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Sunday, October 31, 2010

Course Title: Human Rights and Development


No. of Credits: 4

Course Designers:

1. Sabu Thomas-(group Leader) savempeny@gmail.com

2. Mr. Biju. P .R- bijugayu@gmail.com

3. Mr. Biveesh .U. C- biveeshuc@gmail.com

4. Ms. Gayathri. O- bijugayu@gmail.com

Programme: B A Political Science

Vision of the College

To be the leader in innovative and relevant education that nurtures individuals to be converted into proficient and responsible members of society.

Mission of the College

We are an institution devoted to make available knowledge through the expansion and release of better-quality learning systems.

We make every effort to endow with finest value to all our stakeholders – our students, our faculty members, our employees, our partners, our share holders, and our community.

We will pursue this mission with paramount integrity, dedication, transparency, and creativity.

Programme Educational Objectives:

Political Science under graduate programme at our college aims to provide students with a basic understanding of political systems, major political beliefs and the fundamental processes of politics and governing. We introduce students to the institutions of government and the distinctive political cultures in which different systems operate. Often referring to the great issues of our time and of the past, the teachers guide students to appreciate the dynamic interplay of theory and practice in understanding the political world. Faculty prepare students for responsible membership in a changing and often turbulent world, and assist students to develop lifelong learning skills which will serve them in both the work place and the public world in which we all live.

Political Science enables students to study systematically the events, people and issues that shape political decision making. Besides focusing on the institutions, processes and outcomes of politics, the curriculum also surveys the great thinkers who have speculated about the nature of a just and effective political system. In a world that some have described as approximating a "global village," political science encourages students to become familiar with a variety of political cultures and to appreciate the unique perspectives brought by each to the word community. Political Science at our college also seeks to bring theory and methodology into the real political arena by strongly encouraging student learning beyond the classroom through internships and field experiences.

Intended Programme Outcomes

An undergraduate in political science will be able to

1. A sophisticated understanding of politics, government, and the public policy process,

2. Communication and critical thinking skills of analysis, synthesis, and presentation ,

3. Use effective leadership skills in government, the private sector or voluntary sector,

4. Able to collaborate with different stakeholders in social problems and bring about a solution,

5. Able to social entrepreneurship and engineering,

6. Equip themselves to life long learning process,

7. Able to exhibit activist culture for a genuine social cause.

Course Curriculum for B.A. Programme

Working days/Semester -90 days

Credit for Common courses -38 credits

Credit for Core courses -62 credits

Credit for Complimentary courses -16 credits

Credit for Open courses -04 credits

Total Credit for the Programme -120 credits

Course overview

We live in a time where we must have development, not least as most of the world’s countries are democracies and the people demand it, but where our model for development is changing our planet in ways which may destroy us. What we need is some kind of ‘sustainable development’ a form of social progress that does not harm the planet and can be sustained down time. But what is this? And can it be done in a mostly capitalist model, with a world of nation-states? Can we even do it in India ? In fact, do we even recognise the problem?

In this course we will use the issue of the political of sustainable development as the frame through which to introduce students to political science. In the process we will explore questions like:

By the end of this modules you ought to have a decent understanding of the field of human rights and development, as well as the most important issue in the world today: the challenge of sustainable development.

At the dawn of the new millennium, human rights and development are at a crossroads. On the one hand, the congruence between human rights and development theory has never been more striking. Poverty and inequities between and within countries are now the gravest human rights concerns that we face. As the Secretary-General underscored in his 2005 reform report “In larger freedom”, the challenges of human rights, development and security are so closely entwined that none can be tackled effectively in isolation. Yet there remains a chasm between theory and practice, ensuring that the objectives, policies and processes of development are channelled more directly and effectively towards human rights goals. There are, of course, many reasons why this is so, including continuing gaps in knowledge and skills, and difficulties in translating human rights norms into concrete programming guidance applicable in diverse policy contexts and national circumstances.

