Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law

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

WCL Events


1. CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND ACTIVISM: COMBINING ISLAMIC PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS FOR PEACE-BUILDING, Wednesday, September 26, 7pm, 6th Floor Student Lounge
Please join us for iftar/dinner and discussion with Ms. Jana El Horr, International Peace-building Fellow at the American Islamic Congress, as she addresses the necessity of youth engagement in peace-building based on principles of non violence and humanitarian consciousness. With the ongoing violence in areas such as Darfur, Iraq, and Afghanistan, the continuous instability in the Middle East, and the increasing security threats around the world, a new approach is needed to wage violence non-violently.This event is co-sponsored by the Islamic Legal Forum, Students for Justice in Palestine/Israel, the Genocide Teaching Project and the Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law. It is the second program in the Ramadan Lecture Series. To RSVP, please email zeenat.iqbal@american.edu by 5pm on Tuesday, September 25th. All are welcome!

2. FIRST ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL WEEK, October 1 through October 5, 2007
The International Legal Studies Program is presenting the first annual International Week.  From October 1st through the 5th, faculty, students, staff, and other members of the WCL community are invited to partake in its series of week-long events. The goal is to promote awareness of international law in an attempt to better understand what it means to live in an international community. Events range from lectures and panels to luncheons and socials, all hosted by various offices within WCL.  Topics include: CEDAW: Promoting Women’s Human Rights Across the World; Access to HIV/AIDS Medicine in the African & Caribbean Regions; and the Annual Human Rights Conference sponsored by the Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law.  For more information, please visit: http://www.wcl.american.edu/ilsp/internationalweek.cfm.    

3. PANEL DISCUSSION ON ‘IRAQ’S DISPLACED – REGIONAL IMPACT, INDIVIDUAL NEEDS, AND INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE,’ Wednesday, October 3, 2007, 12:00 p.m. – 1:20 p.m., JD Student Lounge (6th Floor)

The conflict in Iraq has led to the displacement of millions of Iraqi citizens, both internally and to many other countries throughout the region. This movement has had a tremendous impact on the lives of the displaced, as well as the social and political stability of the region in general. This panel discussion brings together experts in the area of refugee rights, protection, and policy to discuss the myriad issues facing Iraq’s displaced and the impact of their mass movement on the region and the world. The panel will also look at the local and international response addressing the displaced population’s most basic needs. Speakers include: Wendy Young, Coordinator for External Relations, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Regional Office for the U.S. and Caribbean; Nathaniel Hurd, Advocacy and Government Affairs Officer, International Rescue Committee; third panelist to be confirmed. Moderator: Prof. Meetali Jain, Practioner in Residence, WCL International Human Rights Law Clinic. For more information contact Lindsay Jenkins at 202-375-3708 or email her at irc.cochairs@gmail.com

4. EIGHT ANNUAL HUMAN RIGHTS FILM SERIES KICKS OFF WITH ENCOUNTER POINT, Wednesday, October 3, 2007, 6:00pm, Rm 603

Like to go to the movies? This Fall, the Center, in conjunction with the AU Center for Social Media, the Center for Global Peace, the Kay Spiritual Life Center, and School of International Service will sponsor the Eighth Human Rights Film Series. The film series explores ways in which film and media can be used to promote and protect human rights. Films will be screened twice, first on Wednesdays at WCL and again on Thursday nights on AU Main Campus. On October 3rd, the series kicks off with Encounter Point, a film that follows the unlikely journey of two Israelis and two Palestinians as they risk their lives and public standing to promote nonviolence in their communities.  Encounter Point is a true story about the everyday leaders who refuse to sit back as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict escalates. For more information contact the Center’s Program Coordinator, Amelia Parker, at humlaw@wcl.american.edu.  A complete list of films featured in this year’s film series is listed below or for additional information, please visit the Center’s website at www.wclcenterforhr.org.

