POS 306c - International Human Rights Law and Politics
American University in Bulgaria
Spring Semester 2006
INSTRUCTOR
Visiting Balkan Scholar at American University in Bulgaria, spring 2006
Professor Emeritus of Political Science and Public Administration
North Carolina State University, Raleigh North Carolina, USA
Dr. Marvin Soroos is teaching at AUBG during the spring semester as the university's Balkan Scholar. He is currently in phased retirement as a professor of political science and public administration at North Carolina State University, where he has taught a variety of courses on global issues. He has published extensively on international politics and policy, and especially on global environmental problems. A world traveler, he has most recently visited China, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, Oman, United Arab Emirates, the Czech Republic, and Bulgaria. In his spare time, he is a landscape painter and a German folkdancer.
COURSE OVERVIEW
This course looks at the evolution of international human rights, as they have been defined and promoted through the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, international human rights treaties, the United Nations and International Criminal Court, the European Union, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), such as Amnesty International. Topics include civil and political rights, democratic governance, economic and social rights, the status of women and children, torture and genocide, rules of warfare, racial discrimination, and rights of minorities.
READINGS
There are no required textbooks for the course. Assigned readings include articles on library reserve and a wide range of internet resources. Optional readings and websites are also indicated for students interested in pursuing a subject in more depth.
EXAMINATIONS
There will be one mid-term examination and a final examination.
TERM PAPER
All students must submit a term paper of 5-8 (doublespaced) pages. No credit will be given to papers of less than 4 pages.
The topic of the paper is to be the human rights record of a country of each student's choosing. The paper should review the country's record on ratifying human rights treaties and the extent to which international human rights standards are being observed in the country. Numerous international commissions and committees as well as nongovernmental organizations such Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch report on the performance of governments in implementing human rights.
Students should inform the instructor of their choice of country by Thursday, February 16. An outline of the paper should be submitted be submitted by Monday, March 27. The final paper is due on Monday April 17th.
All students will discuss their countries human rights records by participating in panels during the last two weeks of the semester..
The paper is to be your work and be written exclusively for this course. Plagiarized papers (including ones purchased over the internet) will receive no credit.
Click here for a more detailed description of the term paper assignment.
GRADES
Grades for the course will be in A,B,C,D,F with pluses (+) and minuses (-) when appropriate. They will be based approximately as follows: the midterm examination (25%), the final examinations (30%), the term paper (25%), and class attendance and participation (20%). The grade scale will be 97-100 (A+), 93-96 (A), 90-92 (A-), 87-89 (B+), 83-86 (B), 80-82 (B-), 77-79 (C+), 73-76 (C), 70-72 (C-). A grade below 60 is failing.
TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE AND READING ASSIGNMENTS
January 16 - Course Introduction
Assigned readings
Selected quotations from Paul Lauren, The Evolution of International Human Rights: Visions Seen. University of Pennsylvania Press, 1998.
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, "Human Rights" (Section 1)
January 19 - Historical Evolution of Human Rights
Assigned readings
Moira Rayner, "History of Universal Human Rights --Up to World War II"
Peter Bailey, "The Creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Right"
Kim Gleeson, "Worldwide Influence of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Bill of Rights"
Optional websites
Wikipedia Encyclopedia, "Human Rights"
January 23 - Theories of Human Rights: Are they Universal?
Assigned readings
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Thomas M. Franck, "Are Human Rights Universal?" Foreign Affairs, Vol. 80, No. 1, January/February 2001, pp. 191-204.
(Access through EBSCO)
Optional websites
Wikipedia Encyclopedia, "Human Rights"
January 26 - Theories of Human Rights: Are They Specific to Cultures?
