UW: Prevention of Human Rights Atrocities

The course is an excellent opportunity to familiarize yourselves with the categories of mass atrocities and international crimes. You analyze legal definitions and mass atrocities as processes in a comparative perspective. The purpose is to find out what instruments can be used to prevent mass atrocities. What are roles of states, international organizations and individuals? What measures can be used before, during and after the armed conflict to prevent mass atrocities? 

• Mass atrocities in Historical Perspective – Their Course and Consequences
• Groups of Victims During WWII and techniques of extermination
• Legal Framework
• Genocide as a process
• Hate speech
• The role of Individuals
• “Responsibility to Protect”
• UN Preventive Instruments
• UN – Risk Evaluation
• Regional instruments of prevention

In conformity with the learning outcomes set out by the NOHA network, students should achieve the following learning outcomes by the end of this module:
 
Knowledge

• Has a thorough knowledge of the sources and developments of the international legal regulations on the gravest international crimes: war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, their scope, causes and consequences as well as connections between massive violations of human rights and security.
• Has specialised knowledge of national and international instruments and mechanisms for prevention and response to human rights atrocities.
• Has a critical understanding of the humanitarian principles and standards and the problematic nature of the dilemmas involved.

 
Skills

• Has demonstrated the ability to formulate adequate and ethically sound recommendations for humanitarian action, in particular in the area of prevention of human rights atrocities.
• Has demonstrated the skills to identify, critically analyse, classify and assess cases of international crimes.
• Has specialised skills to critically analyse and assess contemporary instruments and mechanisms for prevention of international crimes, and to promote the best and safest response in humanitarian emergency contexts.

 
Social competences

• Has shown to be able to work in a professional environment demanding competences in the area of prevention of human rights atrocities and international crimes, as well as restoration of the rule of law and respect for human rights.
• Has demonstrated to be sensitive towards cases of massive human rights abuses and aware of their consequences. In response applies clear ethical standards informed by the humanitarian principles, values and professional code of conduct.
• Has developed an open attitude towards acquiring new knowledge and is ready to undertake further stages in education.

In order to finish the module successfully students are asked to:

• read materials 

• take active part in the discussion 

• prepare presentation 

• prepare the movie 

• pass tests 


Written tests (60%), project movie (25%), engagement and presentations (15%)
 

• Preparing/reading materials 

• Taking part in the discussion, engagement, presentation 

• Results of written tests 

• Project movie