agree nor disagree; 4 = Agree; and 5 = totally agree. This scale is made up of 11 items, which are indicated below:

Table 3 Reagents of the Likert-type survey.  

1. The classes that contemplated the preparation of the debate favored the understanding of the contents.

2. The historical laboratory implemented in the classroom was a favorite instance for the search and compilation of key sources that enabled the elaboration of the arguments.

3. The teamwork carried out was useful to develop and / or enhance soft skills and citizen and historical thinking.

4. The strategy was useful for learning updated content on indigenous rights in historical perspective.

5. The questions, arguments and counter arguments of the classmates helped to improve the argumentative capacity and expand the points of view.

6. The debate allowed us to reflect on the problem and propose proposals or guidelines for action that contribute to the recognition and appreciation of indigenous rights in the present.

7. The debate motivates participation in classes and improves the classroom climate.

8. The methodology used favors the approach between theory and practice.

9. The evaluative process carried out by the teacher was a key piece to improve the work and the learning achieved.

10. Discussion is an appropriate strategy to use with your future students.

11. You would like to continue developing this type of experience during your university training.

Analysis of data

The information obtained through the consigned instruments is organized, distributed and analyzed based on the following matrix of questions:

Table 4 Matrix of questions for the analysis of results  

No.	Question
1	How did the students value the experience?
2	What were the main problems and / or difficulties that the students had in the debate?
3	What aspects of the teaching strategy should be considered in a future intervention?
4	What were the knowledge, skills and attitudes that allowed students to enhance and / or develop debate?

Results and discussion

From the general perspective of the students, the results obtained in the experience were positive, since 100 % of the student's evaluations for the set of indicators consulted were in the range: agree or totally agree (graph 1)

Graph 1 - Satisfaction survey sur  

The highest evaluations are for items 2, 9, 10 and 11, which refer to the importance of the historical laboratory implemented in student learning, the evaluative process carried out by the teacher and the expectations of using the debate in other subjects or with the future students of the teachers in initial formation.

From the teaching position, a first interesting feature to highlight from the debate is the low closeness that students have with said strategy. This is reflected in the difficulties that three teams had in assimilating the work methodology, since some of its members did not know the structure of the debate, or had never participated in one.

This problem was also manifested in the anxiety and stress that some students felt to defend their ideas and arguments against the course. This feature translated into the forgetfulness of certain historical supports of the problem, in diction errors, in the little scholarly baggage and in the insecurity of the students to answer the questions of the members of the counterpart.

In this context, it should be noted that one of the main objectives of the debate was to enhance and / or develop the speaking ability of the students,, because their future teaching requires them to speak and express themselves correctly in the classroom, it is important that they can develop didactic-evaluative experiences that allow them to overcome their possible fears when speaking in public or solve any issue that may have a negative impact on their self-concept. As ^{Teo (2019)} highlights, it is important to remember that the new generations of students require confident and empathetic teachers, who know how to develop their students' learning through innovative strategies.

In addition to the low degree of familiarization with the debate, other aspects to be considered in a future intervention were found: the difficult access to primary sources on Indian law and its respective writing style, which complicated the reading of the documentation; the reduced space of certain rooms for preparing the activity; the low interest of some students in the subject; the excess of academic load that affects the students; and the numerous nature of the work teams, which made it difficult, in some cases, to research the subject and formalize agreements between the students.

Among the difficulties, it was also noted the discomfort felt by the students who defended the Eurocentric perspective on the Columbus expedition, which was observed in the displeasure of the students for defending a position that they do not share; in the limited use of sources (they only analyzed the three assigned by the teacher) and in the inconsistency of the arguments and against the arguments presented. This situation is explained by the growing questioning of the scholars towards this vision and the strong rise of the indigenous perspective; it is also due to the lack of historical empathy of the subjects to understand and judge the facts from the contextual guidelines that marked the conquest and subsequent colonization of America.

