Human rights are a complex issue. Their protection and promotion involve a number of actors: from international organizations to local communities, from governments to civil society. Human rights affect all aspects of our life, as individuals (as women, men, children, refugees, workers…) and as members of a community. This course will analyze the international and domestic laws and institutions that protect the fundamental rights of all human beings and will provide students with critical knowledge concerning the norms, institutions and procedures tasked to promote and protect human rights.

Students will engage with thought-provoking issues that arise at the intersection of human dignity, state sovereignty, and international justice, such as why does the world need human rights; tools for advocating for the vulnerable; moving from exclusion to inclusion: responding to crisis and conflict, human rights and the UN SDGs.