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

WCL Events

1. HELP ROOTS & WINGS FUND GUATEMALAN SCHOOL CHILDREN
Thursday, December 4, 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.

Community Events

1.“SERVING THE VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE & TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS”
Thursday, December 4, 12pm - 1pm, Ronald Reagan Building Room 5.06-D, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW
This brownbag lunch hosted by the Europe and Eurasia Bureau will feature a discussion of issues in providing services to victims of domestic violence and trafficking in persons. The author of a recent report on this topic for the E&E Bureau will lead the discussion, sharing conclusions about service delivery to combined populations and how service providers can effectively meet the different needs of each group. The discussion will build upon the findings of the E&E report to include all USAID regions. For more information, please contact Cathy Cozzarelli at ccozzarelli@usaid.gov or Christine Allison at callison@jbsinternational.com.

2. “THROUGH OUR EYES: PARTICIPATORY COMMUNICATION FOR SOCIAL CHANGE”
Thursday, December 4, 3pm - 4:30pm, USAID Information Center , Ronald Reagan Building, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Mezzanine Level, Room M18
The presentation hosted by the American Refugee Committee (ARC) will include video footage from the Through Our Eyes project coupled with a discussion of project activities to date. The focus will be on the importance of “playback” discussions and lessons learned in addressing traditional practices. Through Our Eyes is a project of ARC-International and its partner Communication for Change (C4C). The project uses community-generated, participatory video activities to address gender-based violence (GBV), harmful traditional practices (HTP), and related health concerns in conflict-affected settings. Originally piloted in Guinea and Liberia in 2006, Through Our Eyes has received multi-year support from the Women in Development office at USAID. This funding enables ongoing activities with ARC-Liberia and the initiation of participatory communication work with ARC-Rwanda. For more information, please contact Eve A. Lotter of ARC at evel@archq.org, Melissa Sharer of ARC at melissas@archq.org, Lauren Goodsmith of C4C lauren_goodsmith@hotmail.com, or Julie Hanson Swanson of USAID/WID at juswanson@usaid.gov.

3. “GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: A REVIEW OF DEMOGRAPHIC AND HEALTH SURVEY FINDINGS AND THEIR USE IN NATIONAL PLANNING”
Friday, December 5, 12pm - 1pm, Ronald Reagan Building Room 3.07-C, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Gender-based violence (GBV) is a pervasive human rights issue with public health consequences. It often goes unrecognized and unreported, and is accepted as part of the “nature of things” and is shrouded in a culture of silence. Although reliable data on the prevalence of the various forms of GBV remains scarce, the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) program has been contributing to the growing body of evidence on one important aspect of GBV by providing national level population-based data on the prevalence, risk factors and consequences of domestic violence experienced by women.

This presentation hosted by the African Bureau will highlight the results from a desk review conducted by the Africa’s Health in 2010 Project. The main purposes of this desk review were to: (1) assess the levels of domestic violence in sub-Saharan Africa by critically reviewing the findings from available, comparable national DHS reports; and (2) examine whether the evidence generated by these DHS findings has been used to inform policies and programs as reflected in the country growth and development strategies, such as the first and second generation Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs). For more information, please contact Stella Goings at sgoings@usaid.gov or Reena Borwankar at rborwank@aed.org.

4. “A NEW KIND OF STRENGTH: ENGAGING MEN TO ADDRESS GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE”
Monday, December 8, 1pm - 2:30pm, Ronald Reagan Building Room 2.09 D/C, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
The event hosted by the Office of Population and Reproductive Health in the Bureau for Global Health. will feature Men Can Stop Rape Inc., a national leader in mobilizing men to use their strength for creating cultures free from violence, especially men’s violence against women. Through curriculum-based programs, social marketing campaigns and training for professionals from a variety of disciplines, Men Can Stop Rape has challenged thousands of men worldwide to reframe the concept of strength to embrace gender equity, a pro-active role in preventing violence against women, and positive sexual and reproductive health behaviors. Please join staff from the organization as they discuss their comprehensive approach to building healthier visions of masculinity, their programming for young men both in the U.S. and overseas, and the results of program evaluations to date. For more information, please contact Travis Mayo at tmayo@usaid.gov.