Assigned readings
Samuel Huntington, "The West Unique, Nor Universal," Foreign Affairs, Vol. 75, No. 6, November/December 1996, pp. 28-46
"Muslim Girls in Austria Fighting Forced Marriages," San Franscico Chronicle, December 4, 2005
Amnesty International, "Female Genital Mutilation"
Optional websites
Wikipedia Encyclopedia, "Cultural Relativism"
January 30 - Types of International Law: Customary Law, Treaties, and Resolutions (lecture notes)
Assigned readings
Mark W. Janus, "Treaties" (article on reserve)
United Nations, Treaty Reference Guide
Optional websites
Status of Major Human Rights Treaties
February 2 - Enforcement and Implementation of International Law
Browse these websites
Summaries of 25 key human rights treaties (Millennium Report)
Summary of UN Agreements on Human Rights
Fletcher School Multilaterals Project (texts of treaties on human rights)
Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties
Status of Ratifications of Human Rights Treaties (by country)
University of Minnesota Human Rights Library (Ratifications by country)
February 6 - International Instititutions and Human Rights
Assigned readings
The United Nations and Human Rights
UN Commission on Human Rights (browse website)
BBC, "Annan Says Rights Body Harming UN," April 7, 2005
Optional websites
International Court of Justice
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Country Reports by UN Commissions and Committees
UN Higher Commissioner for Refugees
European Court of Human Rights
UN Human Rights Charter Based and Treaty Based Bodies
Bayefski.com, "How to Complain About Human Rights Treaty Violations"
February 9 - Human Rights Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs)
Assigned readings
Peter Willetts, "What is a Non-Governmental Organization?"
Human Rights Watch, "United Nations: U.S. Aligned With Iran In Anti-Gay vote"
Optional websites
Global Policy Forum, NGOs
February 13 - The Roles of Specific Human Rights NGOs
Assigned readings
Wikipedia Encyclopedia, "Amnesty International"
Amnesty International (browse website)
Human Rights Watch (browse website), HRW World Report 2006 (browse)
Human Rights Watch, "Russia: Amended Law Threatens NGOs"
Optional websites
Wikipedia Encyclopedia, "Human Rights Watch"
International Commission of Jurists
February 16 - Civil and Political Rights
Assigned readings
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (summary)
"Europe Must Embrace True Free Speech," Christian Science Monitor, December 29, 2005
"Investors Speak Out on Free Speech," Christian Science Monitor, December 19, 2005
Optional websites
Wikipedia Encyclopedia, Capital Punishment
US Bureau of Justice---Capital Punishment Statistics
UK Home Office World Prison Population List (fifth edition)
Reporters without Frontiers (country rankings)
February 20 - The Rise and Spread of Democracy
Assigned readings
Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2006 Charts and Graphs (browse website)
Zakaria, "The Rise of Illiberal Democracy" Foreign Affairs, Vol. 76, No. 6, Nov/Dec 1997, pp. 22-43
Optional websites
Wikipedia Encyclopedia, "Democracy"
Wikipedia Encyclopedia, "Freedom House"
International Foundation for Electoral Systems
ACE Project of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems
February 23 - Midterm Examination
February 27 - Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights
Assigned readings
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, "Human Rights" (Section 5)
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
"Iran Artists Wonder How Far They Can Go," International Herald Tribune, Feb. 15, 2006.
Browse: UNDP, Human Development Report 2005 (chapter 1)
Optional websites
Convention on the Protection and the Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (2005)
March 2 - Globalization and Human Rights
Assigned readings
Browse: UNDP, Human Development Report 2005 (chapter 2)
"NGOs Ready to Flex New Muscles at World Trade Talks," Reuters, December 5, 2005
Optional websites
Wikipedia Encyclopedia, World Economic Forum
Wikipedia Encyclopedia, World Social Forum
March 13 - Genocide
Assigned readings
Wikipedia Encyclopedia, "Genocide"
Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (summary)
Gregory Stanton, "The Eight Stages of Genocide"
Wikipedia Encyclopedia, "Genocides in History"
Optional websites
Wikipedia Encyclopedia, "Holocaust"
Wikipedia Encyclopedia, "Rwandan Genocide"
Wikipedia Encyclopedia, "Darfur Conflict"
March 16 - The War Crimes Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia
Guest Speaker
