World: Online Certificate Course on Human Rights and Social Justice Training

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

The Human Rights and Social Justice course is designed to promote a critical understanding of the human rights discourse. The course covers modern human rights institutions and how these work for state and non-state actors. The course also explores the political, historical and philosophical development of ideas about human rights and social justice which underpin current systems. In recognition of the importance of a globalized understanding of human rights, the course explores ideas about human rights from multi-disciplinary, multicultural and multi-religious perspectives, as well as looks at the roles of social movements, grass-roots campaigns and other actors have played in the development of human rights ideas and practices. The course employs both theoretical and practical learning methods giving participants the chance to put their learning into practice and to pursue individual areas of interest more deeply.

The course consist of nine (9) different modules, discussion and empowerment session each of which is geared towards helping the participants understand and internalize the human rights principles and systems. The programme will give participants creative, concrete knowledge of how to use international and regional human rights treaties and enforcement mechanisms in their work for the protection and promotion of human rights and social justice.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

By the end of this course, participants will:

• Understand what human rights and social justice are, where they came from and why we have them.
• Develop an understanding of the challenges to human rights and social justice from an interdisciplinary perspective.
• Understand why these bodies of law exist, how they interact, what each term means and how they are applied.
• Identify ways in which human rights learning can increase the effectiveness of their human rights work.
• Understand the roles, functions and responsibilities of various actors, organisations and institutions in international human rights and humanitarian law.

BENEFITS:
At the end of the course participants will understand how human rights can be used as a practical tool to support them in their work. The course can be used to establish or strengthen existing human rights policies and practices both in the public and private sector.

The maximum number of course participants is 40. Participants who successfully complete the course will receive a Certificate of Participation.

COURSE OUTLINE
This one month part-time course comprises 9 modules. The module outline is included below:

PRE – Training:

• Introductory Course in the Online Training System (Free)
• Course navigation and guide
• Explanation of course resources

Module 1: Introduction to Human Rights

• Introduction
• Understanding Human Rights
• Human Rights and Human Security
• History and Philosophy of Human Rights
• Concepts and Nature of Human Rights
• Human Rights Standards at the Universal Level
• Implementation of Universal Human Rights Instruments
• Human Rights and Civil Society
• Assignment

Module 2: Fundamental Elements of Rights Systems

• Introduction
• Rights/Entitlements
• Obligations/Commitments
• Accountability Mechanisms
• Assignment

Module 3: Fundamental Human Rights Principles

• Sources of Human Rights
• Customary International Law
• General practice
• Opinio iuris
• Ius cogens
• Human Rights as the guarantor of human dignity
• Implementing human rights
• The Requirement of Legality
• The Rule of Law
• The Right to an Effective Remedy
• Retrospectivity
• Assignment

Module 4: Concepts and Development of Human Rights and Social Justice

• Introduction
• The concept of social justice
• Historical development of the concept of social justice
• The scope of social justice
• Components of social justice
• Human rights approach to social justice
• The relationship between human rights and social justice
• Difference between social justice and social inclusion
• United Nations and social justice
• Assignment

Module 5: Human Rights of Women

• Introduction to Human Rights of Women
• Gender and the Widespread Misconception of Human Rights of Women
• Historical Overview of Human Rights of Women
• The Beijing Platform for Action
• Women and Poverty
• Women and Health
• Women and Violence
• Women and Armed Conflict
• Women and Natural Resources
• The Girl Child
• Implementation and Monitoring of Human Rights of Women
• Assignment

Module 6: Human Rights of the Child

• What is Children’s Rights?
• The Struggle for Protecting the Rights of the Child
• Child Rights and Human/Child Security
• The Nature and Content of the Human Rights of Children
• Principal Concepts of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
• Promoting the Convention on the Rights of the Child
• Intercultural Perspectives and Controversial Issues
• Implementing and Monitoring of Child Rights
• Historical and Landmark Provisions on the Rights of the Child
• Assignment

Module 7: Human Rights Standards and Security

• The Rights to Life
• Absolute Prohibition from Torture, Evidence Collection and Interrogation Techniques
• Detention Conditions, the Right to Liberty and Access to a Lawyer for Detainees
• The Right to a Fair Trial
• Evidence Collection, Surveillance, Investigation Techniques and the Rights to Respect for Private Life
• Assignment

Module 8: The General Application for Human Rights: How Human Rights Work

• Civil and Political Rights
• Restricting Rights
• Issues Arising Under the Civil and Political Rights
• The Importance of Equality and Protection from Discrimination in International Human Rights Law
• Human Rights within a State of Emergency
• Extra-Territorial Application of Human Rights Standards
• Accountability of Non-State Actors
• Assignment

Module 9: International Frameworks, Regional Systems of Protection and Promotion of Human Rights

• The United Nations and the Birth of the Universal Human Rights System
• The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
• The Human Rights Covenants
• Specific Issue Human Rights Treaties
• The UN High Commission for Human Rights
• Additional Mechanisms to Protect and Promote Human Rights
• Regional Human Rights Treaties and Monitoring Bodies
• European Human Rights Instruments
• The Inter-American System of Human Rights
• African System of Human Rights
• Universal Jurisdiction and the Problem of Impunity
• International Criminal Jurisdiction
• Global Challenges and Opportunities for Human Rights
• Assignment

Final Examination and Wrap-up Conclusion

• Final Examination
• Participants Evaluation of Course/Feedback
• Conclusion

Additional Features

• Online, interactive, self-paced and self-learning modules.
• Surveys and tests to test your knowledge and understanding before and after the test.
• Opportunity to post comments, assignment answers, live chat etc.

TARGET AUDIENCE:
This course is aimed at human rights educators, advocates, activists, legal practitioners, law enforcement officers, women activists, research officers, managers and staff of human rights institutions, NGOs and CBOs, donor agency program officers, volunteers, development actors, trainers, students, Ministry of Justice officials, inter-governmental organisations, academics and other interested parties. Furthermore, every opportunity will be taken for joint learning events for participants and GHRLTI staff.

ENTRY REQUIREMENT:
Participants must have a current e-mail account, regular access to and general familiarity with the internet and mobile phones.

COURSE DELIVERY:
Interaction with students will be via the Global Human Rights Leadership Training Institute training platform and all course notes and guidelines for study will be delivered and accessible to students in electronic format. (http://www.justicegroup.us/GHRLTI)

All the course modules will be available to the students at the inception of the course. At the end of each module, an assignment is completed by the students and marked by the course experts.

Award of the Certificates:
Statistics from previous courses showed that submission of assignments and receiving online tutoring help participants to integrate human rights in their various activities. Certificates will be awarded only to those students who:

• Completed all assignments and Final Exam
• Obtain a combined final mark of 50% or more for the assignments and Final Exam.

Successful students will receive the GHRLTI Certificate in Human Rights Learning.

Location: Online [Web-based]

Total Duration: One month, approximately 45 hours learning time

To register, complete the application form and send to email:applications@justicegroup.org. For more information and to download an application form, please visit our website at http://www.justicegroup.us/human-rights. However, applications will be accepted on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Inquiries about the course may be sent to email: applications@justicegroup.org OR global4learning@gmail.com