Mission and History Launched in 2007, the Human Rights Initiative at the University of Wisconsin, Madison is a cross-campus project to stimulate new research and teaching on human rights. Within the past decade, human rights have captured the attention of a wide range of students and faculty on campus, reflecting a long-standing commitment to social justice at UW-Madison. The Human Rights Initiative seeks to coordinate and enhance intellectual interest in human rights and to develop cutting-edge ideas about human rights for the 21st Century. 2008-2009 Theme For 2008-9, the Initiative has chosen a theme of vulnerability and human rights. The theme brings together several intellectual agendas that the Initiative seeks to promote. First, the Initiative is looking to rethink fundamental concepts in human rights. Second, the Initiative seeks to anticipate human rights challenges of the future. Third, the Initiative wants to develop connections between civil and political rights, on the one hand, and economic, social and cultural rights, on the other. Vulnerability is a flexible, evocative concept that fits these priorities, that creates the intellectual space to historicize human rights, and that helps to attribute agency to victims. The Initiative is planning a major conference and book on the theme. Programs The Initiative is sponsoring a series of programs to cultivate opportunities for students and faculty in the field of human rights. First, the Initiative is working with the International Studies major to offer a human rights certificate and human rights track within the major. The Initiative also hopes to develop a service-learning program in human rights for undergraduates through internship programs. Second, the Initiative is sponsoring a graduate student working group and symposium to showcase research in progress. Third, the Initiative is offering faculty course development grants to develop new courses or retool existing ones to have a human rights theme. In the future, the Initiative hopes to provide research support to faculty and graduate students. Lectures and Events Since 2007, the Initiative has sponsored a lively speaker series, which this year features former Irish President and United Nations High Commissioner Mary Robinson, historian Micheline Ishay, Virginia Vargas, and others. Please sign up to join our mailing list to be notified of upcoming events. The Initiative is generously supported by the Division of International Studies, The Chancellor’s Office, the School of Medicine and Public Health, and the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.

Mission and History

Launched in 2007, the Human Rights Initiative at the University of Wisconsin, Madison is a cross-campus project to stimulate new research and teaching on human rights. Within the past decade, human rights have captured the attention of a wide range of students and faculty on campus, reflecting a long-standing commitment to social justice at UW-Madison. The Human Rights Initiative seeks to coordinate and enhance intellectual interest in human rights and to develop cutting-edge ideas about human rights for the 21st Century.

2008-2009 Theme

For 2008-9, the Initiative has chosen a theme of vulnerability and human rights. The theme brings together several intellectual agendas that the Initiative seeks to promote. First, the Initiative is looking to rethink fundamental concepts in human rights. Second, the Initiative seeks to anticipate human rights challenges of the future. Third, the Initiative wants to develop connections between civil and political rights, on the one hand, and economic, social and cultural rights, on the other. Vulnerability is a flexible, evocative concept that fits these priorities, that creates the intellectual space to historicize human rights, and that helps to attribute agency to victims. The Initiative is planning a major conference and book on the theme.

Programs

The Initiative is sponsoring a series of programs to cultivate opportunities for students and faculty in the field of human rights. First, the Initiative is working with the International Studies major to offer a human rights certificate and human rights track within the major. The Initiative also hopes to develop a service-learning program in human rights for undergraduates through internship programs. Second, the Initiative is sponsoring a graduate student working group and symposium to showcase research in progress. Third, the Initiative is offering faculty course development grants to develop new courses or retool existing ones to have a human rights theme. In the future, the Initiative hopes to provide research support to faculty and graduate students.

Lectures and Events

Since 2007, the Initiative has sponsored a lively speaker series, which this year features former Irish President and United Nations High Commissioner Mary Robinson, historian Micheline Ishay, Virginia Vargas, and others. Please sign up to join our mailing list to be notified of upcoming events.

The Initiative is generously supported by the Division of International Studies, The Chancellor’s Office, the School of Medicine and Public Health, and the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.