ENCOUNTER POINT (2006)

Follow the unlikely journey of two Israelis and two Palestinians as they risk their lives and public standing to promote nonviolence in their communities.  A true story about the everyday leaders who refuse to sit back as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict escalates.
WCL: Wednesday, October 3, 6:00 pm, WCL Rm. 603
Main Campus: Thursday, October 4, 5:30 pm, Wechsler Theatre, 3rdFloor, Mary Graydon Center

DEVIL'S MINER (2006)
Fourteen-year-old Basilieo and his younger brother work in the mines of Cerro Rico in Bolivia, where devout Catholic miners sever their ties with God upon entering the mountain. Winner, Tribeca Film Festival Best Documentary Special Mention.
WCL: Wednesday, October 17, 6:00pm, WCL Room 603
Main Campus: Thursday, October 18, 6:30pm, Wechsler Theatre, 3rd floor, Mary Graydon Center

SIERRA LEONE'S REFUGEE ALL-STARS (2005)
An inspiring story of survival and rebirth in the wake of the horrors of Sierra Leone’s Civil War, and a triumphant testament to the power of music. SXSW 2006 Film Festival Winner.
WCL: Wednesday, October 24, 6:00pm, WCL Room
Main Campus: Thursday, November 1, 6:30pm, Wechsler Theatre, 3rd floor, Mary Graydon Center

GHOSTS OF ABU GHRAIB (2007)
A beyond-the-headlines look into the psychological and political contexts of the torture at Iraq’s infamous prison. An HBO Documentary, also featured at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival.  There will be a one-time showing for this film. 
Katzen Arts Center: Thursday, November 8, 5:30 pm

5. WCRO TALK ON ‘TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE IN AFGHANISTAN,’ Thursday, October 4, 2007, 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m., 4910 Conference Room
The War Crimes Research Office is hosting an important discussion on transitional justice in Afghanistan.  Scott Worden, an adviser in the United States Institute of Peace Rule of Law program, will speak on transitional justice in Afghanistan. For more information contact Liz Allan at 202-274-4067 or email her at eallan@wcl.american.edu.

6. THE WORLD IS WATCHING: HOLDING MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS ACCOUNTABLE IN US COURTS FOR INTERNATIONAL INJUSTICES, Friday, October 5, 2007, 12:00 p.m. – 1:20 p.m., Student Lounge (6th floor)
The Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law will be holding a panel discussion on the ATCA (Alien Tort Claims Act) and its recent use in holding multinational corporations accountable in US Courts for international human rights abuses. We will have speakers from various organizations that have used the ATCA in this manner to defend the rights of people all over the globe. There will also be refreshments following the panel presentation. For more information visit http://www.wcl.american.edu/hracademy/ or call the Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law at (202) 274-4295 or email hracademy@wcl.american.edu.

Community Events


1. AN AUTHORS SERIES EVENT WITH THOMAS RICKS, FIASCO: THE AMERICAN MILITARY ADVENTURE IN IRAQ, Monday, October 1, 2007, 6:30pm, CSIS Conference Center, 1800 K Street, NW Washington DC 20006
Drawing on the exclusive cooperation of more than one hundred senior military officers, many of whom are going on-the-record for the first time, Fiasco is Pulitzer Prize-winning author Thomas Ricks' ground-breaking account of America's military operations in Iraq. With unprecedented access to over thirty thousand pages of official documents,many never before released to the public, Ricks takes the reader inside the minds of some of the highest-ranking military officials. Throughout Fiasco, Ricks argues there was never any question that the U.S. military would topple Saddam Hussein; however, there was little thought by the military as to what would come next. According to Ricks, the Iraq War has been nothing short of an absolute fiasco. Sign Up Now For further information contact The World Affairs Council of Washington, DC at 202-293-1051 or email them at event@worldaffairsdc.org.

