Introducing the AUWCL 2006 - 2007 Humphrey Fellows
Mr. Anatolie Beleac is the Executive Director for the Independent Society for Education and Human Rights (SIEDO) in Moldova where he promotes human rights as a goal of development and conducts human rights trainings for teachers, public officials, journalists, NGO activists, and corrections officers. He also implemented a compulsory Civic Education program for grades five through twelve at the national level. Beleac was a founding member of the Resource Center for Human Rights NGOs, NGO Council of the Human Rights Center of Moldova, Center for the Integration of Children with Disabilities, Consortium for the Prevention of Torture, and National Council of NGOs, among others. As a Humphrey Fellow, Beleac hopes to study human rights and good governance to help democratize post-totalitarian societies. Beleac will be hosted by Professor Herman Schwartz.
Mr. Youssef Ben Brahim is the Public Service Advisor and Head of the Juridical Section of the Ministry of Culture and Heritage Safeguard in Tunisia, which he helped reorganized and develop. Ben Brahim also worked with the commission of public tender to improve transparency and increase competition among private companies. He also taught law at the Higher Institute of Cultural Animation. Ben Brahim will use his Humphrey Fellowship to study American law, international law and human rights, civil society development, and democracy and good governance in order to contribute to Tunisian development through legal and social reforms. Ben Brahim will be hosted by Professor Christine Farley.
Mr. Alexandre Ciconello is the General Coordinator of Brasilia's branch of Brazilian Association of NGOs (ABONG) and Coordinator of the ABONG Legal Department. In this position he lobbies for matters relating to NGO's in the national congress, designs legal strategies to advance human rights in Brazil, and influences the creation and monitoring of human rights public policy. During his year as a Humphrey Fellow, Ciconello plans to study legal mechanisms and the role of international organizations in protecting human rights, specifically regarding gender and race issues, so that he can work towards improving the human rights framework in Brazil in relation to Afro-Brazilians. Ciconello will be hosted by Professor David Hunter and Hadar Harris, executive director of the Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law.
Mr. Emerito I. Enginco is the 1st Assistant City Prosecutor of Tanauan City with the Department of Justice in the Republic of the Philippines. He is responsible for conducting inquests and preliminary investigations, prosecuting violators of acts punishable by the Revised Penal Code and special laws, and representing the State in special proceedings. Enginco also teaches Public Administration at the graduate school level, law at the college unit of the De La Salle Lipa, renders legal assistance to the college, and acts as legal adviser in the formulation of school policy. As a Humphrey Fellow, Enginco plans to study organizational science, policy formulation and implementation. He also hopes to network with the Medal of Valor and Community Capacity Development Office Programs, the Street Law Program, and the US Department of Justice. Enginco will be hosted by Richard Ugelow, practitioner in residence.
Ms. Sarab Hassan is a partner in Nuri Yaba, a prominent legal firm with offices in Baghdad and Kurdistan. Hassan is also a Staff Attorney and the Human Rights Program Manager with the American Bar Association in Iraq where she formed a human rights working group and organized workshops to discuss human rights in the new Iraqi constitution. She also supports the Ministry of Human Rights in developing an agenda for implementation of constitutional protections of human rights. Hassan is a member of the Arab Women Legal Network and the International Institute for the Rule of Law which focuses on human rights. As a Humphrey Fellow, Hassan plans to study international protection of human rights in order to help prevent further violation of human rights in Iraq, especially against women. Hassan will be hosted by Susana SaCouto, director of the War Crimes Research Office.
Mr. Hesham Mourad is a Judge with the Ministry of Justice in the Bani Swaif Court of First Instance in Egypt where he hears civil and taxation cases as a court of first instances as well as criminal and family law matters as a court of appeal. With many year of legal experience as a lawyer, a public prosecutor, and a judge, Mourad hopes to work in the National Center for Judicial Studies and the Constitutional Court to further human rights in Egypt. During his Humphrey Fellowship, Mourad plans to study human rights and criminal justice, the American domestic system for litigation, and international judicial bodies such as the American Court of Human Rights, the European Court of Human Rights, and the International Criminal Court. Mourad will be hosted by Claudia Martine and Diego Rodriguez, directors of the Academy of Human Rights.