On the other hand, the students who defended the indigenous position were highly motivated and attracted to it, since, unlike the Eurocentric one; it is the one that has positioned itself in the recent debate on the issue. This motivation was evident in the pleasure and disposition they had to defend a position that was widely shared; in the search for new sources of information (writings of Francisco de Vitoria, the sermon by Antonio Montesinos and some later works referring to the Occupation of Araucanía and human zoos) and in the congruence of the arguments and arguments presented. This empowerment reveals a deep historical empathy of the students towards the indigenous vision, since they were able to think historically through a disciplined inquiry that led them to answer historical questions, find information, evaluate sources, and reconcile and interpret various explanations.

From a teaching perspective, one of the issues that are also worth mentioning is that, despite the positive impact it had on learning, students continued, unconsciously, to describe Columbus' arrival in America as a "discovery". This feature is the result of the normalization of certain Eurocentric conventions or concepts that traditional teaching of history has established in students throughout their school education ^{(Forbes, 2011}; ^{Espino, 2014}; ^{Taladoire, 2018)}.

Despite the expected complications, 87.6 % of the students, according to the applied survey, consider that the experience was highly significant, motivating and attractive to learn about indigenous rights, since it allowed them to develop meaningful learning through the History laboratory. Thanks to this instance they were able to elaborate complex explanations around the foundations of Indian law and were able to measure the historical relevance of the main arguments that were used in the sources analyzed to justify the two positions of the controversy.

For this reason, and as the survey indicates, 100 % of students agree that the debate should be implemented more frequently within the university, since, according to their general perception, it is important to generate spaces that contribute to promoting attitudes, values and practices that promote respect for the rights of indigenous peoples, who, in recent decades, have emerged as relevant political actors in various Latin American countries.

In this line, following ^{Roux (2019)}, the Education in Human Rights (EDH) should be understood as a set of activities of education, training and information aimed at building a universal culture of human rights. To achieve this objective, the participating subjects, as part of the final reflections of the debate, proposed these three major guidelines for action:

• Incorporate historical problems or controversies in university courses that address HRE, in order to promote historical and citizen thinking in students, so that they can forge an active, responsible and committed citizenry with respect for cultural heritage and Rights of indigenous peoples.

• Assume Democracy and the Rule of Law as social, cultural and territorial spaces of identification and protagonist in which indigenous peoples can have sufficient autonomy to live according to their principles and customs. In this way, the characteristics of universality, historicity and obligatory nature of human rights for all people are emphasized.

• Practicing forms of promotion, education and dissemination of rights and duties of indigenous peoples, in order to promote their territorial autonomy within the nation state, obtaining special quotas for indigenous parliamentarians in Congress and the constitutional recognition of Latin American states as multicultural countries. The organization of citizen councils, the visit of students to communities and the greater academic research on indigenous topics can be effective ways to achieve these objectives.

Although these challenges are still pending, it is important to recognize that important reform processes have been promoted to accommodate indigenous peoples. For example, in Chile, Law No. 19,253 of 1993 recognizes the ethnic and cultural diversity existing in the country and creates the National Corporation for Indigenous Development (CONADI) to coordinate public policy on indigenous matters. Also, as noted ^{Aguas and Nahuelpan (2019)}, highlights the ratification of Convention 169 of the ILO by the Chilean government, whose international treaty provides the duty of the State to consult the legislative and administrative measures which may affect directly to the original peoples.

However, and despite the advances mentioned, the students stated that many of the political and territorial demands of indigenous peoples, such as those set forth in the aforementioned guidelines, have not been fully accepted by governments or citizens. This problem has been exacerbated by the globalization of the economy, since it has caused the emergence of a series of conflicts between indigenous communities and companies dedicated to the exploitation of natural resources within their territories.

In this area, and based on a greater epistemic understanding of History and Citizen Education, it should be noted that the debate encouraged teachers in initial training to work with interpretations rather than certainties. Therefore, and following the didactic approaches of historical and citizen thought, it is not said that the participating subjects are trained as historians, but that they are capable of evaluating the different arguments or affirmations that are made of the past to evaluate the historical path and the democratic construction process of present societies.

