The seminar offers an introduction to the study of human rights and social and economic inequality by approaching these issues from the perspective of a student in a service learning experience: He/she will be placed with an NGO focused on a specific theme. The seminar will accompany the student in a learning process so that the experience will lead to a deeper knowledge of humanitarian perspectives and principles as well as Argentine culture and language. The seminar will demand an active role from the student investigating, visiting and reporting on the different situations which will be under study.
Prerequisites:
None
Learning outcomes:
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
Identify theoretical concepts, bibliography and themes, history and general mechanisms for the defense and promotion of human dignity and freedom on a national and international level.
Relate the theoretical concepts and themes studied in class with their working experience
Recognize and describe how their professional competences and social awareness have improved during the internship
Compare and contrast pressing concerns about human and social rights in Argentina and the United States.
Incorporate their direct contact with places and people in Buenos Aires who have significance for the contemporary development of social services and human rights in Latin America into their intercultural competence.
Method of presentation:
The seminar operates both on a theoretical and practical level. The practice will consist of the student investigating the social and human rights of a specific area. The subject of rights will be approached in class through lectures, audiovisuals, debates and field trips. Student activities will consist of research investigation, drafting and presenting reports. Students must keep a journal on their experience of human and social rights in Argentina. Students will be required to work in service for 8 hours per week and then take part in the seminar which will be held once a week for 2 hours.
Required work and form of assessment:
Service Work / Internship (20%): Your internship supervisor will evaluate initiative, attendance, and efficiency in the workplace.
Journal (10%): The minimum requirement is three entries, 1000 words each.
Weekly Assignments (10%): Students are expected to have their readings done for class as indicated in the course schedule below. Quizzes, group activities and turned-in answers to questions will be regularly scheduled and graded.
Oral and written Presentation (20%): These are class presentations on issues relating to the Service Learning experience which are then followed up through a formal written analytical essay (length: 2000 words).
Mid-Term and Final Exams (20% each; 40% total): There will be two in-class exams. Exams will cover the main theoretical concepts analyzed in this course in order to evaluate student’s comprehension of basic themes (military dictatorships, grass-root social movements, civil law legal system, human rights history, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Inter-American and UN human rights system, popular education theory and practice and social comparisons US/Argentina.
content:
Session 1: Introduction. Human Rights in Argentina
Readings:
01-Feitlowitz, Marguerite, A Lexicon of Terror. Argentina and the Legacies of Torture. Oxford U.
Press, 1998, Introduction, pp. 1-19.
02-Mothers of Plaza de Mayo (Linea Fundadora), “We are the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo” (mimeo, 2005), pp. 1-5.
03-Bouvard, Marguerite, Revolutionizing Motherhood. The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo.Scholarly Resources, 2004, ch. 6., pp. 129-174.
Field work: Visit Madres de Plaza de Mayo. Weekly round - Thursday 3,30 pm in Plaza de Mayo.
Session 2: State Terrorism. National Security. “Desaparecidos”. Torture.
Readings:
04-Feitlowitz, A Lexicon of Terror, ch. 1, pp. 19-62.
05-Sábato, Ernesto, “Prologue” to the Nunca Más Report of Conadep (National Commission on the Disappearance of Persons. Buenos Aires: Eudeba, 1984, pp. 1-6.
Field Work: Visit ESMA Detention Center, Av. Libertador 8200 or, if unable, other former detention
Center such as Olympia, Virrey Cevallos, etc.
Session 3: Impunity and Justice in Argentine Legal System
Readings:
06-Messitte, Peter J., “Common Law V. Civil Law Systems”. Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State, 1999 (4 pages).
07-Rice, Patrick, “Human Rights Trials in Argentina” (mimeo, 6 pages).
Field work: Visit Buenos Aires Courtroom where Human Rights Trials are being conducted
Session 4: Argentine Social Crisis & Human Rights
Readings:
08-Grimson, Alejandro and Gabriel Kessler, On Argentina and the Southern Cone. RoutledgePress, 2005, chapter 3, pp. 81-116.
Field work: Visit Centro “El Campito” in Villa 31 (shantytown).
Session 5: History of Human Rights and United Nations System
Readings:
09-“What are Human Rights?” in Nancy Flowers, Human Rights Here and Now. University of Minessota – Human Rights Resource Center, 1999, pp. 1-27.
10-Nowak, Manfred, Introduction to the Internation Human Rights Regime. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 2003, pp. 73-129.
Investigation: Chose one of UN special rapporteurs on human rights’ themes such as right to health, housing, torture , freedom of expression to present in class.
Field work: Visit UN Public Information Center in Recoleta.
Session 6: Human Rights Norms – Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Readings:
11-“The Evolution of Modern Human rights Law” in Graeme Bristol, Human Rights and Development Practice. Centre for Architecture and Human Rights, Bangkok, 2000, pp. 14 -25.
