COOL CLASSES: “Human Rights in Philadelphia, and Pennsylvania, and in National and Global Contexts”

This course considers human rights theory and civil society action as they relate to students’ recent Center for Peace and Global Citizenship-sponsored summer internship experiences to interrogate the relationship between social issues and policy structures.

Class name: “Human Rights in Philadelphia, and Pennsylvania, and in National and Global Contexts”

Taught by: Executive Director of the Center for Peace and Global Citizenship Eric Hartman

 

Here’s what Hartman had to say about his class:

The course considers human rights theory and civil society action as they relate to students’ Center for Peace and Global Citizenship-sponsored summer internship experiences in specific juridical spaces (mostly in the United States). Students are challenged to understand, critique, and further advance their experiential learning in light of rights theory. Simultaneously, students are invited to demonstrate areas of disconnect between rights theory and their experiences with applied social justice, peace-making, and global citizenship work. It’s fundamentally a theory-practice exploration, drawing on theoretical inquiry and applied action to advance the work of improving both.

When I arrived at Haverford in September 2016, the Center for Peace and Global Citizenship had already been directing students towards two excellent post-internship courses in global health, taught by Carol Schilling, and international human rights, taught by Tom Donahue. But we didn’t have a course specifically dedicated to considering rights inquiry and action in the United States. This course was developed to fill that gap, and I hope it continues to develop as a space where students can explore and advance the relationship between summer opportunities and rights advocacy.

 

See what other courses Independent College Programs is offering this semester.


Cool Classes
 is a series that highlights interesting, unusual, and unique courses that enrich the Haverford experience.

Photo: Claire Blood-Cheney ’21