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

WCL Events

1. DEAN'S DIVERSITY COUNCIL ANNUAL PROGRAM AND DINNER: “THE INTERSECTION OF MEDIA, LAW, AND POLITICS, PART II:WHAT COULD/SHOULD COMMUNITIES OF COLOR OR DISADVANTAGE EXPECT FROM THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION?”
Thursday, November 20, Program 4pm - 6pm, Dinner following, Room 603
The program portion of the day continues a conversation on the meaning of the current political year for the African-American community, which began at last April’s Sylvania Woods Conference on African Americans and the Law. Now that this historic election is over, we will broaden the participation in the conversation to focus on the election’s legal, political, and social ramifications for disadvantaged communities and communities of color.  Topics to be considered may include education, immigration, the Supreme Court, criminal justice, social justice, and the environment. 
Joe Johns, of CNN and a 2000 WCL alumnus, will again act as moderator.  Other confirmed participants are: 

• Jim Asendio, News Director, WAMU (returning)
• Midwin Charles (’99), Midwin Charles & Associates LLC, DDC member (returning)
• Deepa Iyer, Executive Director, South Asian Americans Leading Together
• WCL Professor Cynthia Jones (’87), DDC member 
• WCL Professor Jamin Raskin, Maryland State Senator (District 20)
• Robert Raben, the Raben Group
• Jayesh Rathod, Practitioner in Residence
• Judy Smith (’86), Impact Strategies
• Craig Thompson, Owner Thompson Communications and Partner, Venable LLP (returning)
• Jacqueline Trescott, the Washington Post (returning)

A reception for program participants will follow the program.  The day will end with the  annual dinner for DDC members and students only, where the topics of such as bar passage, networking, and professionalism will be taken up in informal dinner conversation.  No fee is required, but participants must register.  Students MUST RSVP for admission to the dinner.  all are welcome. Please register and/or RSVP at http://www.wcl.american.edu/secle/cle_form.cfm For more information, please contact the Office of Special Events and Continuing Legal Education at 202.274.4075 or secle@wcl.american.edu.

2. HELP ROOTS & WINGS FUND GUATEMALAN SCHOOL CHILDREN
Thursday, November 20, 9am - 5pm, WCL Lobby
Roots & Wings, an NGO started by WCL 3L Erik Swanson, brought in enough for 2 full-tuition university scholarships in the last three weeks by selling coffee.  Thank you to those of you who have volunteered!   Erik will be setting up a table again this Thursday to sell coffee for Roots & Wings Intl scholarships.  Please let him know if you would like to donate an hour of your time to help Guatemalan students raise themselves and their communities out of extreme poverty.   100% of the coffee sales go directly to the R&R university scholarship program which offers scholarships to students whose families' earn less than $2 per day. (learn about R&R work at www.rootsandwingsintl.org).   The table will be set up on Thursday from 9am to 5pm.  Please let Erik know if you are interested in volunteering and if so at what time by emailing him at erikwswanson@yahoo.com. You would just have to sit at the table and collect money.

3. GET TRAINING ON PROTECTING IMMIGRANTS FROM WORKPLACE RAIDS!
Friday, November 21, 1pm - 5pm, Room 504
Several students at Georgetown are working to set up a network of law students who can respond in case of large scale immigration raids in the local area.  It will not be a large time commitment, but it can make the difference between somebody having their rights respected and somebody getting removed from the country. Please email Daniel Berlin at dfb23@law.georgetown.edu or Ian Harris at socialution@gmail.com to RSVP. 

4. SAVE THE DATE:  REALIZING THE PROMISE OF HUMAN RIGHTS:  EXAMINING THE FIRST 60 YEARS AND BEYOND
Tuesday, December 2, 9am - 5pm, Room 603
As part of the global celebration of the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), WCL and the American Society for International Law will present a day-long conference examining the past, present, and future of this landmark document.  Yale Law School Dean Harold Koh will deliver the keynote address, The Politics of Implementation: The Role of Human Rights in Foreign Policy.  For more information and to register, please contact: WCL Office of Special Events & Continuing Legal Education, 202.274.4075 or www.wcl.american.edu/secle/.  

