Human Rights—Courses
Please note that not every course listed is offered each year and that students should consult the following sources for current course offerings:
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
HMRT-2003. Introduction to Human Rights
This course will introduce students to the study of human rights by investigating the question what is a human right? The course will proceed primarily through a number of examples and case studies. Students will also be given an overview of the basic instruments, institutions, and ideas relevant to human rights.
HMRT-3013. Codes and Commissions
This course will focus on domestic human rights codes and human rights commissions. Special attention will be given to the New Brunswick Human Rights Code and the New Brunswick Human Rights Commission.
HMRT-3033. Philosophy of Human Rights
This course will introduce students to philosophical questions concerning the foundations of human rights. What are human rights based on? What makes something a human right? Are human rights universally and permanently valid or is the notion of human rights merely a construct of modern Western culture? The course will familiarize students with alternative theoretical answers to these and other related questions.
HMRT-3043. Human Rights in the Catholic Tradition
This course will introduce students to a theological study of human rights from the Roman Catholic perspective. Selected theological foundations of human rights shall be explored, including: 'imago Dei', redemption, salvation, the sacraments. The dignity of the person, the common good, and the rights and duties in the Church will be explored. The articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights will be analysed theologically.
HMRT-3053. Human Rights and the Church
This course will focus on the role of the People of God in the practice of human rights. The rights of all in the Church will be examined in the light of Ecclesiastical Law. The action of the Church in the protection and promotion of human rights will be explored in terms of the Church as community for witness, hope, and liberation. Selected human rights initiatives of Church organizations will be considered.
HMRT-3063. Humanitarian Law and Human Rights
This course will examine the historical development of humanitarian law and the relationship with human rights. It will study the principle actors in the administration of humanitarian law and human rights. Students will explore the protection of victims and their fundamental rights in emergency situations, the rights and duties of aid organizations and their personnel, the changing role of humanitarian law in the light of terrorism and international crime. The course will review the enforcement of rights and duties as well as the mechanisms available under general international law, human rights law, and international humanitarian law.
HMRT-3113. The Charter
This course will examine the impact of the Charter on rights and freedoms in Canada. After an introductory discussion of the Bill of Rights and the development of the Charter, instruction will focus on a large number of Supreme Court decisions interpreting the meaning of the Charter's provisions.
HMRT-3123. International Human Rights
This course explicates the principal international and regional systems in place for the protection and promotion of human rights, including the Inter-American, European, African, and United Nations systems. Students will study the most important human rights instruments, such as the International Bill of Rights, the European Convention on Human Rights, and the American Convention on Human Rights.
HMRT-3133. Human Rights and Non-Governmental Organizations
This course will identify and explore the operations of the main non-governmental organizations at the international and domestic levels in the field of human rights. Theoretical consideration shall be given to the role of these organizations in the practice of freedom. The practical work of various human rights groups will be considered. Students will be expected to participate in the work of a given human rights group during the course.
HMRT-3506. Human Rights in International Relations and Foreign Policy
This course considers human rights in international relations and foreign policy from the point of view of constraints on sovereignty. With background from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries up to WWII, it concentrates on the promotion and protection of human rights in the post-war period. Topics covered include: the UN system of human rights and the international and domestic politics of human rights as evidenced in foreign policy, Canadian in particular.
HMRT-3803. Child and Youth Rights
This interdisciplinary course focuses on the implementation of articles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, specifically: provision rights (e.g., health care, education), protection rights (e.g., from abuse, neglect, exploitation), and participation rights (e.g., in families, schools), with a particular emphasis on the implementation of these articles in Canada. Prerequisites: CRIM 2223, HMRT 2003.
HMRT-4003. Research Seminar
Students in this course will do a research project in human rights under the supervision of the instructor. The course will begin with a general introduction to the aims and methods of research projects. Students will be expected to present periodic reports on the status of their work. The course is normally reserved for students in their final year of the human rights Major.
HMRT-4013. Capstone Seminar
This course will consist of an in-depth investigation of one or more human rights problems. The specific topic will change from year to year. Students will be expected to examine the issue(s) in light of their knowledge of the basic instruments, institutions, and ideas relevant to human rights as well as their understanding of the fundamental questions of value that surround contemporary social issues. The course is normally reserved for students in their final year of the human rights Major.
HMRT-4023. Independent Study
Students may undertake studies under the direction of a member or members of the programme with the permission of the Director. The course is limited to students with a proven academic record.
HMRT-4033. Special Topics in Human Rights
The content of this course changes from year to year reflecting the strengths of faculty or the scholar occupying the Chair in Canadian Citizenship and Human Rights.
HMRT-4043. Special Topics in Human Rights
The content of this course changes from year to year reflecting the strengths of faculty or the scholar occupying the Chair in Canadian Citizenship and Human Rights.
HMRT-4053. Human Rights Leadership
This course will provide students with exposure to the practice of human rights, encouraging them to reflect on the relationship between that experience and their formal human rights studies. Students must obtain approval from the Director of the Human Rights Programme for their participation in this course.
HMRT-5503. Teaching for and About Human Rights
This course is offered during the human rights summer institute designed for pre-service teachers, practicing teachers, and professionals in related fields. The course introduces participants to the various rights, instruments, and issues relevant to the classroom and provides opportunities for teachers and others to increase their knowledge base in the human rights field.