Winter school "Democracy in the Era of New Challenges”, University of Padova, 10-15 March 2025

The Human Rights Centre “Antonio Papisca” - University of Padova, with the financial support of the Padova University under the “Shaping a World-Class University - year 2024” programme and the co-financing of the Center for Constitutional Studies and Democratic Development CCSDD, launch a call for 20 places for each module in the Winter School (WS) on “Democracy in the Era of New Challenges”.

The Winter School will enhance students’ knowledge and understanding of how human rights interact with and shape responses to new global and local challenges. Participation of human rights practitioners from different international organizations will provide students with opportunity to develop understanding of how theoretical issues play out in practice and interact with policy-makers from leading European and International institutions engaged in practical application of human rights and democracy assistance. Each day is focusing on one key challenging issue and features international speakers representative and consultants of the international organizations such as Venice Commission of the Council of Europe, OSCE/Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, Transparency International, UNESCO whose expertise offers valuable practical insights into selected topics. It widens professional perspective in application of the human rights knowledge by learning the required skills for human rights practice as well as by application of these skills in practical exercises designed on the basis of real-life examples.

Location, language, and contents 

The activities will be held at the Human Rights Centre “Antonio Papisca” - University of Padova headquarters: via Beato Pellegrino, 28 Padova, on 10-15 March 2025.

English is the working language.

The WS is divided into 5 modules. Each module includes one key expert presentation, a panel discussion, as well as presentation and a discussion of research papers. Students can simultaneously apply for several modules, according to their interests.

Module 1 -  Human Rights in the Era of Social Media

• How to find an appropriate balance between freedom of expression and regulation of social media?
• Which standards and principles for regulation of traditional media are applicable also for social media? Examples of successful regulation of social media?
• Overregulation of social media: when it happens and what are the reasons and effects?
• Journalistic freedoms and social media: are bloggers journalists? What are their freedoms and responsibilities?

Module 2 - Human Rights in the Era of Artificial Intelligence

• In which areas can digital technologies and AI enhance human rights? Any positive examples?
• What are the main human rights risks associated with digital technologies and AI?
• How does the regulation of digital technologies and AI help mitigate the risks? Which new instruments need to be envisaged to address the rapid evolution of digital technologies and AI and its impact on human rights?
• Insights on the adoption of different international instruments on digital technologies and AI. What are the expectations from these instruments?
• Comparative practices of the regulation of digital technologies and AI at the national level?

Module 3 - Democracy in the Era of Electoral Challenges

• Why and when elections become a matter of the international concern? What is the role of human rights in this process?
• What are instruments for the assessment of elections? What are the ‘good electoral practices’ and what makes them such?
• Why some elections do not reflect the will of the people?
• What is the role of elections in democracies and non-democracies? Do non-democracies need
  elections?
• Does it matter to have international access to non-democratic elections?

Module 4 -  Money in Politics in the Era of Globalization

• Does regulation of political financing matter for democratization?
• Are there any international standards for regulation of political finance?
• How is transparency and accountability of institutions linked with political finance?
• What are the main tools to combat corruption?
• What anti-corruption practices should be incorporated in the national frameworks and what obstacles need to be overcome?

Module 5 – Human Rights and Democracy in the Era of New Challenges: novelties in Human rights protection and litigation. Environmental Challenges
Final Workshop and closing

• What are the specific features of protection of environmental rights? What are the recent examples of the influence of climate change on the full enjoyment of human rights, and practices of tackling these issues?
• Should behavior of states towards the environmental protection change? What are new positive obligation of states vis-à-vis our environmental rights?
• What is the role of international cooperation and international influence in tackling environmental
  issues from the human rights perspective?
• How do human rights concepts change when it comes to jurisprudence on environmental rights?

Some key speakers include:
Dr. Adria Dr. Rodríguez-Pérez, Venice Commission of the Council of Europe

Alice Colombi, media and digital communication expert with European Union, OSCE/ODHIR, UNDP, UNESCO

Jorge A. Valladares Molleda, Transparency International Secretariat, Berlin, Germany

Dr. Svetlana Chetaikina, election and legal consultant with OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights

Application deadline: 1.00 pm on 17 February 2025.

The application form is available, together with the call, in the attached documents below. 

For further information: 
Human Rights Centre “Antonio Papisca” - University of Padova 
svetlana.chetaikina@unipd.it