Pursuing this program in Human Rights and Social Justice has been very instrumental in both my academic and professional development, especially coming from my previous educational background in psychology, governance and civic leadership. This program being being one that is intersectional in nature in terms of various social aspects, has managed to explain various societal issues, at the same time equipping me with theoretical frameworks and practical tools to address these injustices, stand up for marginalized communities and promote sustainable societal change.
The Program learning outcomes (PLOs) from the Master’s in Human Rights and Social Justice program have been very meaningful to both my academic and professional development. It has managed to elicit an awareness and understanding of past and present debates that have shaped human rights and social justice issues especially through my experiences and broader societal contexts.
The identity of human rights and human justice have been ones that have been deeply grounded in historical and theoretical contexts that have been evolving over the years. The notion of human rights is one that goes back to ancient civilization where the principles of justice and fairness were encased in religious texts and legal code such as Code of Hammurabi. With the advancement of years a lot has changed and the passage of time has managed to bring in new ideas on the notions of human rights and justice dating from the enlightenment era were ideas of social contracts by Rousseau and Hobbes appeared, this then also ushered in the notion of the relationship between people and the state henceforth bringing in advocacy for justice in society as a necessity. Decades later the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 gave the world a global standard on human rights and justice and also ushered in the formation of various institutions such as the United Nations to monitor and uphold human rights.
However some of these works have been seen as having short comings as most of the framework have been castigated as being based on western and liberal ideals marginalizing non western societies and traditions. Mostly how colonial entities have used human rights as a smoke screen for their exploitation by stating “it was a civilizing mission” that they were partaking in. One aspect that stands out from the development of human rights frameworks is the marginalization of indigenous people and their epistemologies. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was a ground breaking initiative to cleanse the world of the atrocities that were happening but it failed to acknowledge the collective rights, cultural diverse and the relationship that exists between land and the identity that indigenous people hold as sacred. All this has seen indigenous rights being ommitted in national and international policy making world wide with only recently through persistent advocacy have laws and statutes started changing.
Not all has been dark and gloomy for indigenous people world wide as major steps have been made in addressing the plight of Indigenous people around the world, who have mostly suffered from the injustices of the world and this encompasses understanding of and respect for the values of a range of Indigenous knowledge and wisdom. The United Nations Declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in 2007 was a huge milestone emphasizing protection of lands and resources and collective rights for indigenous people across the world. The world needed to move from just engaging indigenous knowledge, it had to address the frameworks that colonial biases had been put in place and had been present for so many decades. Respecting indigenous wisdom is a matter of inclusivity, thinking about rights that consider the relationship between people and how rights are embedded in those relationships with attention being on community, land, and cultural preservation.
Knowing these fundamentals on human rights and social justice has helped me develop critical capacity to unpack the inequalities that exist within society and how to deal with them by attacking the root cause. A great example can be noted from how we managed to create a needs assessment for the youth who are homeless in Kamloops through my time doing the practicum at A Way Home Kamloops, the program empowered me to approach this from a wide lens will using theoretical perspectives to find community based solutions to the growing need of ending teen homelessness and helping those who have reached the eligible age of staying in the homes to transition into self dependence.
All in all the program is one of the most captivating in that it allows people with a heart to see positive change in the world express themselves more and challenge them into taking up a stand in society. Through hands on experience and a wide range of intersectional courses it covers a holistic entity on how to make the change we want a success. In totality all of this can be a reality through commitment and advocacy for systemic change.