HRTS 505: Human Rights Voices

Introduces students to the critical role played by first-person testimonies, especially of marginalized populations, in human rights work. We will consider how testimonies are used in a variety of media including official reports, documentaries, and published works. And, we will look at the strengths and potential pitfalls of using such testimonies. Key questions include: Where and how can human rights stakeholders' especially survivors and those marginalized in societies be listened to and heard? Should human rights regimes take extraordinary measures to listen to the voices of the marginalized? What does it mean to undertake justice for the marginalized in society? Will the voices of the marginalized be co-opted by existing power structures, thus rendering them even more marginalized?