[hr-education] Literature and human rights

Dear Colleagues,

Periyar EVR College, Tiruchirapalli –620023 (TN-India) is an autonomous,
accredited, Government College established in 1964, now functioning as a
Constituent College of Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirapalli. The
college offers 14 UG Courses and also PG courses in all the disciplines
offered at the UG level. A Post Graduate (MA) Programme in Communication
and Public Relations is the one recently added without an UG Programme.

After years of hesitation, persuasion, preparations, we were able to
announce and offer an affiliated, independent one year Post Graduate
Diploma Programme in Human Rights. The programme was offered in 1993, on
an experimental basis, by the newly established Centre for Human Rights
Education (CHRE) in the college of which I have been nominated as the
Director/Coordinator.

Ours is a Government college and most of our learners come from poor,
rural and economically weaker segments of the region. But as per the
current policies, this programme has to be offered under the
self-financing category, without any fund support from the Govt/University
etc. Procurement of adequate reading and reference materials, further
mobilisation of qualified staff also posed initial problems to us and it
has come to our understanding that without adequate fund and material
support to the CHRE and fee waivers for the learners, it would be greatly
difficult to continue offering the above one year Post Graduate Diploma
Programme.

Our commitment to spread the message of Human Rights and our spirit of
academic innovation will not make us get discouraged. Again after much
persuasive groundwork, the PG (MA) Board of Studies for ENGLISH LITERATURE
has given its nod for introducing a course under the title: LITERATURE AND
HUMAN RIGHTS in the final semester of the MA English Literature programme
from the year 2005-6.

The main objective of this programme is to develop a better understanding,
among learners, of the core concepts underlying Human Rights through the
study of Literature.

We have proposed the following: (As per university requirement in five
units)

Unit I -- Human Rights Concept- origins- development and current systems.
The triangle of literature, society and human rights.

Unit II -- core concepts (Liberty, equality, freedom of expression, rule
of law, democracy, self-determination) reflected in Literature
(particularly English Literature).

Unit III -- The Language of rights as revealed in the Magna Carta, Rights
of Man (Thomas Paine), Vindication of the Rights of Women (Mary
Wolstonecraft) and Anti-slavery Writings.

Unit IV-- Liberalism and industrial revolution - socialism and
totalitarian state-literary voices raised against oppression,
exploitation, discrimination, authoritarianism.
 
Unit V-- Literature of protest/dissent - Voices against censorship,
violence, torture, apartheid.

References Proposed include: UN Declaration of Human Rights and other
human rights documents, J S Mill (Liberty), George Orwell (Animal Farm),
Upton Sinclair (The Jungle), Vaclav Harel (Protest), Tony Marison
(Beloved), Charles Dickens (Oliver Twist), Marilyn French (The Man against
Women), Anthology of Robert Hull (Breaking Free).

We seek helpful suggestions for improving the above proposal. We would be
happy to have information about similar efforts tried out elsewhere. Any
external support of provision of materials (books, Videos, CDs etc) and
funding will greatly strengthen our efforts.

Looking forward to having any possible support to make the proposed
programme a success,

Regards,

Prof Raja Mutthirulandi
Director / Coordinator 
Centre for Human Rights Education,
Periyar Evr College [Autonomous]
Tiruchirappalli- 620 023 Tn-India
Email: <     >

 

 
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