Universal Declaration for Human Rights. London: Amnesty International, 1988 (video).
Suggested Reading:
12-“Overview of International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law Standards” in UN Training Manual on Human Rights Monitoring. New York: UN Publications, 1999, chapter 4, pp. 41–83.
Session 7: Midterm Evaluation
Session 8: Interamerican Human Rights System / Human Rights Advocacy
Readings:
13-“Organization of American States (OAS)” in Manfred Nowak, Introduction to the International Human Rights Regime. Boston: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 2002, pp. 189–202.
Investigation: Leading cases in the Interamerican System (Poblete in Argentina, Velasquez in Honduras and others) and present final resolutions to class.
Session 9: Poverty and Human Rights
Readings:
14-Guevara, José, “Poverty and the Right to Development. An International Human Rights Approach”. Paper delivered at SELA Conference, Yale Law School, 2005 (mimeo, 19 pages).
15-Coll, Patricio and Jorge Goldenberg, Return to Fortin Olmos, 2008 (Argentine video documentary on a very poor area of Chaco region, Argentina)
Investigation: NGOs working on poverty and development in Argentina.
Session 10: Right to Work and Cooperatives
Readings:
16-Grimson, A., On Argentina and the Southern Cone, chapter 5, pp. 145-181.
Field Work: Visit factory or work unit recovered from closure and managed by workers (Gráfica, Barracas, IMPA, Caballito, Brukman, Once & Hotel Bauen).
Session 11: Literacy and Right to Education
Readings:
17-Freire, Paulo, “Cultural Action for Freedom” trans. for IES from Freire, Accion Cultural para la
Libertad. Mexico D.F.: Siglo 21, 1973 (mimeo, 7 pages).
18-Ministerio de Educación, “First literacy class”. National Literacy Program, Ministerio de Educacion de Argentina, 2004.
Field Work: Visit center of Programa de Alfabetizacion, Educacion Basica y Trabajo, Educación, Gobierno de Ciudad Autonoma de Buenos Aires.
Session 12: Ecology & Human Rights
Readings:
19-Seidenburg, David, “Ecology and Human Rights”. In Tikun Magazine, July/August 2008, pp. 1-5.
Robin, Marie-Monique, El Mundo según Monsanto (A documentary on soybean production in Argentina, 2008).
Solanas, Fernando. Tierra Sublevada (film on mining exploitation in Argentina, 2009)
Field work: Visit Reserva Ecológica and report back to class
Session 13: Towards a new Philosophy of Human Rights
Readings:
20-Rorty, Richard, “Human Rights, Rationality and Sentimentality”. In Stephen Shute and Susan Hurley, eds. On Human Rights. New York: Basic Books, 1993, pp. 67-83.
21-Rhodes, Aaron, “Human Rights in the New Europe: Some Problems”. In Obrad Savic, The Politics of Human Rights. Verso, 2002, pp. 189-193.
Field work : Visit Argentine human rights organizations such as National Secretariate for Human Rights, INADI (National Institute against Discrimination), Ombudsman of Buenos Aires City (Defensoria del Pueblo de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires) and CELS (Center for Legal and Social Studies), to see scope of activities and results.
Session 14: Final Exam
Recommended readings:
Akehurst, Michael, A Modern Introduction to International Law (London: George Allen and Unwin, 1970).
Burguenthal, Thomas et al., Protecting Human Rights in the Americas (Arlington: NP Engel, 1982).
Chomsky, Naom, Failed States: The Abuse of Power and the Assault on Democracy (New York: Metropolitan Books, 2006).
Cole, David and Dempsey, James, Terrorism and the Constitution: Sacrificing Civil Liberties in the name of National Security (New York: The New Press, 2002).
Derechos Humanos en Argentina Informe 2009 by Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales CELS (Siglo Veintiuno Editores, Buenos Aires, 2010) These reports are produced annually and give an excellent overview of the social and human rights situation of Argentina.
Dinges, John, The Condor Years: How Pinochet and his Allies Brought Terrorism to Three Continents, (New York: The New Press, 2004).
Englander, Nathan, The Ministry of Special Cases (New York, Alfred A Knopf 2008).
Feitlowitz, Marguerite, A Lexicon of Terror, Argentina and the Legacies of Torture (New York: Oxford University Press, 1998).
Freire, Paolo, The Pedagogy of the Oppressed (New York: Continum Publishers, 1970 – 2000).
Freire, Paolo, Education for Critical Consciousness (New York: Continum Publishers, 1972).
Gore, Al, The Assault on Reason (New York: The Penguin Press, 2007).
Grandin, Greg, Empire´s Workshop in Latin America, the United States and the rise of New Imperialism (New York: Metropolitan Books, 2006).