A collective and multifaceted effort is required of human rights and development practitioners, now more so than ever. Filling gaps in knowledge, skills and capacities will be meaningless without renewed leadership, commitment and attention to our own internal accountability systems and incentive structures. This course aims to analyse the development programmes through a human rights standard.It ultimately tries to bring about a human rights approach to development.

Course competency

At the end of the course the students should be able to

1. Demonstrate an understanding of meaning, theories, and operations of human rights and development

2. Apply basic principles of development theories to the field of human rights

3. Inculcate individual as well state’s obligations in human rights frame work for development

4. Bring about a human rights-based approach to development

Course Module

Module I Human Rights and Development:Overview

A. Human rights –origin,meaning, definition, nature, classifications, approaches, types,

B. Development-meaning,definition,approaches,theories,

C. Relationship between human rights and development

D. New human rights-sustainable development

Reading list

1. See ,International Council on Human Rights Policy, Taking Duties Seriously:Individual Duties in International Human Rights Law (1999), available at www.ichrp.org.

2. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Human Development Report 2000: Human rights and human development (New York, 2000), p. 19, available at http://hdr.undp.org/reports/view_reports.cfm?year=2000&country=0&region=0&type=0&theme=0.

3. United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Culture Matters – Working with Communities and Faith-based Organizations: Case Studies from Country Programmes (2004), http://www.unfpa. org/upload/lib_pub_file/426_filename_CultureMatters_ 2004.pdf.

4.

Module II Discourses on human rights and development

A. Relationship between human rights, the Millennium Declaration and the Millennium Development Goals.

B. Relationship between human rights and poverty reduction.

C. Relationship between human rights and good governance.

D. Relationship between human rights and economic growth

E. Relationship between human rights and policy trade offs

F. Human rights and national budgets

Reading List

1. UNDP, Human Development Report 2003: Millennium Development Goals: A compact among nations to end human poverty (New York, 2003), pp. 1 and 30 et seq.

2. OHCHR, Human Rights and Poverty Reduction: A Conceptual Framework (New York and Geneva, United Nations, 2004), http:// www.ohchr.org/english/issues/poverty/docs/povertyE.pdf.

3. “Study on policies for development in a globalizing world: What can the human rights approach contribute?” by Professor S. R. Osmani (E/CN.4/ Sub.2/2004/18), paras. 21-28.

4. A. Norton and D. Elsom, What’s behind the budget? Politics, rights and accountability in the budget process (London, Overseas Development Institute, 2002), http://www.odi. org.uk/pppg/publications/books/budget.pdf.

Module III HUMAN RIGHTS-BASED APPROACH

A. Definition and general issues,

B. Human rights-based approach add to development

C. Human rights-based approach and gender mainstreaming

D. Human rights-based approach helps to resolve conflicts between different stakeholders in development

Reading list

1. Hughes and J. Wheeler, “Rights and power workshop: report” (Brighton, Institute of Development Studies, 17-20 December 2003), http://www2.ids.ac.uk/drccitizen/docs/r&pworkshopreportfinal.pdf.

2. Christina Biebesheimer, “The impact of human right principles on justice reform in the Inter-American Development Bank”, in Human Rights and Development: Towards Mutual Reinforcement, P. Alston and M. Robinson, eds. (Oxford University Press, 2005), pp. 269-296.

3. OHCHR, “Human rights-based approach to development: good practices and lessons learned from the 2003 CCAs and UNDAFs” (December 2004), p. 6, http://www.undg.org/documents/5683-Review_of_2003_CCAs_and_ UNDAFs_from_Human_Rights_Perspectives.doc.

Module IV Implication of human rights based approach to development programmes

A. Human rights standards related to the development programmes

B. Principle of equality and non-discrimination for programmes

C. Principle of accountability for programmes

D. Principle of participation for programmes

E. Human rights help with situation analysis

F. Human rights indicators for monitoring development programmes

Reading list

1. CARE International, Principles into practice: Learning frominnovative rights-based programmes, http://www. careinternational.org.uk/Principles+into+practice%3A+ Learning+from+innovative+rights-based+programmes+ 4268.twl.