Community Events

1. HUMAN RIGHTS IN COLOMBIA: THE CONTINUING CRISIS IN PUTUMAYO
Thursday, November 20, 1pm - 3pm, 2255 Rayburn House Office Building
The Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, formerly the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, presents this briefing on the continuing human rights crisis in Putumayo, Colombia. Nearly a year in preparation, this briefing brings to Washington, DC a stellar delegation of human rights defenders from the Department of Putumayo, Colombia. Professional simultaneous translation will be provided.Putumayo, in southern Colombia, has received large concentrations of U.S. military, counterdrug, and economic funding, as a focus of counterinsurgency, counternarcotics and armed conflict for the past decade. These human rights defenders will describe what has occurred in Putumayo during the 2000s and the current human rights situation. Their personal stories and descriptions of the human rights situation on the ground in Colombia will serve as a window into the reality of rural life in Colombia. For more information, please contact HansJ.Hogrefe@MAIL.HOUSE.GOV.

2. ON WAR CRIMES AND TORTURE: SHOULD HIGH GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS BE INVESTIGATED AND PROSECUTED?
Thursday, November 20,  3:30 - 5 pm, Hotung Room 6005, Georgetown University Law Center, 600 New Jersey Ave. NW
Join the Georgetown University Law Center's Supreme Court Institute and the Center for Constitutional Rights for a debate that brings to the forefront the issues of investigation and prosecution for war crimes and torture. As the Bush administration comes to a close, the question of accountability comes to the forefront. Join us for an incisive debate that raises the challenging questions posed by the new book, The Trial of Donald Rumsfeld: A Prosecution by Book. For more information, please email LKates@ccrjustice.org.

3. "SEEKING JUSTICE AND DIGGING UP BONES," GUATEMALAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION USA
Thursday, November 20, 7pm, St. Steven's Episcopal Church, 1525 Newton St. NW
Manuel's community was massacred by the army in 1982; 110 people were killed. The community is seeking justice through exhumations of mass graves, searching for the remains of their family members despite receiving death threats from former paramilitary members still living in the area. To culminate his 10-day speaking tour with GHRC, Manuel will address a crowd of an estimated 20,000 people at the School of the Americas Watch rally on November 22, at the gates of Fort Benning, Georgia. Join the Guatemala Human Rights Commission in supporting Human Rights Defenders in Guatemala and get involved to help them continue their important work. For more information, please email ghrc@mail.democracyinaction.org.

4. WORLD AIDS DAY INTERFAITH EVENT
Monday, December 1, 5:30pm, Foundry United Methodist Church, 1500 16th St. NW
On December 1, 2008, a diverse group of people of faith will gather with the broader community to observe World AIDS Day 2008. Speakers from the faith community will include Rev. Bill Sinkford, Rabbi David Saperstein, and Rev. Dr. Bernice Powell Jackson. The event, at Foundry UMC, will be an interfaith observance, followed by a candlelight vigil. For more information, to get involved, or to add your organization as a co-sponsor, please contact Nina Schwartz at the National Council of Jewish Women: nina@ncjwdc.org.

Announcements & Professional Development Opportunities

1. THE CENTER SEEKS A FEW GOOD DEAN'S FELLOWS
***Applications Due Monday, December 1, 2008***
The Center for Human Rights has exciting opportunities for several Dean's Fellows this spring. We are a fast-paced office, and we always have fun! Available positions focus on different areas of Center programming. Please check below for additional information on these positions as well as instructions on applying. We hope to fill the openings by the end of the Fall semester, so apply soon!

Note: While part-time 1Ls are eligible for Dean's Fellowships, full-time 1Ls are not. Full-time 1Ls should keep your eyes open later in the year for great summer opportunities at the Center!

