MVZ478 Human Rights in Post-Conflict Societies

Faculty of Social Studies
Autumn 2016
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
doc. Mgr. Vladimir Dordevic, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
PhDr. Petr Suchý, Ph.D.
Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Olga Cídlová, DiS.
Supplier department: Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Timetable
Mon 18:45–20:15 U42
Prerequisites
This course is intended to provide students with comprehensive information concerning post-conflict transformation in respect to human rights (HRs) by discussing cases of the Western Balkans (former Yugoslavia), Haiti, East Timor, Rwanda, and finally Sri Lanka. The course is to provide students with introduction into basic tenets of HRs in both theory and history, thus allowing for the aforementioned cases to be properly examined in regards to HRs abuses, international community’s (non)intervention and its influence, as well as more contemporary post-conflict developments. Considering the fact that these cases represent post-conflict areas differing in degrees of success of post-conflict transformation, with three of them also having experienced some form of international intervention in the past, it would be interesting to examine them and compare differences and similarities in this particular regard. To sum up, the course shall provide insight into: 1- Basic tenets of HRs, with introduction into contemporary international and domestic procedures and devices for promoting and protecting HRs; 2- Major HRs abuses that took place during the conflicts examined; 3- Issues related to the impact of the international community through international (non)intervention and its relation to HRs, particularly regarding roles of national governments, international organizations, and NGOs in this process; and 4- Post-conflict transformation and transition, whereby dealing with the past, reconciliation efforts, truth initiatives, and achieving justice in the societies in question loom large.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 35 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/35, only registered: 0/35
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
Students attending the course will gain knowledge in HRs in post-conflict societies undergoing overall societal transformation. In that respect, they will be instructed into (1) basic tenets of HRs in theory and history, with information on contemporary international and domestic mechanisms and devices for promoting and protecting HRs, (2) major HRs abuses that characterized the conflicts examined, (3) the impact of the international (non)intervention in respect to HRs, with roles of national governments, international organizations, and NGOs also examined, (4) and finally post-conflict transition, with topics such as dealing with the past, reconciliation and truth initiatives, and justice being addressed. Hence, the course has been designed not only to allow students to gain basic insight into theory and history of HRs (theoretical framework), but also to provide information on problems related to HRs abuses during and after the conflicts, the international (non)intervention issues, as well as post-conflict transition seen trough prism of HRs (practical approach, case-study framework).
Syllabus
  • Program: 1- Introduction (general info on the course) 2- Human Rights in Theory I Required readings: Donnelly, Jack. 2013. Universal Human Rights in Theory and Practice. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, pp. 7-40. 3- Human Rights in Theory II Required readings: Donnelly, Jack. 2013. Universal Human Rights in Theory and Practice. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, pp. 40-71. 4- Human Rights in History Required readings: Donnelly, Jack. 2013. Universal Human Rights in Theory and Practice. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, pp. 75-93. 5- Human Rights in Contemporary Practice I Required readings: Benedek, Wolfgang (ed.). 2012. Understanding Human Rights. Graz: European Training and Research Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (ETC), pp. 41-59. O’Neill, William G. and Lyth, Annette. “The International Human Rights System,” In Skåre, Siri, Burkey, Ingvild and Mørk, Hege (eds.) 2008. Introduction for Human Rights Field Officers. Oslo: Norwegian Centre for Human Rights, pp. 1- 30. *UN system chart 6- Human Rights in Contemporary Practice II Required readings: Human Rights Standards: Learning from Experience, International Council on Human Rights Policy, 2006, pp. 7-53. Seybolt, Taylor B. 2008. Humanitarian Military Intervention: The Conditions for Success and Failure. Stockholm: SIPRI and Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 7-45. *UN system chart 7- Human Rights in Post-Conflict Societies I: The Western Balkans Required readings: Final periodic report on the situation of human rights in the territory of the former Yugoslavia submitted by Mr. Tadeusz Mazowiecki, UN Economic and Social Council, 1995, pp. 1-20. Magaš, Branka and Žaniċ, Ivo (ed.) (2001). The War in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1991-1995. London: Frank Cass Publishers, Chapters 10 and 11, pp. 271-305. Kostovičova, Denisa. Civil society and reconciliation in the Western Balkans: great expectations? In: Prifti, Eviola, (ed.) 2013. The European future of the Western Balkans- Thessaloniki@10. Paris: EU Institute for Security Studies, pp. 101-109. Background info: BBC documentary ‘The Death of Yugoslavia’ is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_PzsfXbyAw&list=PLqD5Su3ZJjjbCsgVCE90msl9d4nHdV4Pu (Please follow all six links for the complete documentary!) 