S2.1 - To hope or not to hope?

S2.1 - To hope or not to hope?

Author: Global Campus of Human Rights June 5, 2023 Duration: 33:57

The importance of positive human rights narratives

In conversation with George Ulrich

In the first GC Podcast Series, we widely explained why talking with human rights sceptics is not only relevant but also conducive to increased motivation for further action. Still, an important question remained: how to improve a meaningful human rights discourse? George Ulrich* shares his thoughts and answers additional questions: how do we prompt positive and engaged reactions to human rights issues? Is there a way to bring a positive vision of human rights to people’s everyday lives? * Prof. George Ulrich is the Academic Director of the Global Campus of Human Rights. Among his main research interests are the history and philosophy of human rights, human rights diplomacy, human rights and development cooperation, health and human rights. A key focus of his teaching is to equip students to effectively engage with expressions of human rights scepticism. He was the host of the first GC Podcast Series. Full bio here.


Produced by the Global Campus of Human Rights, To the Righthouse is a podcast that navigates the complex and often turbulent waters where human rights meet the real world. The title itself is a guiding metaphor: just as a lighthouse warns ships of perilous coasts, this series aims to illuminate the risks and challenges facing fundamental freedoms today, while also pointing toward potential harbours of safer, more robust protection. Each episode grapples with the persistent gap between lofty ideals and ground-level realities, exploring that difficult space where theory confronts practice. You’ll hear from a range of voices-academics, advocates, and those directly affected-who bring multiple perspectives to these urgent discussions. The conversations aren't about easy answers; they delve into the nuanced, sometimes contentious work of seeking stability and just solutions in an unstable world. This isn't a lecture series, but a thoughtful exploration for anyone curious about the forces shaping dignity and justice globally. Tune in for a podcast that serves as both a beacon of critical thought and a forum for genuine, enlightening dialogue on the social scientific dimensions of our rights.
Author: Language: en-gb Episodes: 28

To the Righthouse
Podcast Episodes
S5.5 - Empowering through remembrance [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:10
We conclude the series with a powerful episode on memorialization in Bosnia and Herzegovina.The conversation explores how memorialization itself becomes a form of justice — preserving victims’ humanity, amplifying surviv…
S5.4 - Demanding justice [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:04
This episode explores how survivors and activists in Ireland are confronting institutional abuse through memorialization, legal action, education, and movement lawyering.By preserving truth, demanding accountability, and…
S5.3 - Transforming experiences [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:55
This episode highlights how the Mukwege Foundation and its survivor-led Red Lineinitiative are advancing a holistic, rights-based response to conflict-relatedsexual violence.By combining legal accountability, prevention,…
S5.2 - Connecting voices [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:25
The series continues with a powerful episode exploring the Quipu Project and its workamplifying the voices of Peruvian women affected by forced sterilizations.Through storytelling and listening, personal testimonies beco…
S5.1 - Solidarity networks [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:24
What happens when surviving enforced disappearance becomes the spark for a global fight for justice?In the first episode of this series, Thomas Unger sits down with Ram Bhandari to explore how Ram’s experience of enforce…
S.4.1 -Music and human rights: amplifying the resonances [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:24
The first episode of Sounds of Justice teases out the different dimensions of the relationship between music and human rights. The four guests, all co-editors of the Routledge Companion, explore what the language of musi…
S.4.2- Music and liberation politics in the African diaspora [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:10
Music has been central to how people of African descent – in the United States and across the diaspora – have imagined and demanded justice . From Paul Robeson and Nina Simone to the present, this episode of Sounds of Ju…
S.4.3-Soundscapes of resilience in India and Palestine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:29
This episode of Sounds of Justice highlights two contexts where music has long voiced struggles for justice and human rights.From‘rebellious music gatherings’ spearheading the anti-caste movement in India to Palestinian…