Upcoming Human Rights Events and Opportunities (March 9, 2012)
LeitnerCenter LeitnerCenter
Leitner Center events:
Brown Bag Lunch Series
Business and Human Rights: Corruption and Human Rights Abuses in Extractive Industries
March 20, 2012 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Location: Room 302, Fordham Law School, 140 W. 62nd St. New York, NY 10023
Contact: Aya Fujimura-Fanselow | afujimur...@law.fordham.edu
Christopher Albin-Lackey, Senior Researcher in the Business and Human Rights program at Human Rights Watch, will discuss his research and advocacy work on human rights issues related to extractive industries as well as the human rights impact of corruption in resource-rich countries.
Free Kosher Pizza will be provided.
Attendance at this event counts towards the 5 required Leitner events to apply for summer funding.
Other Opportunities:
Upcoming Events
Internships
Fellowships
Positions
Call for papers
The World Conference on Violence Against Women-Children / Trafficking and Forced Labour is organized by the Global Campaign Against Women And Child Abuse Organization will be held from 13TH to 16TH March 2012 at the Ma convention Center in Swansea Massachusetts 860 Winter St Waltham, MA 02777, United States and from 19TH to 22ND March 2012 at the Senegal Convention center S.I.C.A.P. Rue 10, Dakar, Senegal.
The main theme of the conference is Combating Violence Against Women - Children Worldwide. It aims to provide a platform towards achieving the following objectives:
- Raise awareness on the prevalence and high human, social and economic costs of violence against women and children;
- Sensitize, motivate and build capacity of governments to develop, change, and implement legislation and policies to combat Trafficking and Forced Labour;
- Support and strengthen networks, public and private organizations and programmes that work to eradicate violence against women and children.
- Take integrated measures to prevent and eliminate violence against women and children.
- Study the causes and consequences of violence and the effectiveness of preventive measures.
- Eliminate trafficking in women - children and assist victims of violence due to prostitution and trafficking.
Who should attend?
The conference is open to all who have interest in stopping the perpetrators: community workers, police, psychologists, psychiatrists, shelter administrators, social welfare officers, school heads, teachers, human rights volunteers, local government officials, street workers, doctors, nurses, anti-violence campaigners, program coordinators, family counselors, members of NGOs, youth workers, media, lawyers, judges, solicitors, case workers, indigenous community and church leaders and all members of the general public and workforce who find that Violence Against Women - Children / Trafficking and Forced Labour can no longer be tolerated in modern day society and wish to contribute to stopping the incidence regardless of race, religion, gender or political beliefs.
The conference committee would be grateful if you could forward this email to colleagues who may also be interested in this conference.
For more information do not hesitate to contact the conference Organizing Committee via E-mail: confere...@globomail.com and worldconf...@mynet.com Phone: 1 508-837-3117
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Public Voices: Steven Pinker and Robert Jay Lifton
Friday, March 23
6:00–7:30 p.m.
John Tishman Auditorium, 66 West 12th Street
A conversation between two distinguished social researchers and commentators, Steven Pinker and Robert Jay Lifton, about whether our time is more or less violent than past times. Pinker's most recent book is The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined and Lifton is author of, most recently, Witness to an Extreme Century: A Memoir. This discussion follows from an exchange between Pinker and Lifton published recently in the New York Times, "Sunday Dialogue: Do We Live in a Less Deadly Time, or Not?". The event will close with audience Q&A.
RSVP is required. Email c...@newschool.edu to reserve a seat.
Internships
Human Rights First: Summer 2012 Internship – Refugee Protection Program
Human Rights First welcomes law students to apply for a Summer 2012 internship in our Refugee Protection Program. We are looking for students who are currently enrolled in law school, have a strong interest in and commitment to human rights, are fluent in a relevant second language, and want to work on behalf of asylum-seekers. Interns will be based in HRF’s New York office and will be expected to work at least 35 hours per week for a 10-12 week period. This is an unpaid internship. Interns will be responsible for securing their own funding or arranging to receive course credit at their law schools.
The Refugee Protection Program works to provide indigent asylum seekers with quality legal representation in their asylum cases. The program also advocates for legal reform and policy change on issues affecting asylum seekers in the United States.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Assist staff in conducting intake interviews with potential asylum clients by taking notes, providing interpretation services (depending on foreign language ability), and writing interview-based reports with extensive country research;
- Travel to the immigration detention centers in New Jersey to assist with intake interviews of potential asylum clients, as needed;
- Assist staff with legal research, preparation for trainings, meetings, special projects, and other events;
- Represent Human Rights First at various NGO-government liaison meetings and take detailed notes for HRF staff, as needed
- Assist staff in identifying, analyzing, and responding to legal or procedural changes that affect asylum seekers, including statutory changes, proposed regulations, and decisions from federal courts or the Board of Immigration Appeals;
- Other tasks as needed.
EDUCATION: Applicants MUST be law students who are currently enrolled in U.S.-based institutions and attending classes this spring semester.