Professor Aernout van Lynden, Dept. of Journalism, AUGB
Assigned readings
Wikipedia Encyclopedia, "Bosnian War"
Wikipedia Encyclopedia, "International Criminal Court for the former Yugoslavia"
Optional websites
International Criminal Court for the Former Yugoslavia (official website)
March 20 - International War Crimes and Human Rights Tribunals
Assigned readings
Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (summary)
Questions and Answers on the International Criminal Court
Country Information on the International Criminal Court
The United States and the International Criminal Court
Optional websites
Wikipedia Encyclopedia, "Nuremberg Trials"
International Criminal Court (official website)
Coalition for the International Criminal Court
March 23 - Torture
Assigned Readings:
Amnesty International, "Torture and Ill-Treatment: the Arguments"
March 27 - Humanitarian Law and the Rules of War
Assigned readings
International Committee of the Red Cross, International Humanitarian Law: Answers to Your Questions
Optional websites
ICRC, The Geneva Conventions: The Core of International Human Rights Law
ICRC, International Humanitarian Law
International Humanitarian Law Initiative
March 30 - Racial Discrimination and Rights of Minorities
Assigned readings
International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination (summary)
Wikipedia Encyclopedia, "Racism"
Optional websites
Wikipedia Encyclopedia, "Indigenous Peoples"
Wikipedia Encyclopedia, "Roma People"
UN Conference on Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Related Intolerance (official website)
International Decade of the World's Indigenous People (see also UNESCO site on Indigenous Peoples)
April 3 -
April 6 - Media Law & Human Rights
Guest speaker: Professor Michael Fowler, Dept. of Journalism, AUBG
Assigned readings:
Wikipedia Encyclopedia, “European Convention on Human Rights”
Wikipedia Encyclopedia, “European Court of Human Rights”
Optional websites:
European Court of Human Rights (official website)
April 10 - Status of Women and the Rights of the Child (Lecture notes)
Assigned readings
Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (summary)
Convention on the Rights of the Child (summary)
Human Rights Watch, Report on the Status of Children
UN Fund for Population Activities, "Gender Based Violence, A Price to High," 2005,
Optional websites
International Conference on Population and Development (Cairo 1994)
United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing 1995)
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, "Children's Rights"
UNESCO, State of the World's Children 2006
World Summit for Children (New York City 1990)
April 13-The United States and Human Rights
Assigned readings
George Perkovich, "Giving Justice Its Due," Foreign Affairs, Vol. 83, No. 3 (July/August 2005), pp. 79-93
Haider Rizvi, "U.S. Opposes Litany of Global Treaties in 2005." OneWorld.net, December 26, 2005
Paul Vallely, "UN Hits Back at US in Report Saying Parts of America are as Poor as Third World," Independent/UK, September 8, 2005
“UN Creates New Watchdog Over U.S. Opposition,” Inter Press Service, March 16, 2006
“Where are the Good Americans?” The Nation, February 28, 2006
“Bush Policies Stoke Anti-Yanqui Sentiment,” Inter Press Service, April 1, 2006
“Former Top Judge Says US Risks Edging Near to Dictatorship," Guardian/UK, March 3, 2006.
Optional websites
Human Rights Watch - United States country page (browse website)
US Department of State: Human Rights
US Department of State: International Religious Freedom
Bill of Rights to the US Constitution
American Civil Liberties Union (see also, "How the Death Penalty Weakens U.S. International Interests")
Americans for the Separation of Church and State
April 17 - The United States and the Promotion of Democracy
Assigned Readings
Dimitri K. Simes, "America's Imperial Dilemma, Foreign Affairs, Vol. 82, No. 6, December 2003, pp. 91-102.
"Arabs Unimpressed by Bush Democracy Drive," Inter Press Service, Dec. 8, 2005
“More Democratic World Rejects Bush’s Globalism,” Boston Globe, February 4, 2006
“Leninists! Cries Neo-Con Nabob, Suing for Divorce,” Inter Press Service, February 22, 2006
Optional Readings
George W. Bush, Speech to the National Endowment for Democracy, Nov. 6, 2003
April 20 - The Environment and Human Rights
Assigned Readings
United Nations University, "Human Rights and Environmental Issues"
Anup Shaw, "Climate Justice and Equity"
Optional Websites
UNHCHR, "Human Rights and the Environment" (background papers)
Final Examination - Friday April 28th, 8:00-10:00