Human Rights and Development (edX)

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Human Rights and Development (edX)
Discover why a critical understanding of development is paramount to addressing poverty, inequality, climate change, indigenous rights and issues of social justice. In this course you will learn the meaning of development based on human rights and social justice perspectives. You will understand how development is practiced based on the needs, rights and capabilities of individuals; and critically explore the strengths and shortcomings of these approaches.

Next, you’ll explore the ideology behind international aid programs and look at development from both Indigenous and African perspectives. You’ll uncover human rights abuses, environmental issues and challenges to colonialist development, all of which still have an effect to this day.

Finally, you’ll explore the role of international financial and trade institutions in global development.

This course is part of the Human Rights MicroMasters program.

If you take the verified certificate pathway for the three human rights courses you will qualify for the MicroMasters credential.

The MicroMasters credential is an achievement in itself, but if you want to study further, you can use it towards studying a Master of Human Rights at Curtin.


What you'll learn:

On successful completion of this course you will be able to:

- understand contemporary challenges involving development and human rights

- critically evaluate development ideologies and their impacts in society

- apply social justice and human rights principles in development practices

- contribute to development programs that benefit vulnerable groups


Course Syllabus


Week 1: Introduction, human rights and development

Week 2: The Basic Needs Approach (BNA)

Week 3: The Capability Approach (CA)

Week 4: The Rights Based Approach (RBA)

Week 5: The Human Security Approach to Development and Human Rights

Week 6: Development, gender and human rights

Week 7: Australia's aid: ideology and programs

Week 8: Human rights and development – an Indigenous perspective

Week 9: African perspectives on human rights and development

Week 10: Development and the role of international financial institutions: the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank

Week 11: Development, human rights and the environment

Week 12: Reflections