Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law

Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law
Human Rights News & Events

WCL Events


1. INTERESTED IN HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISM ? JOIN ACTION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS,
Wednesday, September 12, 2007, 12:30pm, Room 603
Join Action for Human Rights and STAND (Students Taking Action Now: Darfur) for lunch and discussion on events upcoming events. We will be forming new committees to help the WCL community become even more involved with international and domestic human rights issues. Come share your ideas with us! For more information, please contact Ian Harris at socialution@gmail.com.

2. WHAT IS POVERTY LAW,
Tuesday, September 18, 2007, 12:00pm-1:00pm, Room TBA
What is the connection between poverty and law? What does it mean to be a poverty lawyer? Come learn about poverty law, what it is, and what career opportunities it includes. For more information contact Shanti Martin at (202) 363-1428 or email her at shantimartin@yahoo.com.

3. HOW TO APPROACH LAW SCHOOL AS A WOMAN,
Tuesday, September 18, 2007, 12:00pm-1:20pm, Room 401
Do women law students learn differently than men? This event is an introduction to the law school experience for women. Specifically, we will discuss how the traditional law school classes are not always geared towards the way that women learn. Topics that will be highlighted include why many women law students do not feel comfortable participating in class, despite being vocal and active participants in college or in a professional environment; how to approach professors; and how to successfully integrate law school and life. Our speaker will discuss her innovative work at the University of Maryland, and current WCL professors will talk about how they manage gender issues in classroom dynamics. For more information contact Cori Racela at (646) 387-4417 or email her at cr7204a@american.edu.

4. TEACHING GENDER AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE NORTHWEST FRONTIER PROVINCE (PAKISTAN),
Wednesday September 19, 12-1:20pm, 6th Fl. Student Lounge
Join us for an interesting discussion with Professor Anoosh Khan from the University of Peshawar as she addresses the topic of teaching gender and the law in Pakistan’s Northwest Frontier Province. Professor Khan is part of a delegation of two professors from the University of Peshawar in Pakistan who are International Visiting Scholars at WCL for the fall semester. The two professors are visiting WCL as part of a collaborative project with the University of Peshawar (Pakistan) focused on building capacity within the University of Peshawar (Pakistan) law faculty regarding its human rights program. For more information, please contact humlaw@wcl.american.

5. ACTION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS HAPPY HOUR , 
Wednesday, September 19, 5-6pm, 6th Floor Student Lounge
Join WCL students, faculty and friends for human rights, fair trade coffee, Argentine mate (the green caffeine), tea, sweets and Middle Eastern sweets and treats.  Get the scoop on all upcoming opportunities to get involved in human rights as students, staff and professors announce upcoming events at 5:30pm.  There will also be an informal discussion with those interested in Action for Human Rights and STAND: Student Taking Action Darfur.  For more information, please email, aparker@wcl.american.edu.

6. ACLU’s SYMPOSIUM ON POST- 9/11 THREATS TO THE FIRST AMENDMENT
Thursday, September 20 – Friday, September 21, 2007, WCL
In 1984, the ACLU held a "Free Trade in Ideas" conference that brought together leading free speech commentators to discuss barriers to the right of Americans to receive information from abroad. Nearly a quarter century later, many would argue that the threat to a marketplace of ideas has never been greater. Americans increasingly are denied access to information vital to self-governance. Does the "War on Terror" require these sacrifices? Or, are we compromising at home the freedoms we advocate abroad? This symposium will address the question of whether liberty and security are mutually exclusive and require limitations on core First Amendment rights, including free speech, the right to associate, and freedom of the press. The registration fee for this two day symposium is $75 for academic/government/non-profit employees and $150 for all other attendees. American University charges an additional fee of $100 for attendees interested in getting Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit for the symposium. For the latest information about the symposium, including links for confirmed panelists and to register, go to http://www.aclu.org/symposium/. If you have any questions, please e-mail Jim Tucker, ACLU Policy Counsel for the First Amendment, at jtucker@dcaclu.org

WCL Announcements


1. WCL ALUMNA LOOKING FOR CANDIDATES FOR A POST-GRADUATE LEGAL FELLOWSHIP AT THE LOUISIANA JUSTICE INSTITUTE
The Louisiana Justice Institute (LJI) is a public interest civil rights legal advocacy organization located in New Orleans, Louisiana. LJI is devoted to fostering social justice campaigns for communities of color and low income communities across the state of Louisiana. Lauren Bartlett, a WCL Alumna, helped co-found LJI, along with several other law students and attorneys earlier this year. For more about LJI, please see our website at www.louisianajusticeinstitute.org. LJI is currently seeking graduating law students who wish to apply for a legal post graduate fellowship through Skadden, Equal Justice Works and/or New Voices. If you are interested in applying with LJI as your host organization, please send your resume and an email explaining why you are interested to Lauren Bartlett, LJI Staff Attorney, at lauren_bartlett@yahoo.com. For more information please call Lauren Bartlett at (530)277-0297 cell.