Guest, Iain, Behind the Disappearances: Argentina's Dirty War Against Human Rights and the United Nations (Pennsylvania Studies in Human Rights, 1990).
Hirsch, Herbert, Genocide and the Politics of Memory (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1995).
Klein, Naomi The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism (New York: Picador, 2007)
Kuper, Leo, Genocide- its political use in the Twentieth Century (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1981).
Nowak Manfred, Introduction to the International Human Rights Regime (Boston: Martinius Nijhoff Publications, 2003).
Obama, Barack, The Audacity of Hope (New York: Crown Publishers, 2006).
Power, Samantha, A Problem from Hell; America and the Age of Genocide (Harper Perennial, 2003).
Robertson, Geoffrey, Crimes Against Humanity: The Struggle for Global Justice (New York: The New Press, 2006).
Rock, David. “Racking Argentina” (New Left Review Vol 17, Sept / Oct 2002).
Savic, Obrad (The Belgrade Circle) edit., The Politics of Human Rights (London: Verso, 1999).
Steiner, J and Alston, Philip, International Human Rights in Context (New York: Oxford University Press, 2000).
Thornton, Lawrence, Imagining Argentina (New York: Barnes and Noble, 1991).
United Nations, Training Manual on Human Rights Monitoring (New York: United Nations Publication, 2001).
United Nations, Human Rights – A Compilation of International Instruments Vols I/II (New York and Geneva: United Nations, 2002).
V.S. Naipul, The Return of Eva Peron with the Killings in Trinidad (London, Penguin books, 1974).
The seminar offers an introduction to the study of human rights and social and economic inequality by approaching these issues from the perspective of a student in a service learning experience: He/she will be placed with an NGO focused on a specific theme. The seminar will accompany the student in a learning process so that the experience will lead to a deeper knowledge of humanitarian perspectives and principles as well as Argentine culture and language. The seminar will demand an active role from the student investigating, visiting and reporting on the different situations which will be under study.
None
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
The seminar operates both on a theoretical and practical level. The practice will consist of the student investigating the social and human rights of a specific area. The subject of rights will be approached in class through lectures, audiovisuals, debates and field trips. Student activities will consist of research investigation, drafting and presenting reports. Students must keep a journal on their experience of human and social rights in Argentina. Students will be required to work in service for 8 hours per week and then take part in the seminar which will be held once a week for 2 hours.
Session 1: Introduction. Human Rights in Argentina
Readings:
Field work: Visit Madres de Plaza de Mayo. Weekly round - Thursday 3,30 pm in Plaza de Mayo.
Session 2: State Terrorism. National Security. “Desaparecidos”. Torture.
Readings:
Field Work: Visit ESMA Detention Center, Av. Libertador 8200 or, if unable, other former detention
Center such as Olympia, Virrey Cevallos, etc.
Session 3: Impunity and Justice in Argentine Legal System
Readings:
Field work: Visit Buenos Aires Courtroom where Human Rights Trials are being conducted
Session 4: Argentine Social Crisis & Human Rights
Readings:
Field work: Visit Centro “El Campito” in Villa 31 (shantytown).
Session 5: History of Human Rights and United Nations System
Readings:
Investigation: Chose one of UN special rapporteurs on human rights’ themes such as right to health, housing, torture , freedom of expression to present in class.
Field work: Visit UN Public Information Center in Recoleta.
Session 6: Human Rights Norms – Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Readings:
Suggested Reading:
Session 7: Midterm Evaluation
Session 8: Interamerican Human Rights System / Human Rights Advocacy
Readings:
Investigation: Leading cases in the Interamerican System (Poblete in Argentina, Velasquez in Honduras and others) and present final resolutions to class.
Session 9: Poverty and Human Rights
Readings:
Investigation: NGOs working on poverty and development in Argentina.
Session 10: Right to Work and Cooperatives
Readings:
Field Work: Visit factory or work unit recovered from closure and managed by workers (Gráfica, Barracas, IMPA, Caballito, Brukman, Once & Hotel Bauen).
Session 11: Literacy and Right to Education
Readings:
Field Work: Visit center of Programa de Alfabetizacion, Educacion Basica y Trabajo, Educación, Gobierno de Ciudad Autonoma de Buenos Aires.
Session 12: Ecology & Human Rights
Readings:
Field work: Visit Reserva Ecológica and report back to class
Session 13: Towards a new Philosophy of Human Rights
Readings:
Field work : Visit Argentine human rights organizations such as National Secretariate for Human Rights, INADI (National Institute against Discrimination), Ombudsman of Buenos Aires City (Defensoria del Pueblo de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires) and CELS (Center for Legal and Social Studies), to see scope of activities and results.
Session 14: Final Exam