CENTER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS DEAN'S FELLOW:
We are looking for an enthusiastic student to help carryout the Center's exciting programming for the Spring semester. The Dean's Fellow will assist with marketing Center events, managing the Center listserv, and providing support to our many fun events and projects. Attention to detail, organizational skills, familiarity with Microsoft Office programs and interest in human rights issues are essential. Experience/skills in brochure and web design are a plus. There are two positions available so the minimum time commitment is 10 hours however up to 20 hours per week are available.
To Apply: send a cover letter, resume, and short writing sample (max. 5 pages) to Center Program Coordinator Amelia Parker at aparker@wcl.american.edu. Please indicate that you are applying for the Center Dean's Fellow position in the subject line AND in your cover letter. Applications are due by Monday, December 1, 2008.

PROJECT ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND GENDER IN PAKISTAN DEAN'S FELLOW: 20 HOURS PER WEEK
The Center seeks a Dean's Fellow for its project on human rights and gender with the University of Peshawar in Peshawar, Pakistan. The University of Peshawar and WCL have partnered for a 4-year program of capacity building, academic exchange and program development to help enrich both faculties in the implementation of human rights and gender education and law. The Center seeks a Dean's Fellow to provide administrative support to the Project as well as assistance planning and organizing conferences and events both at WCL and the University of Peshawar. Students with a particular interest in international law and/or Pakistan and its legal traditions are particularly encouraged to apply. The time commitment for this position is 20 hours per week.
To Apply: send a cover letter, resume, and short writing sample (max. 5 pages) to Center Program Coordinator Amelia Parker at aparker@wcl.american.edu. Please indicate that you are applying for the Pakistan Project Dean's Fellow position in the subject line AND in your cover letter. Applications are due by Monday, December 1, 2008.

PROJECT ON INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW DEAN'S FELLOW (in conjunction with the ICRC): 10 HOURS PER WEEK
Support the work of the Center and the ICRC in expanding and improving the teaching of International Humanitarian Law at law schools both here in the United States and abroad. The time commitment for this position is 10 hours per week.
To apply: send a cover letter, resume and short writing sample (max. 5 pages), to Hadar Harris at hharris@wcl.american.edu. Please indicate that you are applying for the IHL Dean's Fellow position in the subject line AND in your cover letter. Applications are due by Monday, December 1, 2008.

PROJECT ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND FORCED LABOR DEAN'S FELLOW: 10 HOURS PER WEEK
We are seeking a 2L, 3L or graduate student with a background in human rights, labor, women and/or migrant's rights and who is an enthusiastic self- starter, has excellent research and writing skills and is able to multitask. The Fellow will work closely with the Director but will also have responsibilities over discrete projects. The Program will focus on the U.S., Mexico and Central America so fluent Spanish is preferred but not mandatory. The time commitment for this position is 10 hours per week.
To apply: send a cover letter, resume and short writing sample (max. 5 pages) to Project Director Ann Jordan at ajordan@wcl.american.edu. Please indicate that you are applying for the Human Trafficking Dean's Fellow position in the subject line. Applications are due by Monday, December 1, 2008.

2. WANT TO JOIN THE CENTER STUDENT ADVISORY BOARD? APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE IN EARLY JANUARY
***Application Available for download December 4th***
The Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law Student Advisory Board (SAB) is a group of highly qualified and committed students interested in human rights and humanitarian law who work closely with the Center over the course of a year. The SAB focuses on assisting the Center in developing programming that reflects student interests and priorities. SAB members meet with the executive director weekly and commit to at least 15 hours of work with the Center per month. SAB members are selected in January and are active through the Spring, Summer and subsequent Fall semesters.

In exchange for the time and energy that the SAB provides, the Center organizes monthly skills development workshops for SAB members. Past skills workshops have explored public speaking, op-ed writing, and grant writing. SAB members also receive special invitations to many outside events, including awards dinners and meetings with human rights advocates.