 

Announcements & Professional Development Opportunities


1. LAST CHANCE TO APPLY!!!
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.

2. LEGAL RESEARCH ASSISTANT POSITION WITH THE LAWYERS’ COMMITTEE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS UNDER LAW. Send in applications now!
The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (“Lawyers’ Committee”) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that was formed at the request of President John F. Kennedy to involve the private bar in the provision of legal services to victims of racial discrimination. The principal mission of the Lawyers' Committee is to secure, through the rule of law, equal justice under law. To this end, the Lawyers' Committee conducts litigation in the broad areas of civil rights law including fair housing, education, desegregation, employment discrimination, voting rights, and environmental justice. The Committee also testifies before Congress on important issues affecting civil rights and equal access to justice, and engages in public policy advocacy within the federal administration.The Lawyers’ Committee’s Education Project strives to guarantee that all American students receive equal educational opportunities in public schools and institutions of higher learning. The Education Project is seeking a law student to assist in the research and drafting of an article on educational adequacy litigation in a certain state (to be disclosed upon accepting the assignment for confidentiality reasons). The student will research state education finance legislation, the relationship between education and economic development, and the general status of education in the state. In addition to excellent research and organization skills, the ideal candidate should also have superior writing and Bluebooking skills to assist in drafting the article. A demonstrated commitment to civil rights issues is also required. The student would begin work at the beginning of October. The time commitment will average approximately 15 hours per week through mid-January (excluding finals). The position pays a stipend of approximately $500 on a monthly basis.
Please send your cover letter, résumé, and a brief writing sample to:
Michelle Woolley
Institute for Educational Equity and Opportunity Fellow
Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
1401 New York Avenue, NW, Suite 400

3. FEMINIST LEGAL THEORY AND FEMINISMS CONFERENCE CALL FOR PAPERS, Abstracts for the papers due October 15, 2007 at 5 p.m.
This call for papers seeks submissions for the University of Baltimore School of Law’s upcoming Feminist Legal Theory and Feminisms Conference. The conference will begin with a keynote address by Gloria Steinem the evening of Thursday, March 6, 2008. On Friday, March 7, 2008, the conference will continue with a day of presentations by legal academics, practitioners and activists regarding current scholarship and/or legal work that explore the evolution of feminism and feminist legal theory and its application to current legal theory and practice. This conference begins with three questions: What wave of feminism currently exists, how is it affecting society and effectuating change, and how is it linked to the past waves? This conference will attempt to address these questions from the perspectives of activists, practitioners and academics. The conference will provide an opportunity for participants and audience members to exchange ideas about the current state of feminist legal theories and feminisms and how those theories are being actualized in practice. From the conference, we hope that a new discourse about the future of feminist legal theories and feminisms will begin. In addition, the conference is designed to provide presenters with the opportunity to gain extensive feedback on their papers. Abstracts for the papers should be sent to Professor Margaret E. Johnson (majohnson@ubalt.edu). Abstracts should be no longer than one page. We will notify presenters of selected papers by November 15, 2007.

4. SUMMER 2008 REFUGEE WOMENS RIGHTS LAW CLERK POSITIONS. Send in applications now! The Center for Gender and Refugee Studies (CGRS), one of the nations leading refugee advocacy organizations, is seeking full- time Judith Stronach Womens Rights Fellows for Summer 2008. The Center, which is based at UC Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco, works to advance womens human rights by focusing on gender-based asylum and broader migration and refugee policies, both in the U.S. and internationally. The law clerks will be involved in the full range of CGRSs work, including research and writing on key legal issues, appellate advocacy, the development of detailed country conditions information, the preparation of expert witness affidavits, and national policy work. Experience or background in immigration or asylum law is required. Experience with related areas, such as international human rights law should be mentioned. Spanish language desirable, but not required. Position runs from June 2 to August 8, 2008. Please indicate eligibility for work study, as well as your prospects for securing external funding.
For more information on CGRS visit http://cgrs.uchastings.edu/.  All applications must be received by November 16, 2007.  Interested applicants should mail or fax a cover letter and resume to:
Diana Rodriguez
CGRS Summer Law Clerk Position
UC Hastings College of the Law
200 McAllister Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
Fax: 415/581-8824
The cover letter should include how the applicants background is relevant to an organization committed to diversity in all respects. CGRS is an equal opportunity employer (EOE). All qualified persons including people of color, women, lesbians and gay men, are encouraged to apply.

 

Top of Page

 

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