The Russian invasion of Ukraine has resulted in a massive, very fast-moving humanitarian crisis. Millions of Ukrainians are internally displaced or fleeing the country as refugees. Russian human rights activists have also fled their country, as have others opposed to the war and tightening autocratic rule. Taking a human rights perspective, this fully online course will focus on the regional history and politics leading to the February 24 Russian military invasion of Ukraine, and the leadership strategies/tactics of Putin and Zelensky in the crisis. We will examine the roles and actions of the US and other NATO countries in response.
Take part in video conferences and webinars with leading, journalists, Ukrainian cultural icons, the only Ukrainian judge on the European Court of Human Rights, Ukrainian human rights attorneys, activists gathering evidence for war crimes, those driving Ukrainians out of conflict areas by mini-van, and many more. Participants will learn about such critical issues as War Crimes and Genocide, Conflict-related Sexual Violence, Ukrainian Cultural Resistance, Putinism, Propaganda and Disinformation, and Ukrainian History, Language, and Identity. Participants in this community class will follow along with a University of Arizona class on these topics and can take part in as many of the class activities as they choose. The will be opportunities to work with others on real-world projects to help those affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
This class will be co-instructed by Olena Tanchyk, former Dean of the Faculty of Economics at Donetsk State University of Management. Olena will pull from her personal experiences with the 2014 Russian invasion of the Donbas and more recent invasion in Mariupol where she now resides, to facilitate a first hand account of this humanitarian crisis.
Readings and Syllabus
Syllabus distributed in class
Attendance & Participation
Class Format
Each week, the class will incorporate readings and video overviews (available on Sundays), a variety of guest lectures from the field (usually Mondays or Tuesdays), and periodic webinars (usually Fridays). Lectures and webinars will be recorded for those who cannot attend the live zoom meetings. We will also offer voluntary weekly zoom meetings for class discussions; these will not be recorded. Participants will choose and complete project-based assignments during the course.
Registration
Students not enrolled at UA who want to have this count as college credit can consider enrolling as a non-degree seeking student and taking this at university tuition rates. You may contact Tavia Szostek tavia@arizona.edu regarding this option.
For UA students, this is also being taught as a 496B/596B course for 3 credits.
Participants not seeking college credit should register here through the Community Classroom Program. Contact communitymatters@email.arizona.edu for available scholarships.
Online registration for this course will open on Monday April 11th, at 8 AM MST. After registration participants will receive a receipt of registration. Subsequently, participants will receive instructions about how to access the course online 1-2 weeks prior to the start of the course.
Refunds
Refunds are available and need to be requested before or by May 20th, 2022. To drop a class, please contact Stephanie Noriega at communitymatters@email.arizona.edu
A $25 administrative fee for each cancellation will apply.