Intl Human Rights Law

Catalog description

Elective Course This seminar introduces the theory and global practice of human rights. Human rights claims play an increasingly central role in political and social struggles at both the domestic and the international level. The adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948 signaled a proliferation of international human rights law and transnational non-governmental activism. While the promotion of human rights has become global, adherence to those standards remains highly uneven, and gross violations and atrocities continue to occur. We will examine the role of states, intergovernmental organizations, and transnational networks in the global promotion of human rights. We will also discuss political, socio-psychological, and other explanations for gross violations and explore the limits of human rights language in effectively addressing injustices around the world. The seminar will be organized around specific human rights issues, including human dignity, women's rights, torture, basic needs, the right to food, genocide, human trafficking, civil rights, and racial discrimination.