The present course offers students a critical overview of the current situation of poverty and violence in Central America in relation to Human Rights compliance and violations, after the peacemaking and democratization process in the region. It explores causes and patterns of poverty in the region, the different manifestations of violence and their relationship to Human Rights violations. Then, analyzes the extension of Human Rights violations in each of Central American countries and discusses violators’ impunity and prosecution in the region.
Finally, analyzes political alternatives and proposes public policies to overcome poverty and to accomplish Human Rights compliance in the region.
Learning outcomes:
At the end of this course, students will be able to
Analyze the causes and patterns of poverty in the region and its relationship with Human Rights violations.
Analyze the extension of Human Rights violations in each of Central American countries and to discuss violators’ impunity in the region.
Analyze political promises and to propose public policies to overcome poverty and to accomplish Human Rights in the region.
Method of presentation:
Tutorial sessions: Direct mentoring from the professor. A two hour session once a week at the Universidad Nacional (UNA) to analyze and discuss each topic and to comment required readings.
Independent studies: Reading, systematizing, analyzing and writing results of research activities performed by students in order to fulfill reports requirements.
PowerPoint presentations: Tutor and students’ resource to provide information and to promote discussion of each topic and report.
Videos and documentaries: Resource to reinforce independent studies and discussions.
Field trips: Employed to promote vivid learning experiences on poverty in the region and to gather more information on Human Rights compliance and violations.
Required work and form of assessment:
Four tutorial sessions, Attendance required
Participation, 20%, 5% each session
Four field trips and documentary reports, 20%, 5% each report
Four research reports, 60%, 15% each report
content:
Week One:
Historical Background of Central America
Learning Goal:
Understand the historical context of Central America from “Banana republic’s” to “dictatorships” (1900-1979).
Obligatory readings:
Foster, Lynn (2007). A Brief History of Central America. New York, Facts on File, Inc, p.p. 170-225.
Activities:
Documentary: The Word in The Woods, by Jeffrey Gould.
Lecture to introduce the general ideas and discuss the readings with the student.
Report: The students will have to summarize the main ideas of the readings and the documentary in an essay (5 pages), and express their own conclusions about them.
Week Two:
Civil Wars and Peacemaking Process in Central America
Learning Goal:
Characterize the origins, actors and the peacemaking process of the Civil Wars in Central America (1979-1996)
Obligatory readings:
Chomsky, N (2005). Turning the Tide. U.S. intervention in Central America and the Struggle for Peace. Boston, South End Press, p.p. 11-72.
Foster, Lynn (2007). A Brief History of Central America. New York, Facts on File, Inc, p.p. 225-285.
Week Three:
New Economic Model in Central America
Learning Goal:
Characterize the main economic and social changes faced by Central America after the peacemaking process.
Obligatory readings:
Robinson, W. (2003). Transnational Conflicts in Central America: Central America Social Change and Globalization. Nueva York, Verso, p.p.147-209.
Activities:
Documentaries:
Sin Nombre, Cary Fukunaga.
Lecture to introduce the general ideas and discuss the readings with the student.
Report: The students will have to summarize the main ideas of the readings and the documentary in an essay (5 pages) and express their own conclusions about them.
Week Four:
Central America Today: Between Economic Power Groups, “Maras” (gangs) and Coups d´etát
Learning Goal:
Characterize the current perspectives and realities of Central America, focusing on violence, drug cartels, and democracy.
Obligatory readings: Rodgers, D.; Muggah, R.; Stevenson, C. (2009). Gangs of Central America: Causes, Costs and Interventions. Geneva, Small Arms Survey.
Activities:
Documentaries:
La Vida Loca.
Lecture to introduce the general ideas and discuss the readings with the student.
Report: The students will have to summarize the main ideas of the readings and the documentary in an essay (5 pages) and express their own conclusions about them.
Required readings:
Alston, P. (2010). Appraising the UN Human Rights Regime. In Alston and Megret (eds.) The United Nations and Human Rights: A Critical Appraisal. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
Forsythe, D. (2006). Chapter 3: Global Application of Human Rights Norms. In Human Rights in International Relations. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Forsythe, D. (2011). Human Rights and Mass Atrocities: Revisiting Transitional Justice. International Studies Review, 13.
Goldstone, R. (2000). Advancing Human Rights: The Need For Justice and Accountability. In Power and Allison (eds.), Realizing Human Rights. New York: St. Martin’s Press.
Hawkins, D. (2003). Universal Jurisdiction for Human Rights: From Legal Principle to Limited Reality.Global Governance, 9.
Ignatieff, M. (2001). The Attack on Human Rights. Foreign Affairs. Nov/Dec.
Keck, M. and Sikkink, K. (1999). Transnational Advocacy Networks in International and Regional Politics.International Social Science Journal, 51(159).
