This is an online assignment as we are missing too many lessons due to disruptions in the timetable. The objectives are:
(1) to increase your content knowledge on the topic of Human Rights
(2) to practice SRQ skills
You have two options to choose from.
Option A
Do an online search to find out more information about one specific area of Human Rights abuse in the world. The case study has to be a current and specific one. A good place to start from would be this link:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/people/features/ihavearightto/four_b/links.shtml
You will provide a useful summary (in a format of your choice) of the facts of the case study and briefly discuss what can be done to minimise, stop or prevent the abuse. Also consider the consequences of not doing anything about the situation.
Option B
Read the article on "How Democracy Dies" at http://www.newsweek.com/id/234891 and write a three-paragraph response using the format of the SRQ.
DEADLINE: 4 May (Tue) which incidentally is when the SRQ is due
A reminder of your FINAL chance to score some OP points for Term 2:
(1) post your comments to on the Term 1 Review blog post
(2) answer the questions on "Rights" and "Dignity" in the previous blog post
(3) respond to your classmate's Option A post
The window for awarding OP is closing really soon.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Friday, April 9, 2010
Questions about Human Rights
We've raised a few questions about Human Rights in today's lesson. Due to limited class time and perhaps more importantly, the need for deep rumination on the subject, let's use this space to throw up ideas and dive right into the core of the issues.
1. What is this thing called "dignity" and why is it important? Because it is a difficult question to answer (and no flippant one-liner can do the idea justice), it may be easier to begin by thinking of examples of "dignity", and non-examples of dignity (just as we had done with the concept of Justice). If the term is so hard to define, yet why do most people instinctively understand what it means? Think about it.
2. Next, we have yet to answer the question "What are rights?" Would anyone venture to define it for us? It is certainly not an easy "thing" to define because it's an abstract idea. I would suggest using the reading "An Allegory" as a starting point. Think about the "things" that the community has agreed upon and think about the nature of these "things" (I will use everyone's favourite catch-all word here) as well as the purpose of these "things". Perhaps by examining these two aspects of the "thing" itself (which is otherwise called "rights"), we can begin to arrive at a better understanding of what it is.
I hope MORE of you will use this space to explore, clarify and argue ideas and concepts. We don't have the luxury of time during class to discuss ideas at a deeper, more philosophical level. Also, there are some of you who are content with scratching the surface of things and we wouldn't dream of boring you to tears in every lesson. So, I would encourage those of you who have a geniune intellectual curiosity, who have a thirst for deeper truths and who aspire to greater things to be part of this THINKING community. Let's not merely be second-hand receivers of knowledge. Let's be creators of knowledge.
1. What is this thing called "dignity" and why is it important? Because it is a difficult question to answer (and no flippant one-liner can do the idea justice), it may be easier to begin by thinking of examples of "dignity", and non-examples of dignity (just as we had done with the concept of Justice). If the term is so hard to define, yet why do most people instinctively understand what it means? Think about it.
2. Next, we have yet to answer the question "What are rights?" Would anyone venture to define it for us? It is certainly not an easy "thing" to define because it's an abstract idea. I would suggest using the reading "An Allegory" as a starting point. Think about the "things" that the community has agreed upon and think about the nature of these "things" (I will use everyone's favourite catch-all word here) as well as the purpose of these "things". Perhaps by examining these two aspects of the "thing" itself (which is otherwise called "rights"), we can begin to arrive at a better understanding of what it is.
I hope MORE of you will use this space to explore, clarify and argue ideas and concepts. We don't have the luxury of time during class to discuss ideas at a deeper, more philosophical level. Also, there are some of you who are content with scratching the surface of things and we wouldn't dream of boring you to tears in every lesson. So, I would encourage those of you who have a geniune intellectual curiosity, who have a thirst for deeper truths and who aspire to greater things to be part of this THINKING community. Let's not merely be second-hand receivers of knowledge. Let's be creators of knowledge.
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