Applications for the 2009 Student Advisory Board will be available for download from the Center's website on the last day of classes, Thursday, December 4th and will be due on Monday, January 26, 2008 at 3pm. Questions? - email the Center at humlaw@wcl.american.edu or stop by our table at the WCL 2009 Opportunities Day, scheduled for Thursday, January 22nd in the WCL Cafeteria.

3. THE WCRO INVITES YOU TO APPLY TO COMPETE IN THE JEAN-PICTET INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW COMPETITION!
The War Crimes Research Office has begun preparing for the 2009 Jean-Pictet Competition. Unlike a moot court competition, the Jean-Pictet competition is a week-long international humanitarian law exercise involving simulated diplomatic negotiations. It’s an excellent opportunity for students to immerse themselves in the study and practice of the laws of war and international criminal law. We are looking for three students (J.D. or LL.M) who are interested in representing WCL in this year’s competition, which will be held in Evian-les-Bains (in the French Alps, on the shores of Lake Geneva) from March 28 through April 4. WCL’s participation in the Jean-Pictet Competition is dependent on the qualifications of its team members. Therefore, selection is competitive. Students with experience in humanitarian or international criminal law are particularly encouraged to apply for our team. Interested applicants should send us their names, year, resume, transcript (unofficial is fine), and a description of any experience with international criminal / humanitarian law, as well as answers to one of the following questions:

• On May 30, 2008, a Convention on Cluster Munitions was adopted. Draft a critical assessment of this new treaty: what are the main contributions of the Convention to International Humanitarian Law, and what are its weaknesses?
• During a non-international armed conflict on State X’s territory, an organized armed group captures three members of the government armed forces. The organized armed group decides to transfer those detainees to the authorities of State Y, the neighbour of State X. What is the status of the detainees on the territory of State Y?

Responses to each question should be limited to 500 words. Note, applicants who will be 30 years old or older on the day the competition begins do not qualify for the competition. Any person who has previously attended the Competition is also ineligible to compete. For more information, please email warcrimes@wcl.american.edu. The deadline for applications is Monday, November 24th at 10 am.

4. WAR CRIMES RESEARCH OFFICE SEEKS SPRING DEAN'S FELLOWS
The War Crimes Research Office (WCRO) is seeking Dean’s Fellows for Spring 2009. JDs (2L and 3L) and LL.M students are eligible to work on major legal research projects prepared exclusively for international criminal courts and tribunals on issues of critical importance to these institutions. Interested students with a background in public international law, particularly international criminal / humanitarian / human rights law, are especially encouraged to apply, as are those with prior volunteer experience at the WCRO. The time commitment will be 20 hours per week. Please submit a resume and a cover letter, along with a short writing sample and a transcript (unofficial is fine) to Susana SáCouto, Director, War Crimes Research Office, by email at warcrimes@wcl.american.edu. The deadline for applications is Monday, December 1st.

5. ATTENTION STUDENTS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN GENDER AND HUMAN RIGHTS!
Below are some of the course offerings in gender and law for Spring 2009. If you have any questions, the Women and the Law Program offers individual course advising from 2-4 on Tuesdays or by appointment.  Email wilp@wcl.american.edu.

• NEW COURSE IN COMPARATIVE FAMILY LAW (LAW 619-001)
  Comparative Family law (Rebouche) is a BRAND NEW class offered only at one or two other law schools in the world. Family law focuses on US law related to families.  Comparative Family Law examines family law around the world, and even more interestingly, how domestic family laws affect and is affected by globalization and international law. Courses like this are what make WCL special!  For students interested in international human rights, some the most challenging issues in the field relate to what rights and privileges families should be accorded under national law.  Comparative family law, a new and exciting discipline, explores how the development and transplantation of family law in key contexts has influenced and is influenced by international human rights and globalization.
• GENDER PERSPECTIVES ACROSS THE WORLD ( LAW 795-008)
  This advanced legal research and writing seminar will provide a supportive environment and structure for students to develop a publishable-quality paper addressing an issue of gender and international or comparative law selected by the student.  The class will explore feminist legal methods and writing techniques. Students select their own topics.  Examples of possible subjects include analyses of gender and international or comparative law regarding reproductive justice, family law, development, women’s health, war crimes, domestic violence, LGBTQ issues, family law, politics, employment, work and family or other subjects.  CREDITS ARE VARIABLE.  All students enroll for one unit.  Then, students select additional units of independent study (up to four credits total) depending on the scope of their project.  The course is open to JD and LLM students. 

