Human Rights

One can hardly pick up a newspaper or watch the news without reading or hearing about human rights abuses. Stories of genocide, refugees, war-crimes, or political prisoners have captured international attention. Although the subject of human rights has been discussed for hundreds of years, it was not until the 20th century that an internationally recognized covenant on human rights was formulated and adopted by the United Nations. The atrocities associated with World War II initiated a great effort among states and international organizations to make human rights a critical part of international law and diplomacy. This course will seek to define human rights as well as establish whether universal human rights exist. The students will examine the role human rights play in foreign policy, the importance of economic rights as well as personal rights. In addition, the course will discuss the reasons why governments abuse their citizens and examine the way human rights are studied by political scientists.