Thursday 8 February 2018

COURSE OUTLINE AND READING LIST FOR POLI 468:HUMAN RIGHTS IN AFRICA 2017/2019 ACADEMIC YEAR




SECOND SEMESTER 2017/2018 ACADEMIC YEAR
COURSE SYLLABUS

Course Code and Title: POLI 468 HUMAN RIGHTS IN AFRICA
Credits: 3 credit hours
Lecture Period(s) and Venue: Thursdays, 13:30-15:20 at JQB 23
Prerequisites: None
Course Instructor: Dr. Kumi Ansah-Koi
Office Location: Kweku Folson Block, Political Science Department
Office Hours: Thursdays, 11:30-13:00; and by appointment
Teaching Assistants:  TBA
Tutorial Hours: TBA
Course Overview/Objectives/Goals: This course focuses on current issues regarding Human Rights in Africa. Students are introduced to pertinent issues bearing on the nature, contemporary significance, ramifications and challenges or the notion of Human Rights particularly as regards the African continent. They are as well introduced to basic Human Rights Instruments and also to various theories of human rights and their practical import in Africa.
With regards to the methodology and pedagogy, it must be stated that cases/thematic studies and focal analyses constitute significant feature of the course. In addition, the web and its resources are very much integrated into this course. Visuals from various web sources are particularly helpful teaching aids in this course.
This will be very interactive course. Given the hybrid nature of the course, students are to actively participate on the online platform in order to fully benefit from the course. Timely and regular attendance at, and involvement in, tutorials and regular classes would be insisted on.
Learning Outcomes:
Students will at the end of the course be able to:
a.       Identify an analytical framework for zeroing in on Human Rights Violations
b.      Relate to and interpret commonalities and diversities of Human Rights in Africa
c.       Identify assumptions associated with human rights promotion and protection in Africa
d.      Investigate and examine case studies of Human Rights in Africa based on various thematic foci
e.       Appraise and justify how mechanisms for the promotion and protection of Human Rights in Africa play out
Online Platform: You can access the online platform by logging on to www.easyclass.com. The access code for this class is 9KU0-3128. Each student is required to sign up once. The name of the course on the web platform is POLI 468: HUMAN RIGHTS IN AFRICA MAIN CAMPUS 2017/2018. Students would have to wait for a maximum of 48 hours for their membership to be approved by the site administrator.
Plagiarism policy: Students are expected to duly cite all sources used in assignments. Failure to do so will result in an automatic fail grade for those found culpable.
Assessment and Grading: End of Semester examination will consist of six essay questions covering the entire course; out of which students would be required to answer only three. This would constitute 70% of the total grade.
The course includes five online assignments based on each of the continent’s five sub-regions. The best four of your online assignments would account for your class participation grade. The total of all four assignments would make up 20% of the total grade. Further details on these assignments will be provided in a separate lecture scheduled in this outline.
An assignment, to be given in class mid-way through the course, would constitute 10% of the total grade.
The online assignment grade and mid-term assignment grades would comprise the mandatory 30% Interim Assessment grade.
Grading Scale:
Letter Grade
Marks
A
80-100
B+
75-79
B
70-74
C+
65-69
C
60-64
D+
55-59
D
50-54
E
45-49
F
0-44

Reading List/Required Text:
Weekly readings will be provided in class and on the online platform. In addition, students are expected to read material from the basic reading list attached to this course outline.


Other Information:
This course outline is subject to modifications as and when necessary. The online platform will always have the most current version.
It is the responsibility of students to regularly check on online for latest information regarding this course. The instructor will not be held liable in cases where students miss relevant information as a result of failure to do so.
All exams are mandatory and students who miss them do so at their own expense. Students who miss exams for health reasons will have to seek written permission from the Head of Department.
Use of mobile phones during lecture hours is prohibited.
Students with physical challenges and learning disabilities should not hesitate to communicate their needs to me early in the semester.
All public holidays will be observed accordingly. Provision will however be made to accommodate missed lecture periods.
I am committed to creating an atmosphere of inclusivity. No student should feel discriminated on basis of religious orientation, physical ability, nationality, sexual preference or gender. If you feel threatened at any point during lectures, do not hesitate to draw my attention to it.



