The Program on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights at Columbia University combines research, teaching and advocacy. Through research projects, sponsored events, course offerings, and advocacy efforts the Program seeks to engage students, human rights practitioners and advocates, and scholars in addressing some of the most pressing economic, social and cultural human rights issues.
Studying, researching and advocating for socio-economic rights has made enormous progress over the last 25 years. Challenges, however, remain in moving from recognition to implementation and making economic, social and cultural rights a reality. The Program encourages the next generation of advocates to focus on the implementation of rights and to gain the necessary skill sets and knowledge to engage across disciplinary boundaries and professional fields.
The Program combines research, teaching, and advocacy on economic, social and cultural rights and seeks to
- Lend more visibility to the field of economic, social and cultural rights
- Ensure that human rights are treated as indivisible
- Work towards integrating human rights into fields such as public health and water policy
- Provide a forum for students to engage in research and advocacy efforts
