2016-2017 War Crimes Speaker Series
Advancing Human Rights in Times of Adversity
On Friday, December 9, 2016, the WCRO cosponsored a panel on "Advancing Human Rights in Times of Adversity" with the Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law and the Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law. The panel, which featured WCL faculty Juan Mendez, Susan Carle, and Bob Goldman, focused on human rights advocacy and mobilization, and was moderated by former American University Chaplain Joe Eldridge.
Ayotzinapa and Beyond: Towards Accountability for Atrocity Crimes in Mexico
On Tuesday, November 1, 2016 the WCRO and the Open Society Justice Initiative hosted a panel discussion of the Open Society Justice Initiative's new report, Undeniable Atrocities: Confronting Crimes Against Humanity in Mexico, based on over three years of research together with five Mexican partner organizations. The panel discussed the report's findings that a reasonable basis to believe that both Mexican federal forces and cartels have perpetrated murder, enforced disappearances, and torture on a widespread and systemic scale - amounting to crimes against humanity - and makes important recommendations for reforming the country's criminal justice system.
Violence Against Men and Boys
On October 27, the WCRO cosponsored a panel event with WCL's Women and the Law Program and Project on Addressing Prison Rape on Violence Against Men and Boys. The panel consisted of WCRO Director Susana SáCouto and Project Director for the Project on Addressing Prison Rape and WCL Professor Brenda Smith. The event explored similarities between the investigation and prosecution of violence against men and boys that occurs in the context of armed conflict or mass violence and sexual abuse that occurs within the correctional system, especially abuse of men and boys in custody by female correction workers.
Roundtable with the Center for Victims of Torture
On September 23, 2016, WCRO Director Susana SáCouto and WCL Professor and former WCRO Director Diane Orentlicher cohosted a closed-door roundtable session for the Center for Victims of Torture (CVT). The purpose of the roundtable was to help the CVT understand the implications of participating in documentation and justice efforts.