5. “MODEL TO PROMOTE LOCAL COMMUNITY & GOVERNANCE ACTIONS TO ADDRESS GBV IN BOLIVIA”
Tuesday, December 9, 2:30 - 4pm, Ronald Reagan Building Room 2.09-D/E, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
This presentation is hosted by the Office of Population and Reproductive Health in the Bureau of Global Health, delivered by Debbie Caro, of Cultural Practices, and Anne Eckman of an innovative, community-led model, developed by the Health Policy Initiative TO1, to support implementation of policies and programs to address GBV in the context of reproductive health and related health services. GBV has been found to have a significant negative impact on the use of contraception by women who are victims and survivors of GBV in Bolivia.The model has increased awareness and stimulated action to prevent and address GBV. Municipal action plans developed by participants have yielded dedicated budgets to support and improve GBV services in project intervention sites. In addition, all participating NGOs have committed staff and resources to replicating the methodology in other municipalities where they work. If coming from outside of USAID, please RSVP to Lora Wentzel lwentzel@usaid.gov by December 8th. Please plan to arrive at USAID 14th Street reception desk at 2:15pm.

Announcements & Professional Development Opportunities

1. THE CENTER SEEKS A FEW GOOD DEAN'S FELLOWS
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!

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. Position is open until filled.

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. Position is open until filled.

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. Position is open until filled.

2. WANT TO JOIN THE CENTER STUDENT ADVISORY BOARD? APPLICATIONS DUE IN LATE 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. 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.

4. ACADEMY ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND HUMANITARIAN LAW SEEKS PART-TIME ASSISTANT, HUMAN RIGHTS LEGAL EDUCATION PROJECT
The Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law - Human Rights Legal Education Project is looking for one part-time assistant for the Spring 2009 semester. The assistant will be required to work 15-20 hours per week to provide support in the implementation of research and educational projects in the US and Latin America (especially Venezuela, Nicaragua and Bolivia) and conduct research in international human rights law as needed. Excellent writing skills in English and fluency in Spanish are essential. Part-time 1Ls are encouraged to apply. The salary for this position is $12/hour. If you are interested in applying for this position, please send your cover letter, resume and short (10 pages max.) writing sample as soon as possible to Matias Hernandez, matias@wcl.american.edu, indicating “Part-Time Assistant Spring 2009” in the subject line.

5. PROFESSOR CLAUDIA MARTIN SEEKS DEAN’S FELLOW FOR SPRING SEMESTER
Academy Co-Director and Professor Claudia Martin seeks a Dean's Fellow for the Spring 2009 semester, who will be required to work 20 hours per week doing legal research in international human rights law. Legal research experience in human rights and international law, as well as working knowledge of Spanish, though not required, are a plus. This position pays $12 an hour. If you are interested in applying for this position, you should send your cover letter and resume to hracademy@wcl.american.edu. Please indicate “Prof. Martin Research Assistant Dean’s Fellow Spring 2009” in the subject line.

6. PROFESSOR DIEGO RODRIGUEZ-PINZON SEEKS DEAN’S FELLOW FOR SPRING SEMESTER
Academy Co-Director and Professor Diego Rodriguez-Pinzon seeks a Dean's Fellow for the Spring 2009 semester, who will be required to work 20 hours per week doing legal research in international human rights law. Legal research experience in human rights and international law, as well as working knowledge of Spanish, though not required, are a plus. This position pays $12 an hour. If you are interested in applying for this position, you should send your cover letter and resume to hracademy@wcl.american.edu. Please indicate “Prof. Rodriguez-Pinzon Research Assistant Dean’s Fellow Spring 2009” in the subject line.

7. HELP ORGANIZE THE INTER-AMERICAN MOOT COURT COMPETITION
The Competition is looking for two highly-motivated dean’s fellow for the Spring 2009 semester to help organize the 14th Inter-American Human Rights Moot Court Competition. Join us as we recruit students, faculty and attorneys from around the world. Tasks will include implementing various marketing strategies, researching the Bench Memorandum, helping with fundraising efforts, designing the website, planning fun events, and much more. We are looking for a native (or extremely fluent) Spanish speaker for 10-20 hours a week (students will be compensated at $12/hour). Please send a cover letter and resume to the Competition at iamoot@wcl.american.edu as soon as possible. Please highlight any translation experience you may have in your cover letter. All students, particularly LLM students & former Competition participants, are encouraged to apply!

8. SPECIALIZED HUMAN RIGHTS PROGRAM OF THE ACADEMY ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND HUMANITARIAN LAW SEEKS DEAN’S FELLOWS
The Program is looking for two Dean Fellows to work 10-20 hours a week primarily in the coordination of the 2009 program. These positions will work closely with the Program Coordinator. Knowledge of Spanish and familiarity with Microsoft Office Suite is highly desirable.The positions are only available to Washington College of Law students. 1Ls are not eligible to apply. Please email a cover letter and resume to hracademy@wcl.american.edu with the subject “Dean’s Fellow - Spring 09”. In your letter please indicate the number of hours you would be interested in working.

9. ORDER COFFEE FOR HOLIDAY PRESENTS AND CONTRIBUTE TO A GREAT CAUSE!
Spread holiday cheer with a bag of organic, fair trade, shade-grown coffee from Buywell Coffee. At only $10 per bag it's cheaper than Starbucks; and 10 out of 10 WCL students and faculty agree that it's much better. Because Buywell donates the coffee and Microsoft matches each donation,every $10 bag you purchase provides $20for Roots & Wings Intl's scholarship program. Roots & Wings Intl was founded by a WCL 3L and offers university scholarships to indigenous students in rural Guatemala. Place your order for whole bean or ground coffeeby emailing Erik Swanson, President of Roots & Wings International, at erik@rootsandwingsintl.org. He will be glad to bring the coffee by your office. Learn more about the program or make a donation at www.rootsandwingsintl.org. Roots & Wings Intl is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization with a Tax ID of 20-589-0443.

10. PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL LAW & POLICY PROGRAM OPENING FOR FOREIGN LEGAL SPECIALISTS
The Public International Law & Policy Program (PILPP) has openings for Foreign Legal Specialists to join the PILPP team for the spring semester. Foreign Legal Specialists will gain first-hand experience working on current issues of public international law and utilize their existing international law knowledge to address specific legal issues. Whether it is drafting notes on international law, brainstorming ideas on human rights legislation, or answering questions about EU law, this position provides rare and exciting opportunities to practice public international law. LLMs participating in the program will be enrolled in the WCL’s Advanced Issues in International Law with Professor Williams and will receive three credit hours for the Spring 2009 semester. To apply for the program, please send your resume and TOEFL scores to Lauren Baillie, lbaillie@pilpg.org, and Paul Valentine, pvalentine@pilpg.org. The application deadline is December 12th. Please feel free to contact Lauren and Paul with any questions. Good luck!

11. STUDENT REGISTRATION OPEN FOR WASHINGTON, D.C./BALTIMORE PUBLIC SERVICE CAREER FAIR!
The 7th Annual Washington, D.C./Baltimore Public Service Career Fair will be held Friday, January 30, 2009 from 9:30am-4:30pm at George Mason University School of Law.  This event features individual interviews as well as table talk opportunities with students from six area law schools.  Last year’s fair brought more than 75 employers and 400+ students together to meet and discuss public interest and government opportunities in the Washington, D.C. area.  Student registration opens Friday, November 21 at https://law-dcpscf-csm.symplicity.com/students.
KEY DATES:
- Friday, December 19 - Interview Bidding and Resume Collection Opens
- Wednesday, January 7 - Bidding Closes
- Friday, January 30 - Career Fair
Please stop by Suite 122 or email Jarrod Shirk at jshirk@wcl.american.edu.

12. HELP FREE A PRISONER OF CONSCIENCE! SIGN UP FOR AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL'S 2008 GLOBAL WRITE-A-THON!
During last year's Global Write-a-thon, people in more than 30 countries sent over 150,000 letters, postcards and emails on behalf of prisoners of conscience, human rights defenders, and others at risk. This year's Write-a-thon wil take place on December 5 - 14. To sign up, please visit http://www.amnestyusa.org/writeathon/signup_form.php?tr=y&auid=4173927.

13. 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.

14. SEXUAL VIOLENCE RESEARCH INITIATIVE FORUM 2009, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA
Sexual violence is a global issue that requires coordinated evidence-based responses. The Sexual Violence Research Initiative is pleased to invite you to its first conference, SVRI Forum 2009, to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa from 6 – 9 July 2009. The conference is aimed at promoting research on sexual violence, highlighting innovation and encouraging sharing and networking in the in the area of sexual violence.

Who Should Attend
This global event will bring together 200 participants working on sexual violence as researchers, gender activists, funders, policy makers, service providers, survivors and others.

Conference Themes
Preventing Sexual Violence: How can research help us better understand the social and cultural context of sexual violence? What are proven, effective and promising prevention interventions?
Responding to Sexual Violence: Survivors of sexual violence need high quality multi-sectoral responses – how can we sue research to define appropriate and effective responses that meet survivors’ needs? What is appropriate care after rape for developing countries? What are the intersections of sexual violence and HIV and how can we effectively address these?
Global Advocacy: How can we use research to reduce the stigma of sexual violence and ensure it is given the recognition and attention it deserves by policy makers and funders?

Important Dates
Pre-conference workshops: 6 July 2009
Conference dates: 7-9 July 2009
Abstract submission deadline: 27 March 2009
Early registration deadline: 30 April 2009
Exhibition registration deadline: 4 May 2009
Early workshop registration deadline: 4 May 2009
To register visit http://www.svriforum2009.svri.org
For questions, please contact Ms. Mandy Salomo, Event Manager, at mandy.salmom@mrc.ac.za.

15. 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.
  

16. 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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