Summer 2013

Provides a wide-ranging survey of conceptual foundations and issues in contemporary human rights. The class will examine the philosophical origins of human rights, their explication in the evolving series of international documents, as well as questions of enforcement through international law and treaty arrangements. Examines contemporary topics that are in the forefront of concern, among them - the status of women, refugees, children, the use of torture and the horrors of genocide. Though the course emphasizes political rights, it also recognizes the evolution of the human rights culture, the growing importance of economic rights and tensions related to globalization and multiculturalism. The broad range of subjects covered in the course is intended to assist students in honing their interests and making future course selections in the human rights field.

Since the 1990s, there has been increased focus and debate on the role of business with respect to human rights. Business has contributed to millions of people around the world being lifted out of poverty; but at the same time companies in all industries have contributed to human rights abuses, such as exploitative working conditions in factories, social unrest and environmental destruction around oil and mining projects, and censorship and surveillance by internet service providers. This course is an in-depth exploration of the relationship between business and human rights: from a historical perspective, as we discuss the evolution of the debate about corporate social responsibility and business's responsibilities with respect to human rights, then from an applied perspective as we focus on particular cases, industries, and issues. By the end of the course, students should have a solid grounding in the background and current issues related to business and human rights; understand the positions of different stakeholder groups; and be able to critically evaluate the responsibilities and actions of key actors in situations where corporate-related human rights abuses have occurred, including what prevention and/or mitigation steps could be effective.

Provides an introduction to the legal aspects of international human rights. We will cover the major international human rights documents and treaties, the substance of the laws they create, and the international procedures and mechanisms for implementing them. We will consider some of today's most significant human rights issues and controversies, such as the prohibition of hate speech, the treatment of Guantanamo detainees, the use of torture, and the legality of humanitarian intervention to prevent genocide. This course will enable you to: explain the bases and significance of international human rights law; analyze the content of international human rights documents and cases; understand international enforcement mechanisms for human rights; debate opposing sides of important human rights issues; write advocacy essays; and engage in substantive research on human rights issues.

Human rights play a distinctive role as "the political utopia" in contemporary international life. Still, human rights violations remain widespread and human rights norms are still the focus of numerous controversies, from their definition to their protection and promotion by various international actors with different moral and strategic agendas. This course will examine the place of human rights in the foreign policies of the US and a number of other countries around the globe. The course explores the social construction of human rights and national interests as well as the context, instruments, and tradeoffs in the formulation and implementation humanrights foreign policies. Some of the questions this class will consider include: What are human rights and how is their protection best assessed? How have different states promoted and contributed to the violation of human rights abroad? How does human rights promotion strengthen and undermine other foreign policy goals? What's the role of non-state actors in the promotion and violation of human rights across the globe? When has the impact of the human rights norms and regimes been the greatest and when have the efforts of state and non-state actors to promote human rights at home and abroad made the most difference?

This course is designed to develop practical advocacy skills to protect and promote human rights. A focus will be developing an advocacy strategy on a current human rights issue, including the identification of goals and objectives, appropriate advocacy targets, and appropriatemethods. Students will explore broad‐based human rights campaigns, use of the media, and advocacy with UN bodies, and the US government. Over the course of the semester, students will become familiar with a variety of tools to apply to a human rights issue of their choosing. Case studies will illustrate successful advocacy campaigns on particular issues, such as child soldiers and landmines. Written assignments will focus on practical advocacy tools, including sample advocacy letters, op‐eds, submissions to UN mechanisms or treaty bodies, and the development of an overarching advocacy strategy. The course will also include opportunities to simulate advocacy meetings with policy‐makers.

The course will examine the integration of women's human rights into the UN international human rights system through study of several relevant UN bodies, treaties and declarations, human rights reports, and NGO activities. The course will consider successes, contestations and defenses of applications of human rights to women's issues. It will examine dialogues among activists, scholars and UN experts on how women's human rights are implemented. Readings will be from international affairs, anthropology, sociology, law, news articles and NGO websites.