START DATE: Summer 2012
TO APPLY: Applicants must send a cover letter, resume, references, and a writing sample to Ada...@HumanRightsFirst.org. The subject line of the email must be: “Summer 2012 Law Student Internship.”
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Open until filled. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls.
For more information: http://ejob.bz/ATS/PortalViewRequirement.do?reqGK=530356
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Summer position- Support the Mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights to Water and Sanitation
2. Position Description
The mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the Human Right to Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation has been established by the UN Human Rights Council in March 2008. As part of her mandate, the Special Rapporteur annually reports to the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly and carries out thematic research for these reports. The 2012 report to the Human Rights Council will deal with stigmatization in the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation, while the 2012 report to the General Assembly will take up the issue of human rights recommendations for the post-2015 development agenda for water and sanitation. The Special Rapporteur also conducts country missions,
looking in depth at specific country situations. She also undertakes a range of activities (including speaking at conferences, writing academic articles, preparing promotional and informational material etc.) to generally promote the human rights to water and sanitation. Finally, she engages with a range of stakeholders to provide support and advice for the implementation of the rights to water and sanitation.
The summer position is intended to provide support to the mandate, working directly with Dr. Inga Winkler, who is part of the Special Rapporteur’s team and will be based at Berkeley to work with the
International Human Rights Law Clinic from April to October 2012. Specific activities to be undertaken include research assistance for the annual report to the General Assembly and academic articles on the
issue, as well as support in designing a project looking at the implementation of the human rights to water and sanitation in California, which will be part of the International Human Rights Law Clinic in the fall semester.
3. Application Instructions:
Submit cover letter, resume, transcript and a short writing sample (5 to 10 pages) via email
4. Date the Posting Will Expire
March 15, 2012
5. Is the position paid or unpaid?
Unpaid
6. Job Class Level (who is it directed to - 1L, 2L, 3L, recent grad, etc.) Candidates should be a 1L or 2L with prior academic or professional experience in international public or human rights law
7. Contact name and email address of the person posting the position
Dr. Inga Winkler ?win...@institut-fuer-menschenrechte.de
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HRW INTERNSHIP OPENINGS
Legal & Policy Office
Internship on “The case against Hissène Habré"
Brussels Office
Apply Immediately
Human Rights Watch has been working for 12 years with the victims of Chad's exiled former President, Hissène Habré, to bring him to trial. In July 2006, at the request of the African Union, the President of Senegal, where Mr. Habré lives in exile, agreed to prosecute Habré, but in 2011 announced that it would not do so. Belgium, which first sought Habré’s extradition in 2005, has renewed its request. The International Court of Justice will shortly begin arguments in “Belgium v Senegal” which seeks to oblige Senegal to try or extradite Habré.
Please visit http://www.hrw.org/en/habre-case (English), http://www.hrw.org/fr/affaire-habre (French) for more information.
Internship Description:
Human Rights Watch is seeking two full-time interns to assist with HRW’s work on the case against Hissène Habré. The internship will last a minimum of six months. The interns will be supervised by HRW’s Counsel in this matter, and will help HRW keep in touch with HRW’s partners in Senegal and Chad, draft advocacy letters and press releases, monitor press and events and assist with research. The interns will also be responsible for administrative tasks, including filing, translating, accounting and helping staff and partners with travel arrangements.
This internship is unpaid. Students are often able to arrange academic credit, as HRW internships often offer direct exposure to the workings of an international human rights organization, close supervision by the HRW staff, interaction with other U.S. and international organizations and foreign and domestic government officials, and opportunities to attend lectures, trainings and special events relating to human rights. Students should check with their individual academic institutions for requirements.
Qualifications:
These internships are open to law students, law graduates and graduate students with expertise in international criminal law or international relations. Applicants should be well-organized, self-motivated and reliable, with a strong interest in human rights. Proficiency in both English and French is required.
How to Apply:
Please apply immediately by emailing a letter of interest in English or French, resume, names or letters of reference and, if possible, a brief, unedited writing sample in French or English, (no calls or email inquiries, please) to: ha...@hrw.org. Please use "Habré Internship Application" as the subject of your email and specify your dates of availability.
Human Rights Watch is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate in its hiring practices and, in order to build the strongest possible workforce, actively seeks a diverse applicant pool.
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Human Rights Watch is an international human rights monitoring and advocacy organization known for its in-depth investigations, its incisive and timely reporting, its innovative and high-profile advocacy campaigns, and its success in changing the human rights-related policies and practices of influential governments and international institutions.
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Catholic Justice and Peace Commission
Cape Palmas Diocese
Accepting Interns for Summer 2012
The Catholic Justice and Peace Commission is accepting applications for its internship in the summer of 2012. Applicants must be law students or graduate students with experience in gender-based violence, governance, social work, alternative dispute resolution, management, or other related fields. Recent interns have come from the United States and Great Britain. The internship is unfunded, so interns are responsible for funding travel and other costs themselves.
Interested applicants may apply by submitting a resume and cover letter to jpccapepalmas [at] yahoo [dot] com, jeffreylarkinaustin [at] yