F1HH 5165 - Governmental Diplomacy and Non-Governmental Advocacy for Human Rights

This course is a practice-based introduction to governmental diplomacy and non-governmental advocacy for human rights, focusing on accountability for mass atrocity crime situations. Through a series of case studies, it will share strategies, methodologies, and theories of change used to further the protection and codification of human rights. It will offer concrete examples of awareness-raising, agenda-setting, evidence-gathering, monitoring and reporting, networking, coalition-building, campaigning, naming-and-shaming, narrative-shifting, precedent-setting, norm-building, and other tools and tactics aimed at fighting impunity for mass atrocity crimes. The course will provide students with an introduction to the practical and procedural skills needed to strategize and operationalize governmental and/or non-governmental efforts to advance accountability. It will cover governmental, non-governmental, and hybrid case studies of international significance to advance accountability for mass atrocity crimes. The case studies will cover efforts before the United Nations General Assembly (International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism for Syria), the United Nations Human Rights Council (International Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar), the International Criminal Court (Israel, Myanmar, Russia), and on Universal Jurisdiction (Senegal) and Norm-Building.

The instructor has been professionally involved with all these case studies in different capacities and degrees and is therefore familiar with the inner workings that led to the respective strategies. The course will also have three sessions devoted to the application of the lessons and tools learned to in-class strategies developed by the students. These sessions will allow students to put into practice their classroom learning and hone skills of problem-solving, strategic thinking, negotiation/persuasion, communication, and collaboration. The last session will draw from the previous sessions in providing practical conclusions and lessons for the future.

Learning Outcomes:

• Familiarity with conception, elaboration, and operationalization of a strategy
• Familiarity with procedural, financial, and political complexities of a chosen strategy
• Understanding of context, contingency, opportunity, and agency of self and others

Professional Skills:

• Problem-solving skills
• Memo-writing skills
• Communication and persuasion skills

There is no strict prerequisite for this course.

Interactive lectures, in-class group strategy development and role plays on a human rights concern/situation to be selected by the students.

• A two-page (recto-verso) group strategy memo (60%),
• In-class group presentations/role plays 30%
• Class participation 10%

• In-class presence (24 hours)
• Reading and preparing for class (48 hours)
• Preparing and reading for role plays (18 hours)
• Research and drafting of policy memos (60 hours)