Dates: 27 June - 6 July 2013

Type of courses: Lectures in the plenum and smaller seminars

Application deadline: The official deadline for applications (15 May) has passed. Further applications are accepted but admission depends on acceptance of admission offers by earlier applicants.

Email: veniceschool@eiuc.org

Scientific Director: Prof. Florence Benoit-Rohmer, EIUC Secretary General

Project Manager: Ms Alberta Rocca, EIUC External Relations Manager

Introduction

EIUC Venice School of Human Rights was born in 2010 with the goal of studying today’s challenges in the field of human rights.

It allows its participants coming from all over the world to list these challenges and examine their reasons and possible solutions they can deploy. The EIUC Venice School at the same time, combines theory and practice and its faculty involves both academics and practitioners. The Venice School intends to highlight that the respect for human rights is the responsibility of all, that  « Human Rights are our responsibility ».

Courses are scheduled to take place in Venice at the premises of the European Inter-University Centre in Human Rights and Democratisation for a period of 10 days. The courses will be taught in English by internationally recognised experts in the fields of human rights belonging to EIUC’s partner universities and other organisations that support EIUC projects and endeavors.
These courses are addressed to postgraduate students from all academic backgrounds, students from the different regional masters in human rights and democratisation, to E.MA alumni as well as to human rights practitioners willing to deepen and improve their knowledge in human rights issues.

Participants will benefit from an extremely rich cultural environment including visits to museums, galleries, churches and the Venice Biennale. Finally, they will be able to relax and enjoy walking along the Lido beaches or cycling around the island once the courses finish in the afternoon.

Target

These courses are addressed to postgraduate students from all academic backgrounds, students from the different regional masters in human rights and democratisation, to E.MA alumni as well as to human rights practitioners willing to deepen and improve their knowledge in human rights issues.

Programme

After an introduction on general challenges, three topics have been selected to be examined in depth:

• Freedom of Religion and Belief is a human right that has a longstanding universal recognition. The 1948 Universal Declaration guarantees its enjoyment. Today we witness more and more to a clash between two systems that oppose religious values to human rights in different areas: women's rights, gay marriages, ritual slaughtering, circumcision, protection of children...). What is the status of religious freedom? How can we protect religious minorities? How can we reconcile religious freedom with other rights?
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• Another challenge we face nowadays, is the discrimination based on sexual orientation. Discrimination against LGBTI is extremely common. The aim during this school is to examine the rights recognised at universal and regional level and educate the participants about how to protect this particularly vulnerable category of persons.
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• Finally, the last topic we wish to address during this year’s School, is how international organizations should integrate human rights into their policies. The European Union has for instance underlined the need in its action plan to integrate a  rights based approach within its policies. This cluster will try to familiarize the participants with the core elements of Rights Based Approach raising awareness of common obstacles and challenges and giving a methodology to apply in all phases of the programming process.
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