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Regular version of the site

NGOs and Human Rights

2019/2020
Academic Year
ENG
Instruction in English
5
ECTS credits
Delivered at:
Public Policy Department
Course type:
Elective course
When:
1 year, 3, 4 module

Course Syllabus

Abstract

Many NGOs (or, better, SCO – civil society organizations) around the world dedicate their efforts to protecting human rights and ending human rights abuses. Major human rights organizations maintain extensive websites documenting violations and calling for remedial action, both at a governmental and grass-roots level. Public support and condemnation of abuses is important to their success, as human rights organizations, are most effective when their calls for reform are backed by strong public advocacy. This course is devoted to the overview the NGO as part of global civil society movement, the current obstacles and tensions in the NGO role in human rights protection, as well as NGO as actor in international human rights law. The course is practically oriented: students will plan a human rights campaign, discuss the possible tools of the civic engagement, and study to how we can evaluate and assess the effectiveness of he NGO human rights advocacy
Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives

  • Be able to organize the human rights campaign and monitoring
  • Know the major tools of human rights protection, internationally and locally
  • Know and able to analyze the data from international system of human rights monitoring
Expected Learning Outcomes

Expected Learning Outcomes

  • Be able to distinguish between infringements of law and human rights violations
  • Be able to apply standards of human rights protection
  • Know and able to analyze the data from international system of human rights monitoring
  • Know the major tools of human rights protection, internationally and locally
  • Know the main tools of human rights monitoring (UPR, HR reports)
Course Contents

Course Contents

  • What are the human rights and where do they come from?
  • NGO and history of human rights. Human Rights movement in USSR and end of Cold War
  • HR NGOs and international human rights regime
  • NGOs and human rights advocacy
  • Monitoring of human rights
  • Public awareness campaigns
  • Strategic litigation
  • Civic engagement
  • Human rights education
  • Collaboration with other groups: business, governmental bodies, media
  • Evaluation and assessment
Assessment Elements

Assessment Elements

  • non-blocking Written assignment #1
  • non-blocking Written assignment #2
  • non-blocking Written assignment #3
  • non-blocking Oral presentation
  • non-blocking Active participation in seminars
Interim Assessment

Interim Assessment

  • Interim assessment (4 module)
    0.1 * Active participation in seminars + 0.3 * Oral presentation + 0.2 * Written assignment #1 + 0.2 * Written assignment #2 + 0.2 * Written assignment #3
Bibliography

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

  • Becker, J. (2013). Campaigning for Justice : Human Rights Advocacy in Practice. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=713344
  • Donnelly, J. (2013). Universal Human Rights in Theory and Practice (Vol. 3rd ed). Ithaca: Cornell University Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=671407
  • Eyassu Gayim. (2016). The Discourse on Human Rights and the International Regime of Human Rights. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.9A26A0CC
  • Ishay, M. (2008). The History of Human Rights : From Ancient Times to the Globalization Era (Vol. [New edition]). Berkeley, California: University of California Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1108620
  • Strengths and Weaknesses in a Human Rights-Based Approach to International Development:An analysis of a rights-based approach to development assistance based on practical experiences. (2018). Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.E7B9F775
  • Strong, D. A., & Kim, J. Y. (2012). Defining, Building, and Measuring Capacity: Findings From an Advocacy Evaluation. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.5353FBEB
  • Tsujinaka, Y., Smith, S. R., & Pekkanen, R. (2014). Nonprofits and Advocacy : Engaging Community and Government in an Era of Retrenchment. Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=662182

Recommended Additional Bibliography

  • EDWARDS, M. (1997). Organizational learning in non-governmental organizations: What have we learned? Public Administration & Development, 17(2), 235–250. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-162X(199705)17:2<235::AID-PAD943>3.0.CO;2-P
  • Hesselman, M., & Lane, L. (2017). Disaster and Non-State Actors:Human Rights-Based Approaches. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.9834DB8D
  • Neier, A. (DE-588)173723659, (DE-576)164808442. (2012). The international human rights movement : a history / Aryeh Neier. Princeton, NJ [u.a.]: Princeton Univ. Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edswao&AN=edswao.369540700
  • Ranghelli, L. (2009). Measuring the Impacts of Advocacy and Community Organizing: Application of a Methodology and Initial Findings. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.CCF5047F