El pasado 29 de abril se llevó a cabo el workshop internacional Interdisciplinary and Multisectoral Human Rights Accountability Researchtook place at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Methodologies, University of Warwick.. The hybrid-format event brought together academics from Europe and Latin America to collectively reflect on the challenges of conducting research in contexts marked by violence, impunity, and democratic backsliding.
Professors Celia Lury (University of Warwick) and Oriana Bernasconi (Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile) organised the workshop, which provided a space for exchange across disciplines, approaches, and geographies. The aim was to jointly explore the ethical, political, and technical frameworks that inform—and often challenge—research practices in the field of human rights.
Four Key Axes for Critical Human Rights Research
Throughout the day, participants worked around four central thematic axes:
- Ethics and well-being in human rights researchfocusing on integrating principles of care and frameworks such as intersectional feminist ethics into all stages of sensitive research processes.
- Participation of affected actorsreflecting on the conditions needed to sustain collaborative processes with communities impacted by large-scale human rights violations.
- Human rights data in the digital age, exploring the possibilities and tensions surrounding the use of technology, state-based registry systems, and data policies from a critical and transformative justice perspective.
- Research under governments that undermine human rights, discussing strategies for sustaining critical research agendas in contexts of increasing authoritarianism, censorship, or institutional delegitimization.
Building Networks in the Face of Violence
One of the defining features of the workshop was its disciplinary and geographic diversity. Distinguished researchers such as Briony Jones, Sharifah Sekalala, Sara (Meg) Davis, Molly Andrews, Shokoufeh Sakhi, Maryam Adjam, Siddharth Peter de Souza, and Vikki Bell, among others, participated in the event. Their backgrounds spanned fields such as sociology, anthropology, international law, political psychology, cultural studies, global health, technology, and translation.
Discussions highlighted not only the complexity of conducting research in contexts of structural violence, but also the transformative potential of collaborative, context-sensitive, and community-engaged approaches. The value of interdisciplinary work and international alliances was also emphasized as crucial for addressing the ethical, technical, and political dilemmas posed by this kind of research.
Beyond academic exchange, the workshop reaffirmed the importance of producing situated, ethically grounded knowledge that contributes to justice. In a moment when various forms of violence challenge democratic frameworks and fundamental rights, gatherings like this one strengthen critical networks and bodies of knowledge, reminding us of the irreplaceable role of universities in defending human rights.