Ms. Shabnam Nawaz is in private practice as a lawyer working for women and children's rights in Pakistan and has been appointed Special Government Pleader to plead civil cases on behalf of the government of Abbottabad. She has also worked for the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and as a resource person for many NGOs such as the Aurat Foundation where she coordinated a project on female representation in politics. Nawaz teaches criminal and family law at two colleges in Abbottabad and has also worked to raise awareness for child abuse issues, child labor issues, and juvenile offenders. After losing relatives in the 2005 earthquake in northern Pakistan, she has also dedicated herself to the rehabilitation of earthquake victims. As a Humphrey Fellow, Nawaz plans to study human rights with respect to women and children in order to be a more effective activist in Pakistan. Nawaz will be hosted by Professor Mary Clark.
Ms. Rebecca Sako-John is the Executive Director of the League of Democratic Women in Nigeria. She also provides pro bono legal services to women and other victims of human rights violations. Her accomplishments include initiating community watchdog and mobilization units for human rights in local communities, initiating a women's empowerment program for enduring democracy, participating in election monitoring and public hearings on a review of the Constitution, and defending Nigeria's 4th and 5th CEDAW Implementation report before the UN. As a Humphrey Fellow, Sako-John plans to study regional and international systems for promoting human rights, gender and the law, international organizations and multinational institutions, transitional justice, and how HIV/AIDS presents challenges to global health and justice. Sako-John will be hosted by Claire Smearman, practitioner in residence.
Ms. Joyce Siveregi is a National Coordinator with the National AIDS Council of Zimbabwe. She provides technical guidance to organizations implementing HIV and AIDS programs and contributes towards policy and strategy development in the national response to HIV and AIDS. She has worked as the Advocacy and Lobbying Program Manager for the Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association, where she conducted research in women's human rights issues, provided legal aid and education and formulated plans for law reform. As a Humphrey Fellow, Siveregi plans to study human rights law in the context of HIV and AIDS, sexual and reproductive rights, and program management. Her goals are to work towards the reversal of the HIV and AIDS pandemic and create linkages between Zimbabwe and the international community on the issue of women and HIV/AIDS. Siveregi will be hosted by Janie Chuang, practitioner in residence.
Ms. Pasang Wangmo is an Assistant Judge for the Royal Court of Justice in Bhutan. She represented the Judiciary of Bhutan in the drafting of the Constitution, and in various international SAARC Law summits. Wangmo coordinated the International Chief Justices Conference, and has given lectures on juvenile related issues and on the rights of women and children at various schools and institutes throughout Bhutan. As a Humphrey Fellow, Wangmo plans to study issues related to human rights for women and juveniles, visit family court, and network with prominent legal practitioners so that upon her return she can analyze the factors causing gender disparity, develop policies and programs to protect the rights of women and children, and help Bhutan establish separate courts for families and juveniles. Wangmo will be hosted by Professor Stephen Wermiel.
Mrs. Lilly Widayati is a Division Head of Legal Development at the National Development Planning Agency in Indonesia. She works to further policies which promote ethics awareness in human resource development and improve decision making processes in order to fight corruption, collusion, and nepotism within of the central government. As a Humphrey Fellow, she intends to study public sector, government, and business ethics, education policy, and curriculum development in order to design and implement ethics programs and activities for government employees, the general public, school children, and university students in Indonesia. Widayati will be hosted by Professor Padideh Ala'i.
Mr. Mohd. Yusmadi is a Partner at The Chambers of Kamarul Hisham, Hasnal Rezua, & Yusmadi, a law firm in Malaysia where he specializes in public interest litigation and criminal defense cases. Apart from practicing law, he is a Fellow at the Institut Kajian Dasar (Institute for Policy Research) and a founding Director of GERAK (Movement for Democracy and Anti-Corruption) in Malaysia. Yusmadi is also a founding member of Malaysia America Friendship Alumni Association (MAFAA). Yusmadi is a prolific writer and his views on law and politics are sought after by both print and electronic media in Malaysia. He writes a weekly column, "Dengan Izin" ("May It Please the Court"), for the leading Malaysian daily, Utusan Malaysia. During his time as a Humphrey Fellow, Yusmadi plans to study public interest litigation practice in the U.S. Yusmadi will be hosted by Professor Rick Wilson.
