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1 of 5 Course International Human Rights Law Through Film Section Course International Human Rights Law Through Film Section LAW 846 LS1 Professor Dr. Delaram Farzaneh Term Summer Law School 2020 Meetings Tuesday and Thursday Evenings, 6:30 to 8:10 pm Professor’s Contact Information Email Address [email protected] Classroom Online Office Hours By Appointment Faculty Assistant Crystal Whybark ([email protected]; 415 442 6628) General Course Information Text Book: Philip Alston & Ryan Goodman, International Human Rights: The Successor to International Human Rights In Context, (Oxford University Press, 2013) (hereafter “CB”) Documentary Movies: We will watch 3-4 documentary movies about various human rights issues that are listed in the reading section of your syllabus. You MUST BUY/RENT the movies as part of your course materials. Required Texts & Additional reading materials such as articles and book chapters will be made Materials available to students throughout the semester as needed. Where materials are available online, the URL is provided on the reading list. Official UN documents are available (using the symbol number) in the UN’s Official Document System (http://documents.un.org) or at www.ohchr.org. IMPORTANT: The reading assignments listed below are subject to modification. Additional reading will be provided if needed. I will notify you of the assigned readings for the week by posting an UPDATED SYLLABUS online/email. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INFORATION THAT IS NEWLY POSTED. The primary learning objective of this course will be to learn about specific human rights issues in the world via the cinematic medium. The substantive legal content of the film will be analyzed through a combination of lecture, reading, PowerPoint, and group discussion. Throughout the semester, we will examine challenges to the enjoyment of traditional civil and political rights, along with economic and social rights in different countries. At the end of the course, students should have understanding of the following: Course Objectives: • UN human rights system • Legal sources for human rights • Main categories of human rights • State’s legal obligations under international human rights mechanisms • Challenges to the enjoyment of human rights in different countries • Legal analysis of various human rights issues • Gain research, writing, and oral skills Does this course satisfy the Upper Division Writing Requirement? No 1 of 5 Does this course satisfy the Experiential Learning Requirement? No Is this course a California Bar Exam Subject? No Does this course satisfy any Specialization requirements? No Course Policies The course is designed to have both lecture and discussion component. Class ATTENDANCE and PARTICIPATION is mandatory. Students are graded on the basis of each class assignments and participation level. Class time will be used for a combination of lectures, discussions, and watching human rights documentary movies. Students are encouraged to express their constructive opinion, however, being respectful and professional is expected from every student throughout the semester. Any student, who misses more than three classes, or who signs in as unprepared more than three times, or whose absences and unpreparedness together total more than three, will have his/her final grade reduced by one step/grade level (e.g., from Attendance, “A-” to “B+”). Preparedness, and Code of Conduct Since we will hold online Zoom Classes, a student who is unprepared must email me before starting time of each class meeting and let me know with convincing reason that he/she is not prepared. This will count as one unprepared. I will not call on the student who properly notifies me before that class. If a student who has not emailed is called on and is unprepared, then it will count as the equivalent of two (2) unpreparedness sign-ins. Students must attend a minimum of seventy-five percent (75%) of scheduled class meetings for a course. Failure to do so will result in the student's removal from the course as either an administrative withdrawal or as an incomplete course attempt, depending on the circumstances surrounding the absences. Students who sign up for “Presentations” CANNOT be absent for those dates unless emergencies that must be reported to me ASAP or in a timely manner. Laptops are allowed during class only for the purpose of taking notes or relevant Computer and class materials. Use of the internet / smart phones / laptops that are not related to Internet Policy classroom work is distracting and interferes with class discussion. Internet use to watch videos/movies and computer games are not permitted during class. Golden Gate University School of Law seeks to provide reasonable and necessary accommodations to students with disabilities. Please meet with the Disability Accommodations Service Coordinator in Room 2333 or email [email protected] for information on how to receive accommodations. All communications with the Disability Service office are confidential. 