Action for Human Rights: Fall 2007
Action for Human Rights: Morning Coffee Hour and Evening Happy Hours
6th Floor Student Lounge
Whether in the morning or the evening, the Center in conjunction with WCL student groups Action for Human Rights and the LLM Board are in the business of providing space and opportunity for the WCL community to meet and discuss human rights issues. The morning coffee hours have taken on a new look! Coffee hours will now be held once a month. Each month will feature a different human rights issue accompanied by a short documentary and discussion with experts. As always, bagels, donuts, organic coffee, and tea are served, as well as fruit and juice.
In addition to the morning coffee hours, members of the Centers Student Advisory Board have taken the initiative to organize an evening happy hour as well. The evening happy hours were added in order to give the evening and LLM students an opportunity to join this wonderful community-building tradition that has been established at WCL. The evening happy hours have proven to be a huge success, attracting between 30-40 students each time. Participants are able to enjoy fair trade coffee, Argentine mate, tea and yummy empanadas. Announcements about upcoming human rights events and opportunities are made by students, faculty and staff members at 5:30pm. All students, faculty and staff are welcome and encouraged to attend both the morning and evening coffee hours. AHR is trying to make Coffee Hour as eco-friendly as possible and is selling $5 “Human Rights Begin with Breakfast” mugs!
For more information, contact ahr@wcl.american.edu and check the Docket.
EXPLORING HOMELESSNESS: ROOTS, REACTIONS AND SOLUTIONS?: An Experiential Learning Project (ELP)
Get Out of the Classroom and Into the World!
WHAT IS AN ELP?
Started by WCL students in 2003, Experiential Learning Projects (ELPs) take students from the classroom into the field to interact with the real people that live the issues we often discuss in the law school classroom. Our goal is to humanize the learning experience, develop participants' understanding of an issue, and infuse learning with transformative potential. ELPs enable the WCL community to meet with people working/living all sides of a local human rights issue and reflect on their visits and experiences. ELPs are organized by students, with the help of the Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, and, while there is no specific outcome expected, many ELPs have led participants to create follow-up service projects and independent study projects.
FOCUS: HOMELESSNESS AND LAW
The Center’s Fall 2007 ELP will focus on homelessness. The project will take participants through the complex world of homelessness in the U.S. and particularly in the DC area. We will discuss causes, solutions and strategies surrounding homelessness. Participants will meet with legal service providers, policy and advocacy organizations, and government and business agencies working on preventing homelessness. We will also visit and assist at shelters and direct service providers working with the homeless community. The ELP will have four site visits, an introduction session and a wrap up meeting. Participants are asked to commit to attending all sessions. Most sessions will be held on Fridays, starting in mid-September.
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?
ELPs are limited to ten participants and they must commit to attending all sessions. Anyone in the WCL community can participate: all J.D. or L.L.M. students (full- or part-time), faculty and staff.