Global Peace, Human Rights, and Justice Studies

College of Humanities
Dean: Paul Sherwin

Global Peace, Human Rights, and Justice Studies Program
HSS 384
415-338-1448
Co-Director: Jo Ann Aviel, International Relations

HUM 389
415-338-1598
Co-Director: Anatole Anton, Philosophy

Faculty

Professors—Anton, Aviel, Felsteiner, Kardush, Issel, Lunine, Medcalf, Rischin, Shapiro

Associate Professors—Barbosa, Graham, Ovrebo, Trautman

Assistant Professor—Lovaas

Lecturers—Bagakis, Epstein, Ginger, Robertson

Program

Minor in Global Peace, Human Rights, and Justice Studies


Program Scope

The world is a dangerous place, fraught with the specter of nuclear war and ecological devastation and threatened by the inability of governmental and financial powers to create just and effective solutions for deepening social problems as well as for the conflicts of peoples and nations.

Knowledge is a powerful tool; it has shown that each individual can make a difference. Global Peace, Human Rights, and Justice Studies provides an organized study of the international law of human rights and the ways it can be used by the citizens of the world in pursuit of basic human rights; a study of the causes of domestic and social violence, civil war, and war between nations; and a study of the various methods that have been and are being developed for the non-violent resolution of conflicts at the personal, group, national, and international levels. The program emphasizes the need for justice in the distribution of the world's goods as a condition for a peaceable and sustainable world.

Students and faculty in this all-university, interdisciplinary minor cooperatively study and explore in depth the problems, issues, challenges, and opportunities to prevent war and to make this a just and peaceable society and world.

Career Outlook

The Minor in Global Peace, Human Rights, and Justice Studies provides problem-solving skills relevant to students whatever their major course of study. These are the skills for analyzing and redressing the underlying causal roots of violence, including poverty in the midst of plenty, racism, sexism, imperialism, fear, and environmental degradation. These are the skills that empower people to work more effectively to protect human rights and create systems of social justice. Without jobs and justice there can be no peace.

Centers

The Global Peace, Human Rights, and Justice Studies Program works cooperatively with the following institutions in developing internships, sponsoring programs and conferences, and engaging in other educational projects in pursuit of peace and justice.

The Center for the Covenant, College of Humanites, SFSU

The center was formed to promote awareness, understanding, and use of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which became international law in 1976 and was ratified by the U.S. in 1992.

Meiklejohn Civil Liberties Institute, Berkeley, California

Since 1965 the institute has been providing information on law and history to scholars, activists, and the media; and working for jobs, justice, and peace.

SFSU Urban Institute

The purpose of the center is to develop strategies and practical programs to address critical economic, social, and educational problems in San Francisco and the Bay Area.

MINOR IN GLOBAL PEACE, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND JUSTICE STUDIES

On-line course descriptions are available.

Core Units
GPS/IR 315 Introduction to Global Peace Studies 3
NEXA 340 The Nuclear Revolution 3
Units in conflict resolution selected from: 3-4
  IR 432 Model United Nations (4)  
  PSY 547 Social Conflict and Conflict Resolution
  SPCH 531 Conflict Resolution (4)
Units in international law and organizations selected from: 3-4
  GPS/
  PHIL 375
Peace, Law, and Human Rights  
  IR 334 International Organizations: New World Order (4)
Units selected in the philosophies of peace and non-violence: 3
  HUM 366 India's Gandhi  
  PHIL 435 Human Rights in Global Perspective
  PHIL 502 World Religions
Electives
Units chosen on advisement from the following: 7
  ANTH 321 Endangered Cultures  
  GPS/
  PHIL 375
Peace Law and Human Rights in the U.S. 1
  HED/
  URBS 582
Homelessness and Public Policy
  HIST/
  JS 317
The Holocaust and Genocide
  HIST 428 History of the United States since 1945
  HIST 464 American Ethnic and Race Relations I: 1740-1890
  HIST 465 American Ethnic and Race Relations II: 1890-Present
  HUM 366 India's Gandhi1
  IR 330 World Law (4)
  IR 334 International Organizations: New World Order (4) 1
  IR 432 Model United Nations (4)1
  NEXA 340 The Nuclear Revolution1
  PHIL 435 Human Rights in Global Perspective1
  PLSI 552 Individual Rights in the Constitution (4)
  PSY 547 Social Conflict and Conflict Resolution1
  SOC 461 Ethnic Relations: International Comparisons (4)
  SPCH 461 Issues in Free Speech (4)
  WOMS 531 Women and International Development
  GPS 699 Individual Study (1-3 units)
  The following electives are available for field study or internship, on advisement:   CHS 695, IR 640 (1-5), PHIL 680 (1-3), WOMS 698 (1-3)
Program total 22-24


Footnotes

  1. May be counted only if not taken as a core course.