Study Abroad

In Spring 2018, our department is offering a course on Human Rights, International Justice and Memory Politics. It includes a one-week study abroad experience in Lima, the vibrant capital of Peru, in South America, that is filled with ancient Incan history and culture. It is directly located on the Pacific coast at the foothills of the Andes, with many neighborhoods that convey a South American flair and lifestyle and other parts that portray the image of a globalized and international metropolis of the 21st century. Between 1980 and 2000, Peru faced a devastating internal conflict when leftist revolutionary groups, including the infamous Shining Path, fought against the government. In response, under the Fujimori administration in the 1990s, armed forces carried out several massacres and President Fujimori put in place an authoritarian regime, which committed numerous human rights crimes. The history of violence and the context of dealing with such a legacy make Lima an excellent learning environment for students of human rights.