Keith, Tate and Poe (2009). Is the Law a Mere Parchment Barrier to Human Rights Abuse?Journal of Politics 71(2).
Kim, H. (2007). Why and When Do States Use Human Rights Trials and Truth Commissions after Transition? An Event History Analysis of 100 Countries Covering 1974-2004.
Lutz, E. and Sikkink, K. (2000) International Human Rights Law and Practice in Latin America
Nobles. M. (2010). The Prosecution of Human Rights Violations, Annual Review of Political Science, 13.
Risse and Sikkink (1999), The Socialization of International Human Rights Norms into Domestic Practices: Introduction. In Risse, Ropp, and Sikkink (eds.) ThePower of Human Rights: International Norms and Domestic Change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Roth, K. (2000). Human Rights Organizations: A New Force for Social Change. In Power and Allison (eds.), Realizing Human Rights. New York: St. Martin’s Press.
Simmons, B. (2009). Chapter 2: Why International Law? The Development of the International Human Rights Regime in the Twentieth Century. In: Mobilizing for Human Rights International Law and Domestic Policies. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Simmons, B. (2010). Treaty Compliance and Violation.Annual Review of Political Science, 13.
Smith, R.K.M. (2009). Human Rights in International Law. In Goodhart (ed.), Human Rights: Politics and Practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Weston, B. (2006). Human Rights. In Claude and Weston (ed.), Human Rights in the World Community. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press.
Brief Biography of Instructor:
Professor Meoño has a Ph.D. in Human Rights and Development, a Master degree in Educational Sciences and a graduate degree (Licenciatura) in Philosophy. Currently, he is the Coordinator and a professor of the Master Program on Human Rights and Education for Peace at Universidad Nacional (UNA) in Costa Rica. He has been consultant for Central American Universities Superior Council (CSUCA), Social Sciences Latin American Faculty (FLACSO), Latin American Campaign for Education (CLADE) and UNESCO.
Human Rights In Central America: Poverty, Promise, And Possibility
The present course offers students a critical overview of the current situation of poverty and violence in Central America in relation to Human Rights compliance and violations, after the peacemaking and democratization process in the region. It explores causes and patterns of poverty in the region, the different manifestations of violence and their relationship to Human Rights violations. Then, analyzes the extension of Human Rights violations in each of Central American countries and discusses violators’ impunity and prosecution in the region.
Finally, analyzes political alternatives and proposes public policies to overcome poverty and to accomplish Human Rights compliance in the region.
At the end of this course, students will be able to
Four tutorial sessions, Attendance required
Participation, 20%, 5% each session
Four field trips and documentary reports, 20%, 5% each report
Four research reports, 60%, 15% each report
Learning Goal:
Understand the historical context of Central America from “Banana republic’s” to “dictatorships” (1900-1979).
Obligatory readings:
Foster, Lynn (2007). A Brief History of Central America. New York, Facts on File, Inc, p.p. 170-225.
Activities:
Documentary: The Word in The Woods, by Jeffrey Gould.
Lecture to introduce the general ideas and discuss the readings with the student.
Report: The students will have to summarize the main ideas of the readings and the documentary in an essay (5 pages), and express their own conclusions about them.
Learning Goal:
Characterize the origins, actors and the peacemaking process of the Civil Wars in Central America (1979-1996)
Obligatory readings:
Chomsky, N (2005). Turning the Tide. U.S. intervention in Central America and the Struggle for Peace. Boston, South End Press, p.p. 11-72.
Foster, Lynn (2007). A Brief History of Central America. New York, Facts on File, Inc, p.p. 225-285.
Learning Goal:
Characterize the main economic and social changes faced by Central America after the peacemaking process.
Obligatory readings:
Robinson, W. (2003). Transnational Conflicts in Central America: Central America Social Change and Globalization. Nueva York, Verso, p.p.147-209.
Activities:
Documentaries:
Sin Nombre, Cary Fukunaga.
Report: The students will have to summarize the main ideas of the readings and the documentary in an essay (5 pages) and express their own conclusions about them.
Learning Goal:
Characterize the current perspectives and realities of Central America, focusing on violence, drug cartels, and democracy.
Obligatory readings: Rodgers, D.; Muggah, R.; Stevenson, C. (2009). Gangs of Central America: Causes, Costs and Interventions. Geneva, Small Arms Survey.
Activities:
Documentaries:
La Vida Loca.
Professor Meoño has a Ph.D. in Human Rights and Development, a Master degree in Educational Sciences and a graduate degree (Licenciatura) in Philosophy. Currently, he is the Coordinator and a professor of the Master Program on Human Rights and Education for Peace at Universidad Nacional (UNA) in Costa Rica. He has been consultant for Central American Universities Superior Council (CSUCA), Social Sciences Latin American Faculty (FLACSO), Latin American Campaign for Education (CLADE) and UNESCO.