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

WCL Events

1. IRAQI REFUGEE CRISIS: PRESENT-DAY CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR LASTING SOLUTIONS
   Tuesday, March 17, 9:00am - 5:00pm, Rm. 603
   Two million refugees are living in Jordan, Syria and other neighboring countries and an additional 2.5 million are internally displaced within Iraq.  The program will explain the scope of the crisis and ask the difficult questions: Who is taking responsibility for improving the conditions of the millions of displaced?  What is the role of the United States and the international community?  Can the law help to protect the most vulnerable?  Are there lasting solutions? To register, please go to www.wcl.american.edu/secle/registration.
   
   
2. HUMAN TRAFFICKING, HIV/AIDS, AND THE SEX SECTOR
   Wednesday, March 18, 9am - 2:30pm, Rm. 603
   

   Human trafficking and forced labor are global human rights abuses. Over the past eight years, the United States has supported some excellent programs but it has also adopted an ideologically-driven approach to the sex sector that harms women and their families, increases the vulnerability of people in the sex sector to violence and trafficking, prevents health care workers from accessing sex workers and does nothing to prevent trafficking. Sex workers who do not want to be 'saved' are being subjected to violent raids and rescues and some of them are being arrested, abused and deprived of their livelihood. Anyone receiving U.S. funding must sign a pledge never to discuss the benefits of working non-judgmentally and collaboratively with sex workers to stop trafficking, child prostitution and violence. This conference will bring together international and U.S. experts to share experiences and discuss the ways in which the Obama Administration can create a new U.S. policy on human trafficking that is consistent with international human rights standards and grounded in reality. Presented by the Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law. To register, please go to www.wcl.american.edu/secle/registration.

3. A STEP FORWARD OR A ROADBLOCK TO PEACE AND JUSTICE IN DARFUR?
   Thursday, March 19, 12pm - 1:20pm, Rm. 503
   On March 4, 2009 Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for war crimes and crimes against humanity. He is suspected of being criminally responsible, as an indirect co-perpetrator, for intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population of Darfur between April 2003 and July 2008. This arrest warrant is the first issued by the ICC for a sitting head of state.
   
   Please join the Center for a look at what this decision means for the people of Sudan, its impact on the ability of human rights groups to work openly in Darfur, and the precedent set for the future of international humanitarian law. Lunch will be served. Scheduled speakers: Diane Orentlicher, Professor of Law, Washington College of Law and the former UN Independent Expert on Combating Impunity; Niemat Ahmadi, Darfur Liaison Officer, Save Darfur Coalition; and Abderrahim Sabir, Project Leader for Civilian Protection Initiative, Human Rights Watch. Susana SaCouto, Director, War Crimes Research Office, Washington College of Law will moderate the panel. For more information, contact Brett Schwartz at (202) 274-4180 or humlaw@wcl.american.edu.
   
   
4. IMMIGRATION LAW 101 - CAREERS IN IMMIGRATION LAW
   Thursday, March 19, 12pm - 1:15pm, Rm. 602
   Come to talk to people in the field of immigration law and learn about potential career options. Speakers include immigration firm practitioner Nancy Lawrence, CASA de Maryland staff attorney Michelle Mendez, and Arlington Immigration Court clerk Allison Hoffman. Pizza will be served. For more information, contact Amalia Greenberg Delgado at amalia.greenberg@gmail.com.
   
   
5. HELP SUPPORT PUBLIC INTEREST WORK AROUND THE WORLD. JOIN US FOR THE EJF AUCTION!
   Thursday, March 19, Silent Auction at 3:30pm; Live Auction at 6:30pm
   We cordially invite you to our 16th Annual Public Interest Auction entitled "AN AUCTION TO DIE FOR." The silent auction will begin at 3:30pm and the live auction will follow at 6:30pm. Tickets for the auction are $7 in advance and $10 at the door. Tickets will be sold in the WCL lobby the week of the event. You can also purchase your tickets online at http://www.wcl.american.edu/secle/cle_form.cfm. H ors d'oeuvres and drinks will be served. 1950s era dress appreciated but not required. View the Bid Book and purchase tickets at http://www.wcl.american.edu/org/ejf/.
   
   

   The Equal Justice Foundation (EJF) provides scholarships to Washington College of Law students who have obtained unpaid summer positions with public interest organizations in the United States and abroad. EJF enables WCL students to gain valuable experience in the public interest sector, while providing critical services to under represented members of our communities.

6. A WORKSHOP ON COMPARATIVE FAMILY LAW: WHAT IS THE GLOBAL FAMILY? FAMILY LAW IN DECOLONIZATION, MODERNIZATION, AND GLOBALIZATION,
   Friday-Saturday, March 20-21, Rm. 603
   This two-day workshop will compare systems of family law in Canada, the Unites States, and worldwide. Panelists will explore the impacts of immigration, globalization, and public policy on the family - and vice versa: the impact of the family and family law on immigration, globalization, and public policy. The workshop is part of a series of meetings designed to assess the "exceptional" place of the family and family law in decolonization, modernization, and development. For a full program and to register online, please visit: www.wcl.american.edu/go/cfl2009.

