The Center for Ethics and Human Rights is working to develop research and collaborations including the ethics, human rights, and the Human Trafficking Research Institute.
Human rights have become one of the most powerful ways of envisioning and advocating for a more just, equitable, and peaceful world. Yet, despite the power of human rights as an abstract concept, what exactly is included in those rights — and who or what is responsible for ensuring them — remains contested.
In our research academy, undergraduates learn techniques for identifying and measuring human rights violations. Students gain exposure to key methods in documenting and analyzing human rights abuses , including digital verification, data science, and crowd-sourcing. Students use mixed methods and digital tools to analyze open-source materials, such as news articles, photos, and social media relating to their chosen case. Student researchers are currently preparing their findings for broader dissemination.
The grant is funded by the College of Liberal Arts, and is part of their undergraduate research academy program. With support from the CSU Sustainability Fund and the Office for Undergraduate Research and Artistry, we expanded the academy’s mission to incorporate fieldwork experience at the intersection of the rights of people and the planet.
Like in many other countries, Waste management in Tunisia poses several ethical challenges that need to be addressed for the sustainable and responsible handling of waste. These challenges arise from social, environmental, and economic factors, highlighting the need for a comprehensive and ethical approach to waste management practices.
One of the primary ethical challenges in Tunisia’s waste management sector is the inadequate infrastructure and the need for proper waste disposal facilities. Many regions in the country need more waste treatment plants, landfill sites, and recycling facilities. This results in improper waste disposal methods, such as open dumping or burning, which can severely affect human health, ecosystems, and the environment. The ethical concern lies in the potential harm caused to individuals and communities living near these poorly managed waste sites, as they are more likely to be exposed to hazardous substances and suffer from pollution-related health issues.
Tunisia faces economic disparities, and waste management can disproportionately affect vulnerable communities. For instance, informal waste pickers, often from disadvantaged backgrounds, engage in hazardous and unregulated activities to earn a living by scavenging through waste. This raises ethical concerns about fair working conditions, adequate compensation, and protection of their rights. Efforts should be made to integrate these workers into formal waste management systems, providing them with proper training, protective equipment, and fair remuneration.
You can read more about the project in this interactive story map.
Biography is coming soon.
Cort is graduating at the end of this semester, Spring 2023, with a major in Cultural Anthropology and a minor in Global Environmental Sustainability. He is from Arvada, Colorado and will be returning home after graduation to work full-time at Butterfly Pavilion as Retail Sales Coordinator. During his time at CSU he was a member of the men’s club soccer team and has served as Vice President and President. Cort’s project looks at e-waste management in Lagos, Nigeria and analyzes the human rights impacts of the industry as well as the barriers for implementing more equitable and environmentally considerate policy.
Biography is coming soon.
Torrey is an undergraduate student studying Environmental Sociology here at CSU. She is originally from Arvada, CO so has lived in Colorado her whole life enabling her to create a unique relationship with the outdoors. Torrey enjoys hiking, skiing, biking, camping, and spending time in nature, so wanted to work to better understand environmental problems that we face today. She currently works at the Fort Collins Food Co-Op, in a Poudre Food Partnership working group, and as an undergraduate researcher for the Human Rights Research Academy at CSU. Her current research project involves discovering different elements of climate anxiety in Larimer County and how those results can be transformed into proposed policy for the local government. The overall goal is to mitigate climate change and climate anxiety in Larimer County.
Is the legalization of prostitution a way to stop sex trafficking? In this video, Dr. Lumina Albert, Associate Professor of Management, Daniels Ethics Fellow and Executive Director of the CSU Center for Ethics and Human Rights discusses her research examining the unintended consequences of the legalization of prostitution with the Women and Philanthropy group at CSU.
As calls for legalization increase, it becomes pertinent for researchers to examine the likely unanticipated consequences of legalization, before large-scale legalization is implemented in multiple countries across the globe. The current study utilizes an overarching norms-based approach to identify potential unintended consequences at both macro- as well as micro-levels.
Can we eradicate human trafficking if we only focused on local prevention efforts? Dr. Lumina Albert, Associate Professor of Management, Daniels Ethics Fellow and Executive Director of the CSU Center for Ethics and Human Rights answers this question and many other pertinent questions in her keynote address on human trafficking at New Horizons House, an international anti-trafficking organization.
