2014-2015 War Crimes Speaker Series
Seeking Truth in the Balkans Documentary Screening & Discussion
On Wednesday, April 15, the WCRO hosted a screening and discussion of the new documentary film Seeking Truth in the Balkans, directed by June Vutrano and Erin Lovall. The film focuses on the legacy of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, and is comprised of over 75 interviews with legal scholars, human rights activists, lawyers, and victims. A discussion was held after the film that included the directors and international justice experts.
Trials and Tribulations of an International Criminal Judge in Kosovo
On Wednesday, March 25, the WCRO hosted Judge Dean Pineles, former judge with the European Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX). Judge Pineles discussed the challenges facing Kosovo’s legal system today, in addition to cases he tried during his term with EULEX from 2011-2013.
Accountability for Serious Crimes before National and Internationally-Supported Courts: Challenges and Opportunities
On Wednesday, February 25, 2015, the WCRO hosted David Mandel-Anthony for a discussion on Accountability for Serious Crimes before National and Internationally-Supported Courts at WCL. Mr. Mandel-Anthony is a Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of Global Criminal Justice at the U.S. Department of State. In that role, he advises on the formulation of U.S. foreign policy for the prevention and response to mass atrocities, including genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. Issues and countries that David focuses on include the Western and Great Lakes regions of Africa; Guatemala and Central America; international criminal tribunals; transitional justice; and postconflict rule-of-law building.
A Time to Act - Combating Sexual Violence in Iraq and Syria
On Thursday, November 6, 2014, WCRO Director Susana SáCouto moderated a panel discussion entitled "A Time to Act: Combating Sexual Violence in Syria and Iraq", hosted by the American Red Cross. The event was cosponsored by the WCRO, the Washington Working Group on the ICC, the Global Gender Program at the George Washington University Elliot School of International Affairs, and Physicians for Human Rights, and was attended by over 100 people, with an additional 73 viewing via a Google Hangout. Speakers included Dr. Aisling Swaine-Associate Professor of Practice of International Affairs, George Washington University, Elliott School of International Affairs; Sucharita S.K. Varanasi, JDMediCapt Project Manager & Senior Program Officer, Physicians for Human Rights; Jane Stromseth - Deputy to the Ambassador, Office of Global Criminal Justice, U.S. Department of State; and Sunjeev Bery- Advocacy Director, Middle East North Africa, Amnesty International USA.
African States Challenging International Criminal Law: A Discussion with Professor Roland Adjovi
On October 16, Roland Adjovi, one of the five experts in the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, delivered a lecture on the relationship between African states and the International Criminal Court. The event was attended by over 25 students. Mr. Adjovi teaches international law at Arcadia University, including human rights and politics in the developing world. He has worked at both the International Criminal Court and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. He recently represented Tanzanian opposition leader Rev. Christopher Mtikila before the African Court of Human and Peoples’ Rights. In 2013, he was a consultant for the African Union Commission on the relationship between Africa and the International Criminal Court.