CAT/C/48/3 and behaviours, to empower them to contribute to the building and promotion of a universal culture of human rights, it contributes to the prevention of human rights violations.‖ 10 69. Human rights education and training is a key mechanism for the prevention of torture and ill-treatment in that it can help counter the numerous root causes. 70. Including human rights instruction in all levels of education (preschool, primary, secondary and higher) is indispensable for building a culture of respect for human rights from the earliest age and in all areas of everyday life, fostering an environment conducive to the prevention of human rights violations, including torture and ill-treatment, and promoting non-violent methods of conflict management, equality, non-discrimination, inclusion, respect for diversity, solidarity and recognition of the worth of every individual and group. 71. Professional training in the fields of law, health care, psychology, social work, anthropology, public policy, social communication and education, inter alia, requires a type of higher education which incorporates a cross-cutting human rights component as an effective mechanism for preventing human rights violations including torture. University education must be backed up by continuing education, refresher courses and in-service training in human rights. 72. Particular attention should be accorded to the human rights training provided to police, military and prison officers, emphasizing among other aspects their role in protecting human rights, international regulatory frameworks and their practical application in daily operations, and the rights and safeguards enjoyed by persons deprived of their liberty. 73. The training provided to legal professionals involved in the administration of criminal justice (public prosecutors, public defenders, judges and private defence counsels), constitutional judges and to health-care and other professionals who provide forensic expertise is of equal importance. 74. It is very important to strengthen the forums for human rights education that are developing outside the formal educational system, as well as the popular education initiatives that extend their scope to diverse population groups. 75. Human rights education and training must embrace persons who have been deprived of their liberty or whose liberty is restricted and their families. 76. To guarantee the holistic focus of human rights education and training and its consequent role as an increasingly effective tool for preventing human rights violations in general and torture and ill-treatment in particular, we think it vital to take the following guiding principles into account: (a) Consistency between study programmes, course content, teaching materials and methods, forms of assessment and the environment in which the teaching/learning process takes place; (b) Flexible study programmes which meet the needs of all participants; (c) A balance between the physical, mental, spiritual and emotional aspects of the educational process; (d) An interdisciplinary, critical and contextualized approach that combines theory and practice and embraces diversity (of gender, ethnicity, age, ability, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, etc.); 10 Ibid 17