[hr-education-na] Information technology and teaching about human rights

Dear all,

Each year students at Santa Clara University, California participate in an
internet based on-line diplomatic simulation focusing on Middle East
conflict.

Students here in California choose to represent countries of the Middle
East involved in conflict: Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Egypt, Syria,
Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Iraq.

They do research using sources from the countries they represent available
on our web site; write papers from the perspectives of those countries,
then react to a scenario that projects conflict several weeks into the
future.

A major part of the simulation is the on-line participation of nationals
from the Middle East who advise the American students about their foreign
policy positions and help them decide their actions during the simulation.
These advisors have come from Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Lebanon,
Palestine, Iran and Syria.  Their participation has enabled the American
students to achieve a greater sense of empathy with the Middle East
countries involved in conflict.

We have proposed to add a human rights element to the simulation. To do
so, we seek individuals familiar with human rights monitoring, ethics or
international law who can join us during our next simulation in March
2005.

As an observer of the simulation, they would write brief, 2-3 paragraph
statements that reflect the human rights implications of moves and
policies pursued by various country teams during the simulation.  These
critiques would be posted on the web site, reminding students in the
United States and in the Middle East that the strategies they choose and
the decisions they make have profound effects on the lives and wellbeing
of individuals.

We would welcome the participation of anyone who seeks to educate students
about the ethical, human rights consequences of Middle East conflict.

If you seek more information about the project, please visit our web site
at http://itrs.scu.edu/stover/ics_m or contact me, wstover@scu.edu


Sincerely yours,

William Stover, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of International Relations




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