Course Syllabus
Week
Date
Lecture Theme/Topic
1-2
February 8
Navigating the Online Platform
Explanation on Class Participation Assignments and Assignment of Countries/Foci for Class Participation Activities.
Signing up for Online Assignments

2
February
15
The Notion of Human Rights
Theories; Nature; Sources; Evolution; Legal Obligations; International Status; Human Rights in contemporary Socio-Political Thought; and Human Rights Obligations of contemporary States/Societies.

We would as well focus on the basic Human Rights Instruments and Obligation; Human Rights Promotion and Protection; and also identify an analytical framework for zeroing in on Human Rights Violations.
Deadline for Signing Up to Online Platform

3-4
February 22-March 1
Our African Matrix
The Notion of Africa; Basic Socio-Political features of Africa: Commonalities and Diversities
Human Rights in Africa: Historical Overview
a.       Pre-Colonial/Traditional Africa and Human Rights
b.      Colonial Africa and Human Rights
c.       Post-Colonial Africa and Human Rights
d.      Human Rights in Africa since the End of the Cold War
African basic instruments on Human Rights; African basic institution and arrangements pertaining to Human Rights; and African Contributions to the evolution of Human Rights.

5-6
March 8-March 15
A survey of Human Rights in Contemporary Africa
State of Human Rights in Contemporary Africa
Human Rights Violations and shortfalls in Africa
Detailed Case/Thematic/Focal Studies drawn from Africa would be extrapolated for analyses. The selection would, among others, cover such themes as
a)      FGM
b)      Gender/Women/Child Rights
c)      Minority Rights
d)     Reproductive Rights
e)      Sexual Rights
We would as well be particularly concerned with the Human Rights dimensions of the Civil Wars in Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Rwanda and elsewhere in Africa, as well as with the Human Rights dimensions of the electoral/political mess in such countries as Libya, Mali, Congo, Zimbabwe, and Somalia.


7-8
March 22-29
Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (in Africa)
Introduction (Why promotion and protection; and what those notion entails)
Overview
Mechanisms for the Promotions and Protection and how they so far play out. We would be specifically concerned with the following:
1)      Constitutions and Constitutionalism
2)      Law and Legality/The Rule of Law

Mid-Term Assignment Due on March 22

9-10
April 5-12
3)      The Courts of Law/Justice: The Judiciary
4)      The Mass Media
5)      State-Owned/Operated Human Rights Institutions (CHRAJ would be our case in point)

11-13
April 19-April 26
6)      NGOs/Civil Society Organisations
7)      Public Policies/Programmes/Initiatives (including MDGs and SDGs)
8)      International Organisations/Law/Treaties/Conventions
a)      The UN System
b)      Regional Institutions (Case in point: OAU/AU)
c)      Sub-regional institutions (case in point: ECOWAS)
9)      ICT


14
May 3
Review Revision






Rubric for Online Assignments
·         There are five (5) assignments for the whole semester but only your best four (4) will count towards your final grade.
·         All assignments should be uploaded on the online platform. Failure to do so will result in no participation grades. No hard copies would be accepted.
·         For this course, Africa will be divided into five (5) sub-regions-North, East, West, Central and Southern. You are to choose a country from a particular sub-region for each assignment. No two assignments should be from the same sub-region.
·         You must select your preferred countries on the day assigned for that purpose. Otherwise, the TAs have the discretion to assign countries.
·         The assignments supposed to be done with a computer not a mobile phone. You will have yourself to blame for failure to upload documents due to compatibility issues.
·         Apart from earning your participation points, the online assignments will help you hone your research skills and help you appreciate the similarities and diversities in Human Rights across various countries.
·         Although you are free to select your country of research, you have to sign up by the indicated date. Your selection would be confirmed online by another date.
·         For each country, the first six (6) people who sign up for each assignment will be permitted to proceed with research on their preferred countries.
·         Plagiarism will not be condoned. In cases where it is obvious that two students copied, both students will have to re-submit.
·         Your explanations/assignments should not exceed one A4 sheet (single space) or two pages (double space); and should be of font size 12, regardless of the font style.
·         Presentation Format: Presentations may be in the form of slides/slideshows, pictures, videos, sound recordings, or any material which will sufficiently include implicit Human Rights themes. You are also welcome to combine several materials for your presentations. You are to provide a brief explanation which relates concepts/issues discussed in class to your information.
·         All assignments should be submitted online by the due date. Students can upload assignments before the deadline indicated on the course outline. Assignments uploaded after the deadline would not be accepted.
·         Grading Scale
Indicator
Maximum Points
Explanation
Relevance/ Explanation
10
Every presentation should have a paragraph explaining the reason why the information presented was chosen. Student should demonstrate a sound understanding of how relevant the material is to the course. Your ability to explain with terms and concepts associated with this course will attract higher points. The use of current statistics and tables to strengthen your arguments will be an advantage.
Currency
5
Higher marks will be awarded to students to present the most current information. No source should be older than five (5) years.
Originality/ Creativity
5
Higher marks will be awarded to students who address human rights issues which previous respondents (in this class) have not addressed in the same country.
Presentation
2
This looks at the visual attraction of the work.
Mechanical Structure (Grammar/Spelling, Citations)
3
Sources should properly be cited in APA format and grammatical and spelling errors should be avoided.
Total
25



