Call for Papers
The protection and promotion of human rights is experiencing increased commitment around the globe. Many organisations and groups have strategically employed rights-based agendas in order to advance issues and accomplish particular objectives. However, despite this ongoing mainstreaming and dominance, there is little time to reflect on the efficacy, sustainability and shortcomings of taking rights-based approaches. This special issue will showcase articles that think critically about – and beyond – “rights-based” approaches. We are interested in research that seeks transformative solutions to systemic patterns of injustice, while considering the real changes in peoples’ lives. We are looking for papers that challenge the prevailing assumptions and practices in the fight for human dignity, by addressing the gap between theory and practice, between scholars and practitioners.

This special issue of the International Journal of Human Rights, Beyond “Rights-Based” Approaches, will bring together new critical research on the theory and practice of transformative human rights advocacy and activism. We invite all relevant research in the fields of human rights, politics, global ethics, sociology, and sociology of social movements and of complex organisations. We particularly seek research that challenges the status quo of mainstream right-based discourses, and that identify new opportunities, models and initiatives of transformative practice.

We call for abstracts outlining contributions that explicitly address critical engagement with the realities and/or shortcomings of rights-based approaches and human rights advocacy. This might include:
critical research on rights-based organizations/ groups/ social movements
critical reflections on practice and practitioners
alternative approaches/voices from across the globe
critical research on human rights activism/campaigning
powerful insights into where different human rights communities have been and where they might be heading
Please send abstracts of 250-300 words and an academic CV to h.miller@kingston.ac.uk. The deadline for submission of abstracts is 13 January 2016 and full papers of approximately 8,000 words will need to be submitted by 29 April 2016. Successful papers will be presented on Tuesday 9 February 2016.
The Workshop
The day will showcase working papers that think critically about – and beyond – “rights-based” approaches. The workshop will be centred on research that seeks transformative solutions to systemic patterns of injustice, while considering the real changes in peoples’ lives. Invited speakers will seek to challenge the prevailing assumptions and practices in the fight for human dignity, by addressing the gap between theory and practice, between scholars and practitioners.