Community Events & Announcements


1. DISCUSSION WITH DOUGLAS FARAH, CO-AUTHOR OF MERCHANT OF DEATH: MONEY, GUNS, PLANES, AND THE MAN WHO MAKES WAR POSSIBLE. Thursday, September 12, 2007, 4:00pm - 5:30pm, Center for Strategic and International Studies, 1800 K Street, Washington, DC 20006, 4th Floor Conference Room.
In Merchant of Death, Former West African Bureau Chief of the Washington Post Douglas Farah and Los Angeles Times National Correspondent Stephen Braun detail how a small circle of U.S. officials and international investigators worked doggedly to shut down Viktor Bout's arms pipelines, only to be trumped by Bout's ingenuity and by their own inability-and, in some cases, unwillingness-to confront the dark side of the new world order. Farah will discuss the book and global threats of the new age. For more information, call (202) 887-0200

2. SIS GRADUATE STUDENT COUNCIL SPEAKER SERIES: UGANDAN NGO WORKERS: MR. ANYWAR RICKY RICHARD & MR. ALEM FRANCIS ORYEM OF FRIENDS OF ORPHANS, Wednesday, September 12, 2007 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Mary Graydon Center: Room 200 (second floor)
The SIS Graduate Student Council's Foreign Affairs Committee is pleased to welcome you to the first speaking event of the year on September 12, 2007. Please join us to welcome Mr. Anywar Ricky Richard and Mr. Alem Francis Oryem, two Ugandan NGO workers from Friends of Orphans (FRO). Mr. Richard will speak about the twenty year conflict with the Lord's Resistance Army and the steps that FRO has taken to assist the affected populations of northern Uganda. Mr. Oryem will discuss the traditional Acholi reconciliation process of Mato Oput and the implications for its use in the context of the conflict. Following the presentations, a question and answer session will be held. Please arrive by 5:40 p.m. to ensure that you get a seat. If you have any questions or concerns please contact GSC Vice President William Meeker at sisgsc@gmail.com.  

3. DC NON-PROFIT NETWORKING EVENT, Thursday, September 13, 2007, 5:30-7:30pm at 17th Street Café, 1513 17th St., NW
Nathan Hollenbeck, Public Relations Associate at Coptic Orphans, will talk about how Coptic Orphans is equipping children in Egypt to break the cycle of poverty and injustice and what you can do to help transform future generations in the region. Don't forget to bring information to share about your organization--brochures, business cards, upcoming events announcements, etc.! You can also bring items for the free raffle--books, bags, etc.! Click here to RSVP.

4. TEACH IN ON ‘CONFRONTING THE TRIPLE CRISIS’, Friday, September 14 to Sunday, September 16, Lisner Auditorium at George Washington University
The International Forum on Globalization, The Institute for Policy Studies, Global Project on Economic Transitions and the George Washington University Progressive Student Union will host 60 speakers to discuss the problems and solutions of ‘Climate Change Peak Oil: The End of the Era of Cheap Energy,’ ‘Global Resource Depletion and Species Extinction,’ and ‘Powering-Down for the Future, Toward an International Movement for Systematic Change: New Economies of Sustainability, Equity, “Sufficiency” and Peace.’ Scholarship and volunteer opportunities are available. For tickets and information, please contact the International Forum on Globalization at (415) 561-7650 or visit WWW.IFG.ORG.

5. SMART POWER SPEAKER SERIES EVENT: GENERAL JOHN ABIZAID (FORMER COMMANDER, UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND), Wednesday, September 17, 2007, 2:30pm to 4:00pm, 1800 K Street NW CSIS B-1 Conference Center, Washington DC, 20006    
CSIS is pleased to host former General John Abizaid, former CENTCOM Commander, for a discussion of the changing role of the military in counterterrorism and counterinsurgency efforts. Coffee, tea, and soda will be served. Please RSVP by emailing Farha Tahir at ftahir@csis.org Or calling 202-775-3332

6. CONSTITUTION DAY LECTURE AND PANEL, Monday, September 17, 2007, 12:00pm-2:00pm, Montpelier Room James Madison Building, 6th Floor Law Library of Congress 101 Independence Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20540
The Constitution Project will co-sponsor an event with the Law Library of Congress for a celebration of Constitution Day. On September 17, 2007, Constitution Project President Virginia E. Sloan will prevent the inaugural Constitution Project Award for Constitutional Commentary to Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Charlie Savage for his new book, Takeover: The Return of the Imperial Presidency and the Subversion of American Democracy. The Constitution Project Award for Constitutional Commentary was established to recognize exceptional critical analysis of the constitutional implications of public policy. The award will be given annually to the author of an outstanding written work that has improved the quality of public discourse through insightful, articulate analysis of a constitutional question. Takeover, which will be released on September 5th, examines the links between the NSA surveillance program, the politicization of the Justice Department, the debate over torture and the detention of "enemy combatants," presidential signing statements, and administration secrecy policies. Savage will present a short lecture on "National Security and the Rule of Law" and will then join a distinguished bipartisan panel in a discussion of the very timely constitutional issues addressed in his book. A complimentary lunch will be served at 12:00. The presentation and discussion will begin at 12:30. There is no charge for this event. Seating is limited. Please email info@constitutionproject.org to RSVP; include your name and affiliation.

7. THE MANY FACES OF OUR HUMAN FAMILY: A CATHOLIC PERSPECTIVE ON IMMIGRATION, Saturday, September 22, 2007, 8:30 am – 3:00 pm, Saint Anthony of Padua Parish, 3305 Glen Carlyn Road, Falls Church, VA 22041
In light of recent immigration ordinances passed in Northern Virginia, as well as the ongoing national debate, this year's annual conference sponsored by the Peace and Justice Commission of the Diocese of Arlington will focus on the Church's stance on immigration. Entitled The Many Faces of Our Human Family: A Catholic Perspective on Immigration, the event will include workshops with local and national panelists. Special guest Cardinal McCarrick of Washington will serve as the keynote speaker discussing, “What the Church Teaches”. For more information email a.murphy@ccda.net.

8. YOUNG PROFESSIONAL WORLDQUEST 2007, Sunday, September 23, 2007, 6:00pm – 8:00pm, Busboys and Poets Restaurant, 2021 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
WorldQuest is an international affairs and current events trivia contest (much like Quiz Bowl)between 4-person teams. These teams can be representative of your company, organization, school, or have no affiliation (single entrants are welcome). Teams compete by answering questions testing knowledge of current affairs, world leaders, geography, recent history, flags, international organizations, countries, regions, the world economy, culture, religion and more. A full competition is 70 questions, 7 rounds of 10 questions each. The winning team is the team with the highest number of correct answers at the end of the game and prizes will be given to the top teams. Sample questions may be found here. Please note that these questions were used in the National WorldQuest Competition for high school students hosted by the World Affairs Councils ofAmerica.Food and Drink will be available for purchase. The registration fee is $10 per person or $40 for a team of four. Single entrants are welcome and will be placed, per availability on an open team. To register, please contact the World Affairs Council at (202) 293-1051. Registration is available ONLY BY PHONE and SPACE IS LIMITED.

 

NOTE: If you would like to submit a human rights-related event or announcement to the Center’s listserv, please send an email to humlaw@wcl.american.edu.

To subscribe or unsubscribe to the Center’s listserv, please follow instructions at: http://roster.wcl.american.edu/cgi-bin/wa.exe?SUBED1=chrhlupdate&A=1.

The Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law compiles a newsletter at the start of each semester and distributes it to all students, faculty and staff as a resource for upcoming human rights events and opportunities at WCL. We hope you find it useful and look forward to seeing you at the many events that the Center and other offices and student groups have planned throughout the Fall. To access the Fall 2007 newsletter, please visit the following site: http://www.wcl.american.edu/humright/center/newsletter/fall07_newsletter.cfm

 

4801 Massachusetts Avenue, NW | Washington, DC 20016 | humlaw@wcl.american.edu | 202-274-4180
WCLCenterforHR.org