Faith for Rights: Empowering Religious Leaders to Protect Human Rights



Overview

This course is ideal for both students and practitioners, for those who are religious leaders or working towards it, leaders within worldview organisations and faith-based humanitarian and charitable organisations, community organisers, those working with diverse communities, faith-based NGO workers, those working in the field with development or intergovernmental human rights or humanitarian agencies, theologians, and anyone interested in the intersection of faith and human rights. 

Whether you are looking to deepen your understanding or lead change, this course provides an enriching platform to explore and strengthen the synergy between faith and rights, leveraging religious and worldview teachings to advocate for universal human rights principles.

Key Features of the Course:

Deep Engagement with the Faith for Rights Framework: Participants will immerse themselves in the Faith for Rights framework, developed under the auspices of the United Nations, in conjunction with those who have designed and are delivering the course. Faith for Rights is based on 18 commitments with core principles of major world religions and belief systems to uphold human dignity and justice.

Practical Tools and Skills Development: Participants will acquire practical tools and skills necessary for effectively leading promoting human rights within their communities. The course coordinator has worked for over 30 years in community development, human rights and conflict prevention and will include additional video material from faith for rights / human rights experts.

Project Design and Implementation: Each participant will have the opportunity to design and plan a Faith for Rights project tailored to their community's needs.

What You Will Gain:

A comprehensive understanding of Human Rights: Enhance your knowledge of global human rights issues and how they intersect with faith-based teachings and practices.

Areas covered: The modules in this course will explore contemporary human rights issues where they interact with faith and belief communities including minority rights, gender and faith / belief, conflict and peace, the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Faith for Rights, conflict prevention and freedom of religion or belief.

Facilitation and Leadership Skills: This course will outline the tools needed to facilitate discussions, develop and lead community projects, and promote peace and tolerance across diverse groups.

This course combines online study with a weekly 1-hour live webinar led by your tutor. Find out more about how our short online courses are taught.

Programme details

This course begins on the 13 Jan 2026 which is when course materials are made available to students. Students should study these materials in advance of the first live meeting which will be held on 20 Jan 2026, 4:00-5:00pm (UK time).

Week 1: Introduction to Faith for Rights and it’s role in promoting Freedom of Conscience

Week 2: Religious or Belief Pluralism

Week 3: Religion, Faith, Belief and Gender Equality

Week 4: Minority Rights and Good Community Relations

Week 5: Countering Incitement to Hatred and Reducing Community Tensions

Week 6: Impartiality in delivering faith based services

Week 7: Ethical and Spiritual Leverage

Week 8: Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding

Week 9: SDGs and Faith for Rights - Environment and Sustainability

Week 10: Developing Faith for Rights in our community

Certification

Credit Application Transfer Scheme (CATS) points 

Coursework is an integral part of all online courses and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework. All those enrolled on an online course are registered for credit and will be awarded CATS points for completing work at the required standard.

See more information on CATS points

Digital credentials

All students who pass their final assignment will be eligible for a digital Certificate of Completion. Upon successful completion, you will receive a link to download a University of Oxford digital certificate. Information on how to access this digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course you attended. You will be able to download your certificate or share it on social media if you choose to do so. 

Please note that assignments are not graded but are marked either pass or fail. 

Fees

Description Costs
Course Fee £360.00

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:

Concessionary fees for short courses

Tutor

Rabbi Alex Goldberg

Rabbi Alex Goldberg is a barrister, chaplain, and human rights expert. He is currently the Dean of Religious Life and Belief at the University of Surrey. He is the only Rabbi within this role in Europe. He continues to work on a number of international and UK-based community relations and community development projects and is the Rabbi to a growing Jewish community connected to the University of Surrey. Alex is a contributor to BBC Radio 2's Pause For Thought and was a member of the BBC's Religion and Ethics Conference.

He chairs the English Football Association's Faith Network; founded the human rights group René Cassi; and is an advisory member of the UK’s Religion Media Centre and Centre for Britain and Europe.

He was founding chair of Faiths Forum for London and the Mayor of London's Faith Conference. He led a delegation to the UN Human Rights Council for over a decade where he successfully changed international law in relation to group access to justice. In 2012, he was an Olympic and Paralympic Chaplain.

Course aims

To develop a deep understanding of the Faith for Rights framework as developed in conjunction with the United Nations and how it enhances the capabilities of individual faith and belief leaders in advocating for human rights through religious teachings and peer-to-peer learning methodologies and other practical mechanisms.