2 of 5 60% of FINAL GRADE will be based on 1 REFLECTION PAPER that is based on any movies that we watch during the semester. You have full liberty to write about any of the movies that interest you. 25% of FINAL GRADE will be based on PARTICIPATION throughout the semester. I will evaluate your level of participation based on both in-class discussions after watching each documentary movie AND our reading assignments. Grading Method 15% of FINAL GRADE will be based on FINAL PRESENTATION that is based on your reflection paper. *IMPORTANT: PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU WILL SAVE YOUR WRITING MATTERIALS DURING THE SEMESTER. I WILL NOT COUNT LOOSING YOUR WRITTEN MATTERIALS DUE TO, FOR EXAMPLE, COMUPTER RELATED ISSUES AS EMERGENCIES AND THEREFORE I WILL NOT EXTEND THE DUE DATES. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBLILTY TO SAVE ALL YOUR WRITTEN DOCUMENTS. You must write 1 REFLECTION PAPER that is based on any documentary movies we watch during the semester. You CANNOT write about other movies that we DO NOT watch during the semester. Your paper must have normative and legal analytical parts that are based on relevant international human rights laws as we cover them during the semester. If you do not include any international law related section in your paper I will not grade it. Final Paper Reflection Paper should include: Minimum pages: 20 pages Maximum pages: 30 pages Text: double-spaced, one-inch margins, 12 point font in Times New Roman, insert pages numbers Citation: According to the Blue Book and it is mandatory A paper without Footnotes or very limited Footnotes counts as failing class. Footnotes Format: single-spaced, 10 point font in Times New Roman Final Presentation is based on your REFLECTION PAPER. Duration: 20 minutes followed by Q&A Presentation Students who sign up for “Final Presentations” CANNOT be absent for those dates unless it is emergency. 3 of 5 • Do NOT drive at the same time. • Be on time the same way as if you were going to your in person class. • Mute yourself immediately upon entering the online classroom (unless you are already automatically muted). Wait until I ask you to unmute yourself. • If you absolutely have to use a smartphone, ensure that it is stably propped and eliminate distracting movement. • Leave your camera ON during the ENTIRE class session. Do not turn on/off your cameras. I will count it as an absent. • Be in a quiet and private space. • Be mindful of your professionalism, including your appearance and background Zoom Decorum distractions. Instructions • You CANNOT record any of the movies we watch together. There are strict copyrights laws & practice that you must follow. Otherwise, there will be consequences. • While watching a documentary movie do not watch it with others; behave the same way as if you were sitting in our classroom; make sure you take notes. • Do not use the chat function to talk with each other or with me, unless I instruct otherwise. • When speaking, keep your communications clear. Do not talk over each other. Try to raise your hands. Assignments & Academic Calendar These descriptions and timelines are subject to change at discretion of the Professor. Birth of the Regime: The UN Charter - CB139-149 Read the UN Charter, Articles 1, 2, 55, 56, available at 5/26 http://www.un.org/en/charter-united-nations/ Read The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) Preamble, Articles 1-30, available at http://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/ Judgment at Nuremberg - CB 120-135 The Human Rights Regime: Background and Birth - CB 58-61 Comment on Treaties – CB 113-119 5/28 Read the Opening statement and global update of human rights concerns by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, available at https://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/Pages/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsID=23206&LangID=E Civil and Political Rights – Pages 157-162 Comment on Types of State Duties Imposed by Human Rights Treaties – CB 181-185 6/2 Read the text of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), Preamble, Articles 1-27, available at https://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/ccpr.aspx 4 of 5 Film Viewing of “Freedom for the Wolf” 6/4 NO Class Available to purchase/rent at Amazon Prime Video; YouTube; Google Play 6/9 In-depth discussion of the movie “Freedom for the Wolf” Economic and Social Rights – Pages 277-296, 310-317 6/11 Read the text of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), Preamble, Articles 1-15, available at https://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/cescr.aspx Film Viewing of “Inequality for All” 6/16 NO Class Available to purchase/rent at Amazon Prime Video; YouTube; Google Play, Netflix 6/18 In-depth discussion of the movie “Inequality for All” Film Viewing of “The Long Haul” 6/23 You DO NOT need to buy/rent this documentary. We will watch it during our Zoom class meeting – Make sure you will be in class this day.
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