2. UNDP, “Human rights-based reviews of UNDP programmes: working guidelines” (2003), http://hdr. undp.org/docs/network/hdr/thematics/HRBA_ Guidelines.pdf.

3. C. Moser and A. Norton, To Claim our Rights: Livelihood security, human rights and sustainable development (Overseas Development Institute, 2001),http://www.odi.org.uk/pppg/publications/books/ tcor.pdf.

Course Modules

Course transactions; proposed activities

Instructional objective

C 1-Demonstrate an understanding of meaning, theories, and operations of human rights and development

C1G1-describe origin and growth of human rights(Remembering)

C1G1S1-list out the historical development of human rights

TI1-mention Magna Carta

TI2-discuss universal declaration

CIG1S2-examine generation human rights

TI1-Describe different statutory human rights institutions

TI2-Enumerate different non-state human rights actors

C1G2-Explain the features of human rights protection groups(understanding)

C1G2S1-Explain the role of institutions and advocacy groups in protecting human rights

TI1-Explain the operational differences between the state and non-state actors in the arena of human rights.

TI2-Illustrate the reasons for the intervention of human rights groups

CIG2S2-Discuss the role of human rights groups for promoting a participatory democracy.

TI1-write down the necessary conditions for the operationalisation of participatory democracy?

TI2-Give one example of human rights group intervention in promoting participatory democracy?

CIG3-Determine the operational requirements for a human rights action groups(apply)

CIG3S1-Estimate the components of an action specific human rights group

TI1-The Govt.proposes to build a dam,which reportedly displaces 127 tribal families , they are illiterate and unorganized, So far Govt. not announced any concrete relief package,there are larger political consensus on the particular issues which stands inhospitable to tribal ecosystem,does it necessitate the formation of a human rights specific action group in the context ?

CIG4-Identify the relevance of human rights groups in the globalised order(analyse)

CIG4S1-Analyse the role of human rights groups in the context of neo-liberal policies.

TI1-The Govt.of Tamil Nadu announced a SEZ which displaced 301 families ,they accepted compensation,SEZ realized without any protest.At the same time,a SEZ has been announced in Kerala,which by studies displaces 31 families,despite the compensation package and other reliefs,the matter raised huge hue and cry in the state,SEZ remained in paper,compare the human right perspectives of civil societies in this two states in the similiar context.

CIG5-Make critical evaluation of human right interventions(evaluate)

TI1-make a critical evaluation of political interest of human rights action groups and how this affect the realization of their basic objectives

CIG6-Design a human right action group in the unorganized sector(Create)

TI1-Due to globalization,liberalization policies and privatization attempts,new generation jobs has been massively generated in the working sector,at the same time,many human rights problems are reported which remains unnoticed from the attention of the concerened parties,for instance,compulsion for overtime work ,marriage breakdown due to lack of familial bond,lack of unionism ,in this context ,chalk out a detailed plan of action so as to make the work environment more humane and to asses the work conditions through a human right standard ?

C 2-Apply basic principles of development theories to the field of human rights

C2G1-discuss development in the context of human rights(Remembering)

C2G1S1-relationship between rights and development

TI1 What is the relationship between human rights and human development?

TI2 What is the relationship between human rights, the Millennium Declaration and the Millennium Development Goals?

C2G2-human rights and poverty reduction(understanding)

C2G2S1-disempowerment and exclusion

TI1- summarise human rights violations are both a causeand a consequence of poverty?

C2G3-elaborate relationship between human rights and good governance(apply)

C2G2S1-Human rights and the performance standards for Governments and other actors

TI1-Growth without equity, without social inclusion, will not reduce poverty.What government can perform in this context ?

C2G4-estimate human rights and the state(analyse)

C2G4S1-human rights and the context where rights need to be protected

TI1-Does the realization of human rights require big government or big economic system ?

C2G5-state the relationship between human rights and policy trade-offs(evaluate)

C2G5S1-Human rights standards and essential conditions on policymaking.

