Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) – Business and Human Rights Program

Free enrolment until 7 February 2021

The Global Campus of Human Rights has announced the Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) – Business and Human Rights Program. The MOOC focuses on the link between companies, states and human rights with attention to the protection of human rights defenders, the concept of mandatory due diligence, recent case-law, and child labour issues.

This MOOC is a contribution to such understanding. It looks at international standards and principles as well as regional and national practices. In particular, it focuses on the links between business and human rights defenders, case-law, due diligence and children’s rights protection in this area. It aims to be relevant for businesses themselves, state representatives, grassroot organisations working on business related issues, workers and ordinary citizens who wish to inspire a transformation in the way business and human rights relate to each other

The course is based on a participatory approach aimed at developing and reinforcing personal critical reflection and peer-to-peer learning. Examples from different areas of the world and on different themes allow the identification of cross-regional and cross-cutting issues and enable a global and multidimensional understanding of the topic.

The course encompasses a 5-week period. Participants are expected to engage in approximately 25 hours of active learning through readings, videos, discussions and quizzes.

Modules

The course is articulated in 2 modules:

• Module 1 focuses on the general international framework on the relation between business and human rights. In particular, it summarily explains standards, mechanisms, benefits and challenges in the current set up, especially at the United Nations and regional level. Specific attention will be paid to the UN Guiding Principles, the UN Global Compact, and other recent initiatives, examples and practices.
• Module 2 is dedicated to specific themes of pressing value: the protection of human rights defenders working on business-related abuses; the case-law emerging from recent developments; corporate responsibility to respect human rights and the development of legislation on mandatory due diligence; the challenges of intersectionality and in particular the situation of children caught up in the worst forms of child labour. In so doing, the course analyses the links with the international framework and provides examples from different regional areas.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course participants will have gained:

• Knowledge about key standards, documents and approaches;
• Understanding of progress and obstacles in terms of more viable cooperation, from the point of view of companies, states and affected rights-holders;
• Ability to identify multi-faceted aspects (pros and cons of each side of the matter);
• Capacity to discuss specific areas and groups/cases of concern.

Eligibility Criteria

• Global Campus of Human Rights designed this course for participants (businesses, state representatives, grassroot organisations working on business related issues, workers and ordinary citizens) around the world who are actively interested and engaged in business and human rights work and wish to gain a multidimensional understanding of current developments, key issues and possibilities for transformation.

For more information, visit https://gchumanrights.org/education/e-learning/moocs/business-and-human-rights/about.html