In a remote village in Kyrgyzstan, USC undergraduates listen intently to Kamil Ruziev, a local human rights advocate, share his harrowing account of police torture and his work defending survivors of domestic violence.

Adhering to the age-old mantra “show, don’t tell,” Steve Swerdlow, associate professor of the practice of political science and international relations, has led dozens of USC students to democratically vulnerable regions of the world to explore human rights advocacy.

In multiple Maymester courses since 2022, Swerdlow and his students have visited Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia and Armenia to study authoritarian leadership and democratic backsliding, and learn how citizens, activists and institutions push back.

Through direct engagement with activists, politicians, diplomats, scholars and journalists, students confront the complex histories and troubling realities of nations where officials have tortured citizens and imprisoned critics. They explore how laws can be weaponized to silence speech and undermine nongovernmental organizations. They also learn how advocates work to restore democratic ideals and improve quality of life.

“If you want democracy and human rights, it takes sacrifice and commitment, and there’s no better reminder of that than meeting the people on the frontlines of these battles,” says Swerdlow, a human rights attorney and expert on the post-Soviet region.

This May, students participated in Swerdlow’s Maymester in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, where for a month they examined how activists, lawyers and others challenge regression on the ground. The goal is not only to deepen students’ understanding of rights and repression, but also to show them that safeguarding democratic ideals is tangible, urgent work and a path they might pursue themselves.

“Students need opportunities to engage directly with these societies,” Swerdlow says. “That’s how they help build the knowledge, judgment and perspective to defend human rights around the globe.”