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Drop-in Series: Reflecting on human rights during World Day of Social Justice
Professor Luca Zini in his class lecture

Drop-in Series: Reflecting on human rights during World Day of Social Justice

Inspired by Steve Jobs’ commencement speech at Stanford University in which he shared how auditing a calligraphy class in college inspired him years later to make diverse fonts available to users of Apple computers, we set out to visit classes around campus that open up students to new ideas and perspectives. This is one in a series of drop-ins.

February 20, 2023 at 9:00am

By David Taveras, sophomore political science major

What does social justice truly mean? The answer to this question has evolved in recent years and it is precisely what students like me who are taking CPO 4053, “Political Repression and Human Rights,” may be pondering on a day like today, the United Nations’ World Day of Social Justice. The course, taught by Green School of International and Public Affairs Professor Luca Zini, focuses on discussions about what repression looks like in all forms, highlighting human rights violations.

As a student of this course, I find lots of value in the class discussions our group engages in. For example, when we covered the topic of terrorism, our group had difficulty defining the concept of terrorism. Through discussion, we learned how complex the concept of terrorism is. One quote that has not left my mind since that day is, “One person’s terrorist is another’s freedom fighter.” This helped put things into perspective because cultural and societal beliefs play a huge role in why people do what they do.

Professor Zini always makes sure to teach us something new and relevant in this class, always referencing history. “This is a class that takes you outside of the box and playing field one would normally expect in a class like this, to challenge our preconceived notions,” said David Farnot, a senior political science major.

The class delves into the causes and possible signs of repression and human rights violations to educate students on protecting their rights and advocating for social justice. “With the sharp global decline in freedom and the corrosion of civil rights and liberties across the world, perhaps now more than ever, younger generations need to be vigilant about the forces that promote repression and the mechanisms used to repress freedom,” Zini stated.

The biggest lesson so far has been learning that human rights are not seen as universal. Many countries see human rights as a product of Western influence and beliefs. As a person born and raised in the United States, this shocked me because I believe every human deserves inalienable rights, and shockingly, that sentiment is simply not shared worldwide.

My favorite takeaway from this class is that people have power, and their voices carry weight. Repression is a systematic way to silence voices and prevent change, change that would advance social justice. As a person who is very active in their community and has a couple of intersecting marginalized identities, I know how important it is to speak up. Taking away that power is a clear violation of human rights, so studying how to prevent this from happening has been truly transformational.