The Human Right

Central European University A Program for University Teachers, Advanced Ph.D. Students, Researchers and Professionals in the Social Sciences and Humanities Summer University

since 19-09-2003 you are visitor no.

download course description (33 kB)

NEW: for course syllabus click here

The Human Right to Food and Nutrition: Principles and Policies

30 July - 10 August 2001

Course Director:

George Kent, University of Hawai’i, Honolulu, Hawai’i, United States

Resource Persons:

Deborah Hines, World Food Program, Rome, Italy

Tseliso Thipanyane, South African Human Rights Commission, Johannesburg, South Africa

Olga Vorkunova, Center for Development and Peace Studies, Moscow, Russia

Course objectives

The purpose of this course is to study the working of human rights systems through close examination of the human right to food and nutrition. Participants should gain an understanding of recent developments in nutrition rights, and also develop skill in applying the nutrition rights approach in specific contexts. Goals include

Learning about . . .

	the nature of rights systems generally;
	the content and character of the international human rights system, in the framework of international law;
	the historical foundations of the human right to food and nutrition;
	the meaning of the human right to food and nutrition as it has been clarified since the World Food Summit of 1996;
	the application of the nutrition rights approach in various contexts, e.g., in specific countries, and in relation to refugees, infants, drinking water, prisons, etc.

And, with these foundations, building skills in . . .

	analyzing concrete situations to identify violations of the human right to food and nutrition;
	formulating proposals for policy and legislation that would operationalize the realization of the human right to food and nutrition in specific contexts.

Course level, target audience:

This is a graduate level course. Participants should have studied social sciences or law, and preferably should have some experience working in related fields.

Syllabus:

The course will follow the structure of the tutorial on Nutrition Rights: The Human Right to Adequate Food and Nutrition, prepared by the Course Director. (Those with Internet access can find the tutorial at http://www2.hawaii.edu/~kent/tutorial2000/titlepage.htm ) The major themes are:

I.	Overview
II.	Food and Nutrition
III.	The International Human Rights System
IV.	The Human Right to Food and Nutrition
V.	National and Other Rights Systems
VI.	Rights/Entitlements
VII.	Obligations/Commitments
VIII	Accountability Mechanisms
IX.	International Law and Governance
X.	Applications

A list of Supplementary Readings, additional to the tutorial, will be provided.

Pedagogy:

The course will be taught through a steady counterpoint between theory and practice, and between lecture style and more experiential kinds of learning. On most days we will review some theoretical or conceptual aspects of the human right to food and nutrition, and then look at examples of concrete application of those ideas. Participants will be asked to consider how these concepts and the applications from other parts of the world might apply in their own home settings.

In addition, teams will be formed to undertake joint projects. They will be asked to formulate proposals for operationalizing the human right to food and nutrition in particular contexts. Tentatively, we anticipate establishing three separate teams, on Russia, South Africa, and international assistance agencies. Team meetings will also be used to deepen the discussions undertaken in the larger plenary sessions.

The basic course procedures will be as follows:

The course will be held for two weeks, July 30 – August 10, 2001. We will meet Monday through Friday each week, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM, with an hour for lunch, and shorter breaks in the mornings and afternoons.
Some social events will be arranged for evenings and weekends.
During meetings of the class as a whole ("Plenary Meetings"), we will have lectures from the Course Director and the Resource Persons, discuss the readings, and hear reports from the teams.

(4) The teams will have three major functions:

	Project Work: Each team will work together to formulate suggestions for operationalizing the human right to food and nutrition in a selected nation, agency, or program.
	Discussion: The teams will serve as a major locus for discussion of the themes presented in the lectures, readings, etc.
	Reporting: Team members are to take turns reporting on their projects, and on their discussions, to Plenary Meetings.

CEU Non-Discrimination Policy Statement

Central European University does not discriminate on the basis of--including, but not limited to--race, color, national and ethnic origin, religion, gender or sexual orientation in administering its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

[ Home ] [ Mission ] [ Courses in 2004 ] [ Eligibility and Funding ] [ How to apply ] [ Latest news ] [ Academic resources ] [ FAQ ] [ Contact Us ] [ Previous Years ] [ Accommodation ]