S1613 Globalization, Ethics, Welfare and Human Rights (Global Challenges core)
De Vido Sara
The purpose of the course is to study the effects of globalization from an international human rights law perspective, taking into account the ethical problems involved, for example, in the adoption of austerity policies and in the activities of transnational corporations. The course will provide some basic notions of international law and international human rights law. The students will be able to critically analyse case studies related to different topics and to discuss them.
The course will start with a general part composed of two units. The first unit will provide a brief overview of some traditional notions of international law, such as State and “international community”, in order to understand how this community has developed over the century, facing the challenges posed by globalization. The analysis of new actors, such as international organizations at the turn of the XX century, the Financial Stability Board and other “networks” after the most recent financial crisis, and of non-state actors, will allow the students to reflect on the current meaning of the “community of nations”, and of its law, “the law of the nations”. With regard to international law, it has developed over the centuries in order to encompass more and more aspects, such as human rights. In the second unit, the origins and the evolution of human rights (civil and political rights, economic, social and cultural rights) will be therefore explored, along with the analysis of the mechanisms existing at UN and regional level (European, Inter-American, Asian, African and Arab systems) for the protection of human rights. Students will be invited to reflect on the level of effective protection of human rights.
In the second part, we will investigate the relationship – conflicting or mutually reinforcing - existing between the notions of globalization, welfare, ethics and human rights. For this purpose, the course will propose four different units: the concept of democracy, focusing in particular on the notion of responsibility to protect; “business, ethics and human rights”, dealing with the activity of transnational corporations and their alleged violations of human rights especially in least developed countries; “human rights, welfare and austerity”, analysing both the effects of the crises on human rights and the effects of the response to the crises on human rights; “violence against women” as an issue of global concern.
Schedule and attendance:
the course is structured as double lesson, every Wednesday, from h 15.15 to 16.45 + from 17.00 to 18.30.
Attendance is compulsory (see Program Regulations)
Missing one double lesson will be equivalent to two absences.
Methodology:
the course will include lectures and seminars. During the seminars, the students are invited to prepare the readings related to the week. The purpose is to discuss the topic of the week during an open debate. Classroom interaction is encouraged. Students are invited to propose issues that have been raised in their country of origin. The week before the scheduled seminar, the lecturer will provide the students a list of questions related to the readings in order to guide the analysis and the debate.
The course will be structured into six units:
1) From the community of States to a globalized world. Sources of international law. The concept of ethics in international law.
2) The evolution of human rights at the international and regional level: origins, generations of rights (including new rights such as the right to a healthy environment), State compliance, individual complaints.
3) Democracy and human rights. Democracy as a requisite of statehood; Democracy (transparency and accountability) in the activity of international organizations; “Exporting” Democracy? From humanitarian intervention to the responsibility to protect.
4) Business, ethics and human rights: transnational corporations as new actors, codes of conduct, remedies for victims of violations of human rights, anti-corruption policies.
5) Human rights, welfare and austerity: how the response to the financial crises might negatively affect economic social and cultural rights.
6) Globalization and women: violence against women as an issue of public concern at the international level.
Evaluation
Readings