This is a basic, foundational course for master’s students interested in the actual work of human rights. The idea that a respect for human dignity and universal equality should constrain the actions of governments has influenced political activity for centuries, but it was not until very recently that global movements sought to and succeeded in codifying the principles of human rights in documents that could be enforced internationally. The emergence and rapid evolution of international human rights frameworks over the last 80 years has been profound. An important purpose of this course is to assist students in understanding the origins, context, applications, and ongoing growth of and threats to international human rights principles and doctrines in both international and national politics.
Using primary policy, legal and primary texts as well as disciplinary and transdisciplinary intellectual works, we will examine which rights are considered fundamental, their sources and how the discourse international human rights has grown over time. These documents serve as a basis for an emerging area of international human rights policies that affects both how governments should relate to their populations and how countries relate to one another. We will
discuss the roles and strategies of the various actors involved, including grassroots activists, survivor groups, policy professionals, elected officials within the constraints of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), International Human Rights Law (IHRL) and International Relations.
We will explore discourses on human rights, the statist system and state sovereignty, and how the search for peace, equality, justice, freedom and human security has evolved in relation to state and its responsibility to its own people and that of other states. The overall aim of the course is to develop a substantive understanding, to strengthen our policy analysis and to gain a better grounding for analyzing how human rights principles are being created, engaged,
operationalized, implemented and threatened. Students will gain a foundational understanding of international human rights law, international human rights law, the evolution of the state and statist responsibility. Students will also have many opportunities to learn about and discuss diverse human rights values, principles, concerns, and responses - internationally.
