Global Campus Europe (EMA) Awarded Theses
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Each year the EMA Council of Directors selects five theses, which stand out not only for their formal academic qualities but also for the originality of topic, innovative character of methodology and approach, potential usefulness in raising awareness about neglected issues, and capacity for contributing to the promotion of the values underlying human rights and democracy.
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ItemWhen the Land No Longer Provides. Human Rights and the Status of “Climate Refugees” in the Sahel(Global Campus of Human Rights, 2023)Climate change disproportionately impacts the enjoyment of human rights in climate-vulnerable areas around the world, one example of which is the Sahel region of Africa. This thesis focuses on the human rights of environmentally displaced persons in this region, commonly labelled as ‘climate refugees’ but lacking a legal definition. Terminological ambiguities over the concept of ‘climate refugees’ are expounded and situated within the unique geography and history of the Sahel region. The impact that climate change has on the Sahel region, especially slow onset effects, are assessed and aligned with the causes of involuntary migration, noting that migration is a regular phenomenon in the Sahel and has long been an adaptation method. Relevant international and regional legal approaches are examined, establishing that although legal mechanisms which could protect the human rights of environmentally displaced persons exist, gaps remain in the implementation of these mechanisms. This information is utilised to propose a human rights-based approach that favours regional legal frameworks and local cooperation in lieu of an international legal definition for ‘climate refugees’. Using an interdisciplinary approach that incorporates international law, philosophy, and history perspectives, this thesis contributes to theoretical and practical understandings on the relationship between climate change and human mobility and promotes the value of regional context and capabilities when implementing a human rightsbased approach.
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ItemMind the Gap: Incorporating Human Rights into the Curricula of Undergraduate Business Programmes(Global Campus of Human Rights, 2023)Business and Human Rights (BHR) education in business schools can play a crucial role in strengthening the protection of human rights and the environment by providing future business leaders the tools to address the adverse social and environmental impacts of business activities. At the undergraduate level, the lack of BHR education in business schools is a missed opportunity to provide students with the understanding that human rights are a transversal issue to business from the start of their business education. This research aims to highlight the urgent need of integrating BHR education into undergraduate business programmes, as well as to discuss its current and ideal practice. To achieve this goal, the author carried out 15 semi-structured interviews with BHR experts and performed a qualitative analysis of the generated data and eight undergraduate BHR-related course syllabi. The study found there is a consensus regarding the optimal learning outcomes, teaching methods and content of BHR courses or modules, as well as the need for a compulsory introduction to BHR for all undergraduate business students as part of their degree. The ideal incorporation of BHR in the curriculum would be a specialised BHR stand-alone course or module combined with a curricular emphasis on BHR, which would require concerted effort from a multidisciplinary educational committee. Keywords: Business and Human Rights, human rights education, business schools, education, teaching.
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ItemBeneath the City’s Shining Facade, Discrimination and Death in the Sewers. An Analysis of India’s Right to Life Obligations to Eradicate the Caste-Based Practice of Hazardous Manual Sewer Cleaning(Global Campus of Human Rights, 2023)Loss of life resulting from manual sewer cleaning has been a tragic constant in urban India for decades, and its connection with caste and ‘untouchability’ has been an accepted fact, with the victims overwhelmingly belonging to the most oppressed castes. Still, there has been little progress towards addressing this issue, with no reduction in the number of people losing their lives in this way every year. Legislation and schemes aimed at ending the practice of manual sewer cleaning have had little success. This thesis approaches the issue as a violation of the right to life under article 6(1) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Such an analysis would be incomplete without an awareness of the societal role of caste in the perpetuation of the problem. Therefore, this thesis also attempts to address the discriminatory aspect of the issue through an analysis of obligations under article 2(1) of the Covenant. Through an interdisciplinary approach that draws on historical and legal research methods, it is found that while the Indian state has made several attempts to address the issue of manual sewer cleaning, there is weight to the argument that India is in fact violating article 6(1), by failing to end the occurrence of death due to manual sewer cleaning, as well as article 2(1) in conjunction with article 6(1), due to the caste-based nature of the practice leading to a distinct violation of the right to life.
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ItemThe Good Ukrainian, the Bad Syrian, the Ugly Afghan (and the Forgotten Ones). Reframing Migration Governance through Michel Foucault’s and Hannah Arendt’s Legacies(Global Campus of Human Rights, 2023)The war raging in Ukraine compels more than ever to confront the impasses and divergences of current migration policies. The present study provides a philosophical perspective on the refugee status and seeks to address the contradictions inherent to the latter policies. By drawing upon four major refugee movements, it reviews the emergency responses deployed in their wake, exposing asylum policy inequities and differential treatment of refugees on the basis of their situation. Building on the work of Michel Foucault and Hannah Arendt, the study delves into the concepts of governmentality, power, subjectivity, agency, biopower and biopolitics. Through the interlacing of the two authors’ perspectives, the paper will attempt to reveal subtle connections and suggest avenues for reflection on the paradoxes and problems inherent in their respective theories. The thesis comprises four parts, which successively explore the notion of biopower and its applicability to refugees, the concept of biopolitics and the influence on migration policies, Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari’s enlightenments to a revisited appreciation of biopolitics, and lastly the constructing of a political space of resistance for refugees. Through a theoretical approach and an exploration of key concepts such as refugees, migrants, asylum, freedom and citizenship, it is hoped to raise reflexive stances on current dilemmas among policymakers in the migration field. The study further proposes a forward-looking approach to exploring alternative representations of refugees, possibly aimed at shifting migratory policies.
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ItemVoices Unheard, Stories Untold. A Qualitative Content Analysis of Gender Bias in War Reporting and Human Rights Journalism as a Viable Alternative(Global Campus of Human Rights, 2023)In a world marked by numerous conflicts and violence, war reporting plays a significant role in shaping public understanding and perceptions of, as well as reactions to, war. However, concerns have been raised about the presence of gender bias and the perpetuation of patriarchal norms within war reporting, as it perpetuates gender bias in society as a whole and has negative consequences on peacebuilding processes and approaches to human rights violations. This master’s thesis aims to uncover the presence of gender bias and the patriarchal paradigm in war reporting. By utilising a qualitative content analysis to examine war reporting characteristics in three prominent news outlets – The Guardian, De Standaard and Al Jazeera – this research explores the representation of women’s voices, experiences, and contributions, as well as the reinforcement or challenge of traditional gender roles and power dynamics. Additionally, the study acknowledges the significance of alternative approaches such as peace journalism and human rights journalism to get to more balanced, inclusive, ethically responsible and humane journalism that prioritises the protection of human rights in conflict situations. The analysis reveals recurring themes in war reporting. Conclusions indicate that gender bias and the patriarchal paradigm persist in war reporting, with the portrayal of women reinforcing traditional gender roles. Female agency, experiences and contributions are often overlooked and marginalised or serve to bolster patriarchal, patriotic, strategic or elitist discourse. However, some positive developments towards peace journalism and, to a lesser extent, human rights journalism, are noted, highlighting a more people-oriented and solution-oriented approach with a focus on exposing human rights violations. Keywords: journalism, war reporting, gender bias, patriarchy, human rights, peace journalism, human rights journalism