Social Justice and Human Rights: The Case of Religious Persecution
Human rights abuses are a fundamental social justice concern that is grounded in the NASW Code of Ethics and international human rights protocols. Despite widespread philosophical support for the notion of human rights on the international stage, advocacy for the right to religious freedom has received little attention, helping fuel a global rise in religious persecution.
This lecture helps attendees challenge social injustice on behalf of persecuted people of faith. Toward this end, the origins and nature of human rights is reviewed along with the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The state of religious freedom around the world is discussed along with strategies to promote religious freedom. The lecture concludes with a discussion of the challenges and opportunities associated with advocating for the human right of religious freedom.
As a result of this training, participants will be able to:
1. Develop introductory understanding of the nature and origin of human rights and their relationship to the NASW Code of Ethics.
2. Become aquainted with the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights, particularly Article 18, which describes the right to religious freedom.
5. Develop an initial understanding of the challenges and opportunities associated with advocating for the right to religious freedom.
David R. Hodge, Ph.D. is an assistant professor in the School of Social Work at Arizona State University and a senior nonresident fellow in the Program for Research on Religion and Urban Civil Society at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Hodge is a nationally recognized scholar in spirituality and religion. Examples of his work in this area include the development of qualitative and quantitative spiritual assessment instruments, content on developing cultural competency with various spiritually-animated groups, and research on spiritual strengths, with a particular emphasize upon the elderly, minority, and disenfranchised populations. He has also written extensively on social justice, diversity, and inclusion. His scholarship on these and other topics has appeared in a wide variety of peer reviewed forums.