Rights and Social Justice
The Rights and Social Justice group interrogates how power structures shape access to dignity, freedom, and life itself. From the politics of surveillance and bodily autonomy to the legacy of colonialism and the pursuit of reparative justice, the group critically examines how institutions determine who is protected and who is marginalized. Through the lenses of philosophy, law, and political theory, members explore the complexities of justice in both historical and contemporary contexts, asking what it truly means to build an equitable and accountable society.
01
Biopolitics, Necropolitics, & The Control of Bodies
This topic examines how states regulate life and death through policies on migration, healthcare, and policing, shaping who is allowed to live and under what conditions. It explores surveillance capitalism and biometric governance as modern tools of control, analyzing how governments manage populations through digital tracking and predictive policing. The discussion is rooted in Michel Foucault’s concept of Biopolitics, Achille Mbembe’s Necropolitics, and Giorgio Agamben’s theories of Homo Sacer and States of Exception, which reveal how power dictates who is expendable in society.
02
Decolonization & Transitional Justice
This section delves into the ongoing struggles for decolonization, questioning the effectiveness of symbolic gestures versus material reparations in addressing historical injustices. It investigates how international law has been weaponized to maintain neocolonial power structures and limit the autonomy of formerly colonized nations. The analysis is framed through Frantz Fanon’s Decolonization Theory, Legal Pluralism, Settler Colonial Studies, and the debate between Restorative and Retributive Justice in transitional justice frameworks.
