When Power and Human Rights Collide

Course Description

This course will explore human rights and power, helping students build a strong foundation to understand them and reveal the connections between them. Students will discover the complicated realities of human rights and the paths to change in a world where the many are ruled by a powerful few.

Together, we will seek to answer questions like:

“What are human rights?”
“Who has human rights?”
“What is power?”
“Who has power and who does not?”
“What has power over human rights?”

Throughout the course, we will draw from real-world examples to reveal the visible and invisible sources of power and see how they collide with human rights in Canada and beyond. Students will strengthen their critical thinking skills, engage in discussions with their classmates, and participate in interactive activities to visualize the many moving parts of power.

This course will prepare students interested in studying human rights, law, politics, sociology, or anyone who wants to understand the way human rights and power impact each and every one of us.