• GENDER, LABOR AND THE GLOBAL ECONOMY (LAW 795-016)
  Professor Chuang’s Gender, Labor and the Global Economy examines human trafficking of all kinds (including sex trafficking and forced labor) from a feminist and gender perspective. This course explores the interplay of gender, labor, and migration in response to globalizing trends and examines the role of international law and institutions in addressing the effects of this dynamic. Topics covered include: human trafficking, theories on the social construction of demand for women’s labor, the feminization of poverty, and the feminization of migration for work; and analyses of international and regional legal frameworks to address labor market discrimination against women, gender-based violence in the workplace, and treatment of women migrant workers.
• GENDER, CULTURAL DIFFERENCE & INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS (LAW 725- 001)
  Gender, Cultural Difference and International Human Rights is a two-credit, elective seminar. There are no prerequisites.  The primary purpose of this course is to explore issues in international human rights and humanitarian law raised by cultural and religious practices that affect women. We will examine the underlying assumptions, principles and approaches of major human rights and humanitarian law instruments, with a particular emphasis on the roles of gender and culture in specific contexts, such as marriage and divorce, reproductive rights, health (HIV/AIDS), trafficking, and abuses against women committed in the context of mass violence or armed conflict. 
  
  

6. EXTERN AT A HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATION NEXT SPRING OR SUMMER!
There are many opportunities for students to earn academic credit working for human rights organizations this spring and next summer.  Among the organizations that recently responded to a query regarding spring externships were  Amnesty International, the Center on Conscience and War, the ABA Commission on Immigration, the Southern Center for Human Rights and the World Organization for Human Rights.  Information about these organizations is available on the Externship Program website by clicking on the database.   For students interested in international externships, pleas see the list of placements available on the international page of the Externship Program website.  In particular, please note that the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights has agreed to accept a qualified WCL student for the summer 2009 semester.  Applicants must be absolutely fluent in both oral and written Spanish and must have some work or academic background in international human rights. For more information, email Avis L. Sanders at alsander@wcl.american.edu.

7. EQUAL JUSTICE AMERICA FELLOWSHIPS AVAILABLE FOR SPRING SEMESTER
Equal Justice America provides fellowships of up to $1,500 to students who work during the Spring 2009 semester for organizations providing direct civil legal assistance for the poor. Students must secure a part-time (at least 120 hours) placement for Spring 2009 working for a legal services organization. Students may also apply for a fellowship if they are unable to work a full 120 hours. The grant would be reduced on a pro-rated basis. Visit the Equal Justice America website at http://www.equaljusticeamerica.org for more information.

8. ADVANCED GENEVA TRAINING COURSE ON INTERNATIONAL LAW AND ADVOCACY NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
The International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) is opening the call for applications for the Geneva Training Course on International Law and Advocacy to be held in Geneva from 16 to 27 March 2009.The call for applications and application form and be found at the ISHR website: http://www.ishr.ch/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=205&Itemid=280. The deadline for application is 1 December 2008.

9. CLINIC (INLUDING INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS LAW CLINIC) SEEKS VOLUNTEERS FOR TRANSLATION AND ROLE-PLAYING
The Clinical Program is seeking volunteers to assist student attorneys with interpretation/translation and simulation role-playing. If you would like to be available as a volunteer in the clinic, please contact Maribel Yamat at myamat@wcl.american.edu or you can see her in Room 417 to get more information and fill out the appropriate forms. You may be able to receive credit for pro bono service with the public interest program.

