The United Nations and Human Rights: Advocacy, Institutional Reforms, and Change in Turbulent Times
CSPL 312
Fall 2024
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01
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Human rights advocacy efforts frequently involve the United Nations in some capacity. Human rights activists frequently seek to raise awareness about a human rights issue before one of several UN institutions, or they might draw on norms or concepts that emerged from the United Nations. They might also wish to contribute to ongoing discussions at the international level, harnessing the perspectives of their constituencies and their field experience to influence the shape of normative development at the global level. Despite the importance of the UN for human rights as a field, only a small circle of UN-specialists, insiders, and scholars understand and know to maneuver the institutional human rights machinery of the UN. This "black box" phenomenon is even more daunting for many of the communities and social activists meant to benefit most from the UN's human rights mechanisms. This course is an attempt to pierce that "black box," and to allow at least the graduates of this course to serve as effective "interpreters" of the UN human rights institutional landscape for the benefit of vulnerable individuals and communities. Students will contribute directly to human rights initiatives targeting the UN (or UN-adjacent institutions) as part of their human rights as part of their advocacy agenda. These projects will focus on a range of human rights issues (ex: climate change & migration, transitional justice, and the development of a human rights based governance approach to new and emerging technologies). Students will be active participants in the design of the course curriculum, directing their (our) collective learning around those issues most relevant to our advocacy projects. |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
SBS ALLB |
| Course Format: Discussion | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: CSPL128 |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: None |
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Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
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Examinations and Assignments:
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Students are expected to dedicate significant time to research memoranda and other work related to their advocacy projects. In addition, students are expected to prepare and present one or more course lecture(s). Students will prepare preparatory assignments, and work with the instructor to develop a suitable pedagogy. Afterwards, students will prepare a reflection paper summarizing describing what they learned about the topic of their class after they prepared and delivered the material. Students should think of 'their' class presentations as a ¿laboratory¿ in which to harness their classmates' collective wisdom to help them write that reflection paper. Students will also sit for a final exam. |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
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| Instructor(s): Sonnenberg,Stephan Times: .M.W... 02:50PM-04:10PM; Location: NO ROOM; |
Permission of Instructor Required
Enrollment capacity: 12 | Permission of instructor will be granted during the drop/add period. Students must submit either a ranked or unranked drop/add request for this course. |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 0 | 1st Ranked: 0 | 2nd Ranked: 0 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 0 |
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