8- Human Rights in Post-Conflict Societies II: Haiti Required readings: Terror Prevails in Haiti: Human Rights Violations and Failed Diplomacy, Human Rights Watch, 1994, pp. 38-50. James, Erica Caple. “Ruptures, rights, and repair: The political economy of trauma in Haiti.” Social Science & Medicine 70, 2010, pp. 106–113. “The long history of troubled ties between Haiti and the US,” BBC News, 2010, pp. 1-3. World Report 2015: Haiti, Human Rights Watch, pp. 1-5. Report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti, UN Security Council, 2016, pp. 1-11. Background info: Journeyman Pictures’ documentary “Inside a Failed State- Haiti” is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vv7oc99y2Ro 9- Human Rights in Post-Conflict Societies III: East Timor Required readings: Cotton, James. “Against the Grain: The East Timor Intervention.” Survival, Vol. 43, No. 1, Spring 2001, pp. 127–142. Järvinen, Taina. “Human Rights and Post-Conflict Transitional Justice in East Timor.” UPI (The Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA)) Working Paper 47, 2004, pp. 23-33 and 72-75. Seybolt, Taylor B. 2008. Humanitarian Military Intervention: The Conditions for Success and Failure. Stockholm: SIPRI and Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 86-93. Background info: Journeyman Pictures’ documentary “The Bloody Price of East Timor's Independence” is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvtB2OYW5WY 10- Human Rights in Post-Conflict Societies IV: Rwanda Required readings: Report on the situation of human rights in Rwanda submitted by Mr. René Degni-Ségui, Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights, UN Economic and Social Council, 1996, pp. 5-36. Buckley-Zistel, Susanne. “Ethnographic research after violent conflicts: personal reflections on dilemmas and challenges,” Journal of Peace Conflict & Development 10, 2007, pp. 3-9. Buckley-Zistel, Susanne. “The Gacaca Tribunals in Rwanda: Community Justice?”, Hessische Stiftung Friedens- und Konfliktforschung (HSFK), 2007, pp. 1-4. Zraly M., and Nyirazinyoye L. “Don’t Let the Suffering Make you Fade Away: An Ethnographic Study of Resilience among Survivors of Genocide-Rape in Southern Rwanda.” Social Science and Medicine, Vol. 70, Issue 10, 2010, pp. 1656-1664. Fred Aja Agwu. “The Challenge of Humanitarian Intervention Since Rwanda,” Council of Councils (CFR) Global Memo, 2014, pp. 1-4. Background info: PBS documentary ‘Ghosts of Rwanda’ is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ze14hD2k_T0 11- Human Rights in Post-Conflict Societies V: Sri Lanka Required readings: War Crimes in Sri Lanka, International Crisis Group Report No. 191, 2010, pp. 4-35. Walton, Oliver. “Timing and Sequencing of Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Peacebuilding in Sri Lanka.” Centre for Research on Peace and Development (CRPD) Working Paper 44, 2015, pp. 2-21. Background info: Channel 4 documentary ‘Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields’ is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz_eCLcp1Mc 12- Course wrap-up: Concluding remarks (1/2) and Final exam (2/2)
Teaching methods
1) Students are expected to attend lectures and only those who have attended 60% of lectures (7 lectures) will be allowed to sit the Final exam. On the other hand, students are invited to contribute actively in discussions if they wish to do so. Active participation is recommended but not obligatory! Those actively contributing by asking questions, discussing issues at hand, and participating in group work (depending on a topic) will be granted additional points at the end of the course and will have a chance of achieving better grades. 2) Students are expected to read all Required readings and it will be assumed that students have read them (38 pages per week). Background information is listed as additional source of information on topics at hand, thus students are advised to address this info in order to get a more complete understanding of the issues discussed in the course, especially in cases when students do not possess necessary knowledge in this regard. The first and the last seminars have no assigned readings. 3) Students are required to write 5 short position papers (cca. 3600-4200 characters, i.e. 2-2.5 pages) for seminars of their choice. Position papers should include a Summary of main points of required readings, a Critique of these readings and Questions for discussion. Thus, position papers must have three clearly identified sections: 1. Summary, 2. Critique and 3. Questions. Position papers that do not meet this requirement will be rejected and no points will be awarded. It shall be noted that the second section, the one of Critique, is deemed the most important because it reflects one’s personal stance on issue(s) at hand, thus this section needs to be the longest one in a position paper (i.e. not less than one page and not more than page and a half long). Position papers should be inserted into a proper Folder in “Student Papers” (according to the seminar dates) in IS (Information System) not later than 30 hours (Sunday at 14h) before designated lecture. Uploading papers into the IS later than required will result in papers being rejected regardless of reasons stated by students. In addition, all students must have at least 3 position papers in the IS by 6 November 2016 and those who do not fulfill this requirement shall be immediately penalized by failing the course. Last of all, uploading more than one position paper per week is not allowed under any given circumstances. 4) Final in-class exam is to be taken by all students at the end of the course, and, if one chooses not to take the exam, he/she shall fail the course regardless of the number of points achieved with position papers written or by having participated in class activities.
Assessment methods
The final grade will be calculated as a composite evaluation of two parts: 1) 6 position papers>> each max. 10 points, i.e. 6 x 10 points = total 60 points; 2) Final exam>> question x max. 1 point (1 x 1) = 14 + 10 + 1= total 25 points. ** Points for a Maximum: 85 points. Pass: 55 points (65%). *Grades: A> 80 – 85 points B> 74 – 79 points C> 68 – 73 points D> 62 – 67 points E> 55 – 61 points F> less than 55 points
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
Listed among pre-requisites of other courses
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2014, Autumn 2015, Autumn 2017, Autumn 2018, Autumn 2019.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2016, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/autumn2016/MVZ478