10. HUMAN RIGHTS ESSAY AWARD! CALL FOR PAPERS
2009 Topic in English: 60 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: its contemporary normative impact
2009 Topic in Spanish: 60 anos de la Declaracion Americana de los Derechos y Deberes del Hombre: su impacto normativo actual
About the Award: This annual competition seeks to stimulate the production of scholarly work in international human rights law. Participants may choose any subject related to the assigned topic. The best articles may be published in the American University International Law Review. The Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law grants two awards, one for the best article in English and one for the best article in Spanish. Each award consists of a scholarship to the 2009 Specialized Human Rights Program, travel expenses, housing at the university dorms, and a per diem for living expenses.*
Eligibility and Requirements

• Candidates must hold a law degree.
• Submissions must be unpublished legal papers in English or Spanish, written solely by the candidate.
• Articles must not exceed 35 pages, including footnotes, and must be double-spaced using 12-point Times New Roman font.
• Articles must be submitted via e-mail to hracademy@wcl.american.edu in Microsoft Word format.
• The deadline to submit articles is February 3, 2009, by 10 a.m. (EST).
• Winners will be announced April 1, 2009, on our Web site.
• A comprehensive list of rules is available at: www.wcl.american.edu/hracademy/hraward.cfm.
  
  

11. PARTICIPATE IN NEW PRO BONO INITIATIVE!
WCL’s clinics are currently featured on www.internationalprobono.com.  This new website, developed by the International Bar Association and its Pro Bono and Access to Justice Committee, is intended to serve as a forum and resource for individuals and groups world-wide who are interested in pro bono legal work and broader matters of access to justice.  As its Welcome emphasizes, the site is designed to encourage submissions of material by and development of dialog among users.  Interested users can register on its Roster.  If you have any questions or comments, please contact Robin Westbrook (rwestbro@wcl.american.edu), Practitioner in Residence in the Janet Spragens Tax Clinic, who serves on the IBA’s Pro Bono and Access to Justice Committee.

12. APPLY FOR THE 2009 HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCATES PROGRAM AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
The application for the 2009 session of the annual Human Rights Advocates Program (HRAP) at Columbia University is now available. HRAP is designed to prepare proven human rights leaders from the Global South and marginalized communities in the U.S. to participate in national and international policy debates on globalization by building their skills, knowledge, and contacts.  The Program features a four-month residency at Columbia University in New York City with a structured curriculum of advocacy, networking, skills-building, and academic coursework. Since 2004, HRAP has concentrated its support on individuals and organizations that address issues broadly related to globalization. The four-month intensive capacity building program based at Columbia University in New York focuses on the following key issue areas:

• Environmental injustice
• Labor rights violations
• Ramifications of resource extraction
• Public health crises
• Unsustainable development
• Intolerance, xenophobia, and social exclusion related to globalization

Special attention is given to the above issues and their intersection with gender, race, ethnicity, sexual identity, and/or other sources of marginalization. Participants are selected on the basis of their previous work experience on human rights and globalization, commitment to the human rights field, and demonstrated ability to complete graduate-level studies.  Advocates must originate from and reside in either the Global South or the United States.  Fluency in English is required.  Advocates must secure institutional endorsement from their organizations for their participation in the Program and must commit to returning to that organization upon completion of the Program.  If accepted, they must also commit to participating in the program fully. This extremely competitive Program will admit approximately six participants.  We make every effort to provide full fellowships to cover program costs as well as travel and living expenses for selected Advocates each year. Completed applications are due by December 19, 2008.  Incomplete applications will not be considered.  The 2009 HRAP will take place from the middle of August to the middle of December 2009.  For further information or to download the application, please refer to our website at: http://hrap.hrcolumbia.org/. Please contact cshr@cuvmc.ais.columbia.edu for more information.

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