HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION

The University Network for Human Rights employs a unique human rights training program consisting of seminar instruction, clinical training, and supervised, long-term human rights project work. To learn more about these components of our curriculum, see below.

Since 2018, we’ve trained or supervised students from numerous universities, including Wesleyan University through our Human Rights Advocacy Minor; the University of Connecticut; Yale University; Amherst College; Brown University; Harvard University; Howard University; Stanford University; the University of Pennsylvania; the University of California, and many more. In 2020, the University Network began expanding its clinical education outside of the United States, in Latin America and in Europe.


Seminar Instruction

University Network staff teach a number of human rights seminars at leading US-based universities. These seminars cover diverse topics, including international human rights mechanisms, the history of the human rights movement, and practical skills for human rights advocates. In all of these courses, instructors make space for students both to critically assess the trajectory of the human rights movement and to reflect on the ethics of working with directly-affected communities.

These seminars serve as gateway-courses for later involvement in the practical, supervised human rights work of the University Network. The seminars are modeled on the highly successful human rights advocacy seminar taught by Executive Director James Cavallaro for many years at Stanford University.

The University Network currently offers such seminars:

At Wesleyan University, through our Human Rights Advocacy Minor:

At Trinity College:

In the past, we’ve offered:

At Wesleyan University:

At Trinity College:

At Amherst College:

At the University of Connecticut

  • Topics in Human Rights Practice: Human Rights Advocacy


Intensive Summer Training

In addition to our academic-year programs, the University Network has previously offered a full-time human rights summer intensive. During our intensive training program, undergraduates from universities across the country engaged in an intensive study of rights advocacy complemented by practical training modules and supervised opportunities in human rights practice. Participating students continued working with the University Network on long-term human rights projects throughout the following academic year.

Our fully-funded program was the only one of its kind in the United States — allowing undergraduates to engage full-time to develop human rights skills in an applied setting. Our intensive was also highly selective, as we were able to host only seven percent of all applicants.

Our inaugural summer intensive took place in the summer of 2020.

Summer SEMINAR

Students were trained in basic principles of legal analysis, as well as on substantive human rights law and norms. Additionally, students critically analyzed the history and development of the global human rights movement. This seminar aimed to equip participants with the ability to assess situations of injustice through a human rights lens.

HUMAN RIGHTS SIMULATION

As director of the Harvard and Stanford Law Schools’ Human Rights Clinics, Executive Director James Cavallaro pioneered an immersive simulation exercise meant to train students in human rights fact-finding, documentation, and advocacy in a controlled environment.

In this exercise, students played the roles of human rights researchers while some forty hired actors played the roles of citizens, police, authorities, activists, witnesses, bystanders, and technical experts. Students were tasked with gathering information about a fictitious human rights crisis through interviews and other fact-finding methods. After summarizing their findings in written reports, students participated in mock media and advocacy interviews with broadcasters and members of international bodies.

The simulation has been extraordinarily successful in preparing students – from undergrads to clinical law students – for the practice of human rights.

Practical modules

Expert practitioners and world-class academics visited the University Network’s headquarters to lead hands-on practical training modules. These workshops provided students with the specialized skills needed to successfully execute human rights advocacy campaigns. Modules addressed topics at the intersection of human rights advocacy, fact-finding, journalism, videography, and communications strategies. Speakers included: Maina Kiai, Leilanli Farha, and Professor Samuel Moyn.

For further information about our unique intensive, please see our summer intensive overview.


Supervised Human Rights Engagement

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Throughout the academic year, the University Network provides structured, supervised opportunities for its students to engage in human rights practice. Students who have participated in previous training — either in academic-year seminars or our summer intensive — may be invited to assist in our ongoing human rights projects. Students work remotely and with in-person supervision. Through these projects, participants are able to apply their newly developed skills in a number of different contexts.

ON-SITE DOCUMENTATION TRIPS 

During winter and spring breaks, small groups of students may travel to communities affected by rights abuse to engage in on-the-ground fact-finding and documentation. These trips are similar to the kind undertaken by law students in human rights clinics. Students may lead interviews with directly-affected community members, assist in on-site documents research, and document abuses through video or film — all under the supervision of seasoned human rights professionals. As a part of our Human Rights Advocacy Minor with Wesleyan University, the University Network takes Wesleyan undergraduates to sites of human rights abuse for on-site documentation, interviews, and fact-finding. In Academic Year 2021-2022, students traveled to Bolivia, Louisiana, and Armenia.

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working sessions

Students may contribute to ongoing human rights projects through intensive working sessions, supervised remotely or in-person at our offices or at a university. During these sessions, students will work with our supervisory team on the project(s) to which they are assigned. Prior to on-site documentation trips, students will collaborate closely with partner organizations and directly affected communities to develop fieldwork plans and complete background research. After trips, students will process information from interviews and other fact-finding, develop advocacy products, and design advocacy strategies in conjunction with partner organizations and communities. University Network supervisors may also use these sessions to teach advanced advocacy skills, as required by ongoing project work.

In Academic Year 2022-2023, the University Network is supervising undergraduates from Wesleyan University, Yale University, and Trinity College on a range of projects on human rights and social justice.