Human Rights, Arts, & Memory

Catalog description

The objective of this course is to introduce students of international relations to the politics of human rights, art, and collective memory. Many IR courses on human rights provide an overview of international human rights law and the evolution thereof. However, few courses map the politicization of abuses of civil or political rights in conflict or during authoritarian rule against the backdrop of art as a vector for change. This seminar focuses on a cross-regional analysis to explore how different social actors address political violence in the aftermath of atrocities relying on art and how their actions impact society. Some of the questions posed include: 1) How do societies account for wrongdoings and create a collective memory? 2) Why are transition governments and other actors keen on creating their own often conflicting narratives about the past? 3) What role do international actors, such as non-profit organizations or states, play in this context? In recent years, the use of art including visual and performance art but in particular street art and performance activism has become a major catalyst of dealing with the past. Yet, the reliance on artistic forms of expression to cope with mass atrocities and human rights violations is far from being a cathartic element. Instead, it can also fuel tensions leading to the creation of spaces of contention in transitioning societies.