USC Dornsife News

A USC Dornsife Maymester course offers undergrads an chance to engage with human rights activists, politicians and diplomats in one of the world’s least studied, most fraught regions.

Joe Biden is set to make his first visit as president to the Middle East, during which he will meet the Saudi crown prince the US accuses of ordering the murder of a journalist.

Steve Swerdlow, who has worked to secure the release of numerous political prisoners, wants his students to understand that their work in the classroom can change the lives of people thousands of miles away.

The hunger strike is a simple yet potent form of protest, and even those living under extremely restricted conditions can choose to forego eating. [6 min read]

Holding considerable economic and strategic clout, Saudi Arabia is still considered an ally of the United States despite a track record of human rights violations. [5½ min read]

On Nov. 20, 1969, a group of activists attempted to reclaim the location of the infamous prison for the native people who had once occupied it. USC Dornsife faculty discuss the implications of the event, which kicked off nearly two years of protest that would shape Native American land rights activism for the next five decades. [4 min read]

A new truth commission aims to investigate lynchings of African Americans but faces obstacles that may prevent full truth and resolution. [6 min read]

Images of famine or poverty are often used by human rights groups to galvanize support. And they often do. The ethics of these images is a more complex story. [5 3/4 min read]

USC Levan Institute for Humanities and Ethics’ Lyn Boyd-Judson leads seven undergraduates to the University of Oxford for a five-day workshop on human rights and humanitarian action.