GOVT 3887 International Human Rights in Theory and Practice

Course description

This course will introduce students to the law, theory, and practice of international human rights. Students will think critically about the effectiveness of the international human rights system by examining its successes, failures, and dilemmas in preventing and responding to human rights abuse. Topics covered will include the origins and foundations of international human rights; the role of international, regional, and domestic institutions and actors in enforcing human rights; critiques of the human rights movement; and the relationship of the United States to the international system for the protection of human rights. The course will also explore issues such as the death penalty, women’s human rights, migration, climate change, global poverty, and responses to mass atrocity. During in-class simulations and other activities, students will have the opportunity to step into the shoes of a human rights advocate and work with their classmates to address human rights problems.

In observance of Independence Day, the course will not meet on Tuesday, July 4

Summer 2023: Online course

Elizabeth Brundige

Clinical professor of law, assistant dean for international programs, and Jack G. Clarke Executive Director of International and Comparative Legal Studies, Cornell Law School