Similarly, the students evidenced the need to create a university chair based on the indigenous approach; in fact, in the case of teaching Chilean history they propose, under the guidance of the teacher, one with a defined thematic structure.

According to the general perception of the participants, this subject, in the first place, should address the pre-Columbian findings produced in different contexts, from the Chinchorro culture in the north, through Monte Verde one of the oldest in America, to the societies hunt prays and canoeists from the southern tip. In second instance Ought treat initiated contact with European invaders from the sixteenth century, including exploration trips, resistance and border relations to territorial autonomy obtained through agreements held in parliaments featuring Spanish and Mapuches .In third instance, Ought to continue with a reflection on the configuration of the new Chilean government (early nineteenth century), the consolidation of capitalism and the decision to submit the original peoples to forced integration, in some cases to fruition effective genocide processes. Finally, we must end with a current analysis of indigenous issues including conflicts with existing Chilean and foreign settlers and the strategies undertaken for constitutional recognition and recovery of the territory.

From the point of view of personal and social training it is essential to mention that the experience helped to improve and / or develop important soft skills in students. For example, it highlights the high level of commitment and responsibility with which the students conducted their respective debates; this is observed in that 100 % complied with the development of the activity. The commitment to the experience was also manifested in that 95 % of the students attended regularly the classes that contemplated the preparation and presentation of the debate.

Regarding the academic performance achieved, the 100 % approval by the participating subjects' stands out, evidencing an important improvement in the results obtained in a traditional evaluation with the same contents, where the percentage of approval was close to 85 % for the subjects in which this experience was applied. In this specific case, positive results were obtained that are reflected in the fact that all the ratings exceed 4.0 on a scale of 1.0 to 7.0.

Likewise, it is convenient to point out that the activity has reinforced the close relationship between the teacher and the students, because it became a space for greater interaction between the parties. In fact, one of the aspects most valued by students is the formative evaluation process carried out throughout the work, which has contributed significantly to improving the classroom climate.

It is also important to highlight that 100 % of the teachers in training justify the need to use the debate with their future students, since most have not had the opportunity to work in one during their university training or to implement it in their progressive practices.

Therefore, the students highlighted the need to develop similar experiences related to HRE, because they consider that they are poorly implemented in initial teacher training and that they are essential to improve the training process for new generations in this area. This reflection, eventually, could allow forging two pillars: first, the creation of "new knowledge" that serves as a diagnosis for the design and execution of policies and practices linked to the promotion of indigenous rights and, secondly, it would provide incentives the development of competences associated with historical research in the field of initial teacher training.

To achieve this objective, it is of vital importance to promote an active teaching role, based on the hidden curriculum and on a social commitment that recovers the role of reflective and transforming subject of history.

In short, the debate on Indian law was an instance that accounts for a growing social and academic interest in making visible the indigenous rights violated in Chile and Latin America from the conquest to the present. In this way, the experience makes it possible to contribute to the development that the university has undertaken in the recognition and promotion of indigenous rights within initial teacher training. This shows that, although HRE in higher education is new and can be understood as a pending task, there is a commitment to introduce and address indigenous rights as an integral part of the academic programs offered by universities.

The positive results of the debate are consistent with those obtained in other similar experiences carried out in areas such as Administration ^{(Vásquezet al., 2017)}, Economics ^{(Salazar and Acuña, 2018)} and Philosophy ^{(Alimen, Baynosa and Detosil-Alimen, 2019)}, indicating that the debate can be used in different university environments, it contributes not only to the acquisition of skills and content but to personal and social education of students. Thus, the debate as an active methodology becomes especially relevant in the exercise of a more constructivist university teaching, where the development of competences and the role of the student in his own learning are key point.

Under this conviction, and although the present investigation evidenced the effectiveness of the debate to enhance soft skills and improve understanding of HRE, it is imperative to continue working on future complementary or convergent studies to delve into this topic, or to implement and analyze similar experiences that have the intention of innovating in the teaching of the specialty.

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Received: December 18, 2019; Accepted: February 24, 2020