Human Rights and Social Justice

Program Description

Human rights contribute, through theory and practice, to people’s struggles to overcome institutional and everyday inequities.

They provide legal, social and political tools and strategies for challenging forms of discrimination, subjugation and persecution, such as those based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, or political opinion, as well as historical practices of colonialism and exploitation.

Drawing from a wide range of interdisciplinary topics and approaches from the humanities and social sciences, the Human Rights and Social Justice program provides an overview of historical and contemporary human rights issues and their impact on human lives in different cultural contexts.

The program offers students an opportunity to examine and critically assess the various strategies and mechanisms that have been used nationally and internationally to address these issues, including social movements, domestic legislation, international statutes, and human rights declarations and conventions.

As well, the program looks at reporting requirements, treaty-monitoring bodies and human rights committees. Students will have opportunities to discuss and evaluate the challenges and prospects for strengthening human rights and for meeting future challenges to advance equality and social justice.