TI1-how human rights standards can impose on policy making ?

C2G6make an alternative policy standard for resolving a social conflict (Create)

C2G6S1-human rights perspective in economic policies

TI1-by focusing on the inequalities inherent in India’s economic system with reference to corporate world demonstrate how the funds needed for social programmes might be obtained by the Government and that priorities could be shifted to benefit society as a whole.

C 3-Inculcate individual as well state’s obligations in human rights frame work for development

C3G1- discuss human rights-based approach (Remembering)

C3G1S1-conceptual framework for the process of human development

TI1-What is a human rights-based approach?

C3G2-How to rationalise a human rights-based approach (understanding)

C3G2S1-value addition through rights based approach

TI1-What value does a human rights-based approach add to development?

C3G3-delineate the practical value of a human rights-based approach to development (apply)

C3G4S1-added value of a human rights-based approach

TI1-what are practical values added by rights based approach to education ?

C3G4-what are the transparency and accountability (analyse)

C3G4S1-enahncement of transparency and accountabilty of rights based approach to development

TI1- how this approach helps to make the policy formulation process more transparent ?

C3G5- how to use right to influence power in rights enabled approach to development(evaluate)

C3G5S1- transforming existing distributions of power—the cornerstone of a human rights-based approach

TI1-what are challenges of rights based approach to development

C3G6-how human rights-based approach help to resolve conflicts(Create)

C3G6S1-rights based appraoch to solve conflict over competing claims over resource

TI1-Make an alternative paradigm for solving the conflict over the interlinking over rivers programme in India which allegedly distruct the different stake holders and their rights ?.

C4-Bring about a human rights-based approach to development

C4G1-human rights standard related to development(Remembering)

C4G1S1- Human rights treaty standards binding upon countries

TI1- How do human rights standards relate to the development programming process?

C4G2-what are Conditions creating appropriate development(understanding)

C4G2S1-democracy and human rights

TI1-how democracy create a human rights conducive atmosphere for development ?

C4G3-Human rights organizations and NGOs and development projects. (apply)

C4G3S1-NGO and Human rights

TI1-how NGO activism affect development ?

C4G4-princple of equality and non-discrimination in development(analyse)

C4G4S1-human rights as non-discrimination

TI1-What does the principle of equality and non-discrimination mean for development programming?

C4G5-What are accountabilty in development programme (evaluate)

C4G5S1-huamn rights entitlements and development

TI1-how to ensure accountability in human rights-based approach to programming ?

C4G6-huaman rights development and capacity building(Create)

C4G6S1-capacity building through development

TI1-Does a human rights-based approach bring anything new to capacity development?

Method of assessment/evaluation

Evaluation is based on grading and the evaluation scheme contain two parts:

Grading: 1. Internal evaluation,2. External evaluation.

Weightage of Internal and External evaluation.

Evaluation Weightage-Internal 1 (or 25 %) External -3 (or 75 %)

Both internal and external evaluation shall be carried out using Direct Grading System.

Internal evaluation

Component of internal evaluation-Components Weightage

a. assignments 1,b. seminars 1,c.Test papers 2,d .Attendance 1

External Evaluation

The external evaluation is to be conducted with question papers set by external experts. The evaluation of answer scripts shall be done by examiners bases on welldefined scheme of valuation.

Direct Grading System: Direct grading system based on a 5 point scale is used to evaluate the performance (External and Internal) of students.

A. Excellent 4. 3.5 to 4.00

B .Very Good 3. 2.5 to 3.49

C .Good 2. 1.5 to 2.49

D .Average 1. 0.50 to1.49

E .Poor 0. 0.00 to 0.49

Each course is evaluated by assigning a letter grade (A, B, C, D and E) to that course by the method of direct grading. The internal (weightage 1) and external (weightage 3) components of a course are separately graded and then combined to get the grade of the course after taking into account of their weightage. An aggregate of C grade is required in each course for a pass and also for awarding a degree.

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