Course objectives: 

  • Deepen Understanding of Human Rights in Faith Contexts: Participants will gain foundational knowledge of the Faith for Rights framework, explore the principles of freedom of conscience, ethical leverage and ipartiality and understand religious teachings on human rights issues like gender equality, minority rights, and environmental sustainability.

  • Develop Facilitation and Conflict Resolution Skills: Learn how to develop strategies for conflict prevention and peacebuilding within diverse communities through a Faith for Rights framework.

  • Apply Knowledge through Practical Engagement: Learn from role play, scenarios and case studies how to develop actionable faith-based strategies to address contemporary issues at a communal, national or international level.

Teaching methods

This course takes place over 10 weeks, with a weekly learning schedule and weekly live webinar held on Microsoft Teams. Shortly before a course commences, students are provided with access to an online virtual learning environment, which houses the course content, including video lectures, complemented by readings or other study materials. Working through these materials over the course of the week will prepare students for a weekly 1-hour live webinar you will share with your expert tutor and fellow students. All courses are structured to amount to 100 study hours, so that on average, you should set aside 10 hours a week for study. Although the course finishes after 10 weeks, all learning materials remain available to all students for 12 months after the course has finished.

All courses are led by an expert tutor. Tutors guide students through the course materials as part of the live interactions during the weekly webinars. Tutors will also provide individualised feedback on your assignments. All online courses are taught in small student cohorts so that you and your peers will form a mutually supportive and vibrant learning community for the duration of the course. You will learn from your fellow students as well as from your tutor, and they will learn from you.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course students will be expected to:

1. Gain comprehensive Understanding of the Faith for Rights Framework

Participants will understand the Faith for Rights framework and its 18 commitments in depth.
They will be able to articulate how these commitments intersect with universal human rights principles and religious teachings.

2. Ability to Apply Religious and Worldview Teachings to Human Rights Advocacy

Participants will be skilled in interpreting and utilizing religious texts and teachings to support and advocate for human rights within their communities.
They will demonstrate how to align religious practices with the protection and promotion of human rights.

3. Skills in Facilitating Diverse and Inclusive Dialogues

Participants will be adept at managing and encouraging inclusive and respectful dialogues among diverse groups.

4. Proficiency in Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding

Participants will learn techniques for conflict prevention and resolution, applying these skills to foster peace within their communities. They will understand the role of religious leaders in mediating conflicts and promoting coexistence.

5. Development of Practical Projects on Human Rights and Faith

Participants will design and implement capstone projects that apply Faith for Rights principles to real-world issues, demonstrating their ability to translate theory into practice.
They will showcase their projects, reflecting on the challenges and successes of their implementation.

6. Enhanced Leadership and Advocacy Skills

Participants will emerge as confident leaders and advocates for human rights in their faith communities.
They will possess the skills to engage with both religious and civic institutions to promote human rights and social justice.

7. Knowledge of Gender and Minority Rights within Religious Contexts

Participants will understand the specific challenges faced by women, girls, and minority groups within religious contexts and will develop strategies to advocate for these rights.
They will be equipped to challenge and transform discriminatory practices and beliefs through informed dialogue and advocacy.

8. Integration of Sustainable Development Goals with Faith Initiatives

Participants will learn how to integrate environmental stewardship and other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into their religious and community activities.
They will develop actionable strategies that use faith-based motivations to promote environmental sustainability and other SDGs.

Assessment methods

You will be set independent formative and summative work for this course. Formative work will be submitted for informal assessment and feedback from your tutor, but has no impact on your final grade. The summative work will be formally assessed as pass or fail.

Application

Please use the 'Book now' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an enrolment form.

 

Level and demands

This course is open to all and no prior knowledge is required.

This course is offered at FHEQ Level 4 (i.e. first year undergraduate level), and you will be expected to engage in independent study in preparation for your assignments and for the weekly webinar. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class. Our 10-week Short Online Courses come with an expected total commitment of 100 study hours, including those spent in live webinars.

English Language Requirements

We do not insist that applicants hold an English language certification, but warn that they may be at a disadvantage if their language skills are not of a comparable level to those qualifications listed on our website. If you are confident in your proficiency, please feel free to enrol. For more information regarding English language requirements please follow this link: https://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/about/english-language-requirements

IT requirements

Any standard web browser can be used to access course materials on our virtual learning environment, but we recommend Google Chrome. We also recommend that students join the live webinars on Microsoft Teams using a laptop or desktop computer rather than a phone or tablet due to the limited functionality of the app on these devices.

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support