Schedule for Assignments
Date
Sign Up
Portal
February 8

Sign up for all sub-regions
Link to Google Sheet will be provided on Easyclass
February 12
Confirmation of sub-regions
Link to Google Sheet will be provided on Easyclass
February 15
Submission of First Assignment

Question: Provide audio-visual evidence of human-rights violations in your chosen country. Who are the main actors and what roles do they play? Why do you consider your evidence to be a violation of human rights?

Easyclass
March 1
Submission of Second Assignment

Question:
1.      In your chosen country, what are the challenges to the promotion and protection of human rights among any one of the following groups of people:
i.                    Prisoners
ii.                  Religious minorities
iii.                LGBTQI
iv.                Females
v.                  Children
vi.                Disabled



Easyclass
March 8
Submission of Third Assignment/Assign mid-term project in class and on Easyclass

Question: Using examples of situations which have occurred in the past month, analyze efforts made by either the media, civil society or judiciary to promote/protect Human Rights in your selected country.



Question for mid-term will be provided in class/online
Easyclass
March 22
Submission of Mid-term Assignment
Easyclass
March 29
Submission of Fourth Assignment

Question: Based on a critical examination of the activities of an NGO (local or international), in your chosen country, illustrate how NGOs facilitate or hinder Human Rights promotion and protection efforts.


Easyclass
April 5
Submission of Fifth Assignment

Question: From the social media pages of state institutions, CSOs and NGOs in your selected country, discuss in detail how Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have been used to promote and protect Human Rights in your selected country? With examples, discuss the potentials of ICT for the promotion and protection of Human Rights in that country


Easyclass
April 12
Deadline for submitting mid-term grades
Link to Google Sheet will be provided on Easyclass
April 19
Total class grades online
Link to Google Sheet will be provided on Easyclass
April 26
Deadline for reporting all omissions in tallying of class participation grades
Easyclass








Basic Readings:
Abdullahi Ahmed A-Na’m and Francis M. Deng (editors), Human Rights in Africa, Cross-Cultural Perspectives, the Brookings Institution, Washington, DC,1990.
African Charter of the Rights and Welfare of the Child (1990)
African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (1981)
Annual Report: CHRAJ
Annual Report: Ghana Police Service
Annual Report: Ghana Prisons Service
Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (1984)
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (1979)
Convention on the Rights of Person with Disabilities (2006)
Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989)
Declaration on the Rights to Development (1986)
Ghana Human Development Report
Human Rights Clauses of Charter of United Nations (1945).
International Convention on Civil and Political Rights (with the optional Protocols) (1966)
International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families (1990)
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1996)
Protocols on the Establishment of an African Courts on Human and Peoples Rights (1998)
Report of Ghana’s National Reconciliation Commission
Reports on Ghana’s Constitutional Review Commission
Rome Statue of the International Criminal Courts (1998)
The 1992 Ghana Constitution
The African Peer Review Mechanism: Country Report on Ghana
The American Declaration of Independence
The Constitution of USA
The Constitutive Act of the African Union
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1945)
The Vienna Declaration and Programme of the Action on Human Rights (1993)
UN Human Rights Commission: Country Reports on Ghana
US State Department: Human Rights Country on Ghana
Useful Web Links
Office of the UN High Commission for Human Rights, Geneva: www.ohchr.org
ILO, Geneva: www.icj-cij.org
ICJ, The Hague: www.icj-cij.org
UN Treaty database: https://treaties.un.org/
Official Documents of the UN: http://documents.un.org/
Amnesty International: www.amnesty.org
Human Rights Watch: www.hrw.org

















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