Winter Quarter 2026

Winter Quarter 2026

HMR 120A (Cross-list with AHI 120A)  Art, Architecture, & Human Rights
Heghnar Watenpaugh

Study of human rights as they relate to art, architecture, and cultural heritage. Examines museums, art collections, and cultural-heritage management, their relation to the cultural prerogatives of communities and indigenous groups, and protection of cultural heritage during war and conflict.

HMR 130 Special Topics - “Human Rights and the Revolutionary Left”
Lucia Luna Victoria Indacochea

This course delves into the complex and often contentious relationship between revolutionary leftist movements and human rights struggles, with a focus on case studies from Latin America ( Montoneros, the Shining Path, and the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement). Students will explore the historical context of leftist movements and revolutionary guerrillas in Latin America, and investigate the theoretical underpinnings and ideological frameworks of revolutionary leftist groups and their impact on human rights discourse. In the course, students will also learn how to analyze primary sources and conduct original research in the Digital National Security Archive. The class structure will combine both lecture and group discussions to consider the ethical and practical dilemmas faced by activists and policymakers when navigating the tension between revolutionary ideals and human rights protections.

HMR 135 Human Rights Tools
Lucia Luna Victoria Indacochea

This course will examine practices in the field of human rights leading to improvements in people’s lives; recent political developments in the global application of human rights and strategic tools used to promote the realization of human rights standards. Students will also explore how key international and local NGOs work to promote the capacities of rights holders to claim and enjoy their rights and in persuading duty bearers to fulfill their human rights obligations. 

HMR 161 (Cross-list with HIS 161) 
Lucia Luna Victoria Indacochea

How has Latin America shaped the Human Rights movement? What are the intertwined legacies of violence and justice in the continent? We will explore the historical contexts leading up to military dictatorships and violent guerrillas, the emergence of organized resistance by civil society, the efforts to enact political reform and defend human rights, and the ongoing problems posed by justice and memory. The course centers on case studies from Argentina, Guatemala, Peru, Haiti and Venezuela. In this course you will learn to assess critically the evidence of the past through first-hand exposure to primary sources, films, and memoirs.

HMR 162Y (Cross-list with HIS 126Y) The History of Human Rights in Europe 
Adam Zientek

History of the origins, development, and state of international humanitarian law (IHL) and international human rights law (IHRL) in Europe. Emphasis on Enlightenment-era and modern theories of the source, utility, and limits of human rights.