   Presented by the Women and International Law Program and the "Up Against Family Law Exceptionalism" project of Harvard Law School's Program on Law and Social Thought . The Women and the Law Program thanks the government of Canada for their generous support of this program.

7. HUMAN RIGHTS AND RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN IRAN: THE SITUATION OF THE BAHA'IS
   Monday, March 23, 12pm - 1:20pm, Rm. 501
   Currently, seven leaders of the Iranian Bahai community have been imprisoned and accused of espionage and violations against Iran (pictured above). This timely presentation will provide general information about the human rights issues facing the Bahai minority in Iran with a special focus on the historic oppression against this religious group. Panelists will offer personal accounts of how systematic oppression is affecting Baha'is and their families in Iran and abroad. Speakers will also explore the opportunities and limitations that international human rights law provides for the emancipation of the Bahai community in Iran. All are welcome. Lunch will be served. For more information, contact Brett Schwartz at (202) 274-4180 or humlaw@wcl.american.edu.

8. IN THE DOCK AND UNDER THE GUN: BASELESS PROSECUTIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS IN COLOMBIA
   Tuesday, March 24, 12pm - 1:20pm, Rm. 100
   Two of Colombia's leading human rights activists, Luz Marina Monzon and Liliana Andrea Avila, will provide firsthand testimony of how the Colombian legal system is used to silence and stigmatize the human rights movement. Andrew Hudson will present Human Rights First's new report which for the first time documents the extensive use of specious criminal investigations in Colombia. Panelists include: Liliana Andrea Avila, Member, Colombian Inter-Church Commission for Justice and Peace; Luz Marina Monzon, Human Rights Advisor, Colombian Commission of Justice; and Andrew Hudson, Senior Associate, Human Rights Defenders Program, Human Rights First. Hadar Harris, Executive Director, Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law will moderate the panel; Please RSVP to humlaw@wcl.american.edu or (202) 274-4180.

Community Events

1. BROWN BAG LUNCH ON HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS AGAINST INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN SOUTH AMERICA
   Thursday, March 19, 1pm - 2pm, National Congress of the American Indian, 1301 Connecticut Ave NW, Conference Room
   More than 1,244 indigenous people have been assassinated in Colombia in the past five years.

   This persecution is not unique to Colombia. It is part of an alarming trend of human rights violations against indigenous peoples in South America. Indigenous rights to life, land, equality, natural resources, self-determination, and religious freedom are under attack. Featured presenters on this subject include indigenous representatives from Andean Indigenous Organization (CAOI); National Coalition of Mining Affected Communities (CONACAMI), Peru; National Indigenous Organization of Colombia (ONIC); Confederation of Kinchua People of Ecuador (ECUARUNARI); and Identidad Lafkenche, Chile. For more information, contact Leo Crippa a lcrippa@indianlaw.org or (202) 547-2800, ext. 105.
   

2. WOMEN'S HUMAN RIGHTS IN AFRICA
   Friday, March 20, 2pm, U.S. Capitol Building, Rm. HC-8
   The Women's Law and Public Policy Fellowship Program (WLPPFP) at the Georgetown University Law Center is pleased to invite you to a Congressional Briefing in the U.S. Capitol Building on Friday, March 20, 2009 on “Women’s Human Rights in Africa” presented by our Leadership and Advocacy for Women in Africa (LAWA) Fellows. Topics include combating violence against women, promoting equality in educational opportunities, and gender equality before the law. Please RSVP by March 18 to jle24@law.georgetown.edu to ensure that your name is on the list to enter the U.S. Capitol Building.

Announcements & Professional Development Opportunities

1. LOOKING FOR A SUMMER JOB? APPLY TO BE A DEAN'S FELLOW AT THE CENTER!
   

   The Center for Human Rights has exciting opportunities for three Dean's Fellows this summer.  Please check below for additional information on these positions as well as instructions for applying. All applications are due Wednesday, April 1, at Noon.
   
   General Center Dean’s Fellow (30 hours/week)
   We are looking for an enthusiastic student to take a high level of responsibility for the Center's exciting programming. The Dean’s Fellow will assist with marketing Center events, managing the Center listserv, and providing support and planning for events and projects.  Attention to detail, organizational skills, familiarity with Microsoft Office programs and interest in human rights issues are essential. Applicants must also be able to commit to a minimum of 30/hours per week. Preference will be given candidates who can commit to the full 30 hours. To Apply: send a cover letter, résumé, and short (5 pages max.) writing sample to Brett Schwartz at bschwartz@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 Wednesday, April 1, 2009 at noon. 

   Human Trafficking and Forced Labor Project Dean’s Fellow (35 hours/week)
   Now is a great time to work with the Center’s new Program on Human Trafficking and Forced Labor. This summer, we are looking for a Dean's Fellow to assist in the creation of documents on issues related to human trafficking to be translated and distributed in the U.S. and overseas and in maintaining the Program’s web page. Attention to detail, writing and research skills, organizational skills, familiarity with Microsoft Office programs, and proven interest in human rights issues, especially women’s rights, labor rights and/or migrants’ rights, is essential. Experience/skills in web and document design also a plus.  To Apply: Send a cover letter, resume and short writing sample (max. 5 pages), to Ann Jordan at ajordan@wcl.american.edu by Wednesday April 1, 2009 at noon. Please indicate that you are applying for the Human Trafficking Program Dean's Fellow position in the subject line.

   Pakistan Project Dean’s Fellow (20 hours/week)
   The Center seeks a Dean’s Fellow for its project with the University of Peshawar in Peshawar, Pakistan. The University of Peshawar and WCL are partnered in a multi-year program of capacity building, academic exchange and program development to help enrich both faculties in the creative implementation of human rights 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. To Apply: Send a cover letter, résumé, and short (5 pages max.) writing sample to Brett Schwartz at bschwartz@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 Wednesday, April 1, 2009 at noon.
   

2. WAR CRIMES RESEARCH OFFICE SUMMER 2009 DEAN'S FELLOWS: 20 HOURS/WEEK
   

   The War Crimes Research Office is currently accepting applications from students interested in working with our Office this summer. JD (rising 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 a minimum of 20 hours a week. Please submit a resume and a cover letter, along with a short writing sample and a transcript (unofficial is fine) to Susana SaCouto, Director, War Crimes Research Office, by email at warcrimes@wcl.american.edu. The deadline for applications is Friday, March 20 at 5pm. 

   If you have any questions, please feel free to stop by our office at 4301 50th St, NW just one block from WCL, call us at 202-274-4067, or e-mail at warcrimes@wcl.american.edu.
   

3. JENNIFER DE LAURENTIIS, SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE DEAN, IS SEEKING A SUMMER DEAN'S FELLOW
   Jennifer de Laurentiis, Special Assistant to the Dean, is seeking a Dean's Fellow for the summer.  The position involves 10-20 hours per week of legal research and writing concerning the prohibition of torture, as well as administrative tasks.  Knowledge of Spanish is helpful, but is not required.  Interested students should promptly submit a one-page cover letter and resume via e-mail to jdelaurentiis@wcl.american.edu and reference “Dean’s Fellow” in the subject line.
   

4. THE ABA DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ANNOUNCES THE SIXTH ANNUAL LAW STUDENT WRITING COMPETITION
   Law students are invited to submit articles addressing domestic violence and the law from a national or international perspective. The first place winner will recieve be published in the American University Journal of Gender, Social Policy & the Law, a Resolution from the ABA Commission on Domestic Violence, and honorarium. Second and third place winners will also recieve a Resolution from the ABA Commission on Domestic Violence. All winners’ names and papers will also appear on the ABA Commission on Domestic Violence website at www.abanet.org/domviol. The deadline for submissions is May 31, 2009, 5:00 p.m. EST via email at runger@staff.abanet.org. Winners will be notified in August 2009. For additional info on submission guidelines, please visit www.abanet.org/domviol.
   
   

5. INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY AT SURVIVOR CORPS
   Survivor Corps is an international non-profit organization created by and for conflict survivors to promote individual recovery, rebuild communities and change policies and practices affecting survivors of conflict. Survivor Corps works across a spectrum of issues that affect the lives of survivors, establishing international standards for survivor and disability rights around the world. It also participates in campaigns to eliminate weapons causing indiscriminate harm to civilians.
   
   Survivor Corps is seeking a law student who would like the opportunity for internship in a diverse and dynamic organization. The intern would support Survivor Corps’ advocacy activities on global and national campaigns and assist in research, writing and development of materials, and in other tasks as needed. The internship is 20-40 hours per week and starts as soon as possible. Applicants should have the following qualifications: current law student, a commitment to human rights, an interest in rights of survivors of conflict, excellent research and analysis skills, excellent communications skills, and the ability to carry out parallel tasks and to work both independently and in a team. Applicants able to make a six month commitment are preferred.
   
   Interested students should send a cover letter and resume to the following street or email address:
   
   Survivor Corps
   Human Resources - Advocacy Intern
   2100 M Street, NW #302
   Washington, DC 20037
   Employment@survivorcorps.org
   Please state that the application is for Advocacy Intern
   

6. JOIN THE FIGHT FOR GULF COAST RECOVERY! CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVE!
   In 2005, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated the Gulf Coast. Thousands are still struggling to rebuild their lives. Student Activists for Katrina/Rita Survivors (SAKS), which was formed to raise awareness of this issue and brought Gulf Coast activists to the AU community last semester, would like to encourage individuals to ask Congress to support the reintroduction of the Gulf Coast Civic Works Act. This Act will: A) Rebuild and repair vital infrastructure, including schools, police and fire stations, hospitals, parks, roads, water and sewer systems, workforce housing, and cultural centers; B) Rebuild natural flood protection such as barrier island, marshes, and wetlands; C) Create good green jobs and provides job training; D) Appoint a Gulf Coast Recovery Coordinator to the Office of the President with a charge to speed recovery programs so that people can move home to new opportunity; and E) Fill the funding gaps for home repair and rebuilding so people can afford to move home to recovered neighborhoods. For more information, including how to e-mail your representative, visit the Gulf Coast Civic Works Campaign's website at solvingpoverty.com.

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