This course is designed for working professional in NGOs, government, international organizations, businesses, or community leaders interested in addressing human rights violations through alternative dispute resolution (ADR) tools. We will discuss the challenges and opportunities in using ADR tools to address various types of human rights violations from both a theoretical and practical perspective. Practitioners and scholars alike have started to develop an increased interest in the linkages between human rights and alternative dispute resolution. NGOs and international organizations are currently advocating integrated 3rd party interventions in violent conflicts that have both human rights and conflict resolution units closely working together. Throughout this course we will explore the role played by human rights violations at different conflict stages. We will also go beyond political rights, and also analyze the effectiveness of ADR tools in addressing violations of indigenous rights, civil rights in regard to racial, gender, and religious discrimination, business-related human rights, sexual harassment, and child labor. The basics of Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) will be introduced and we will discuss about its potential role in addressing human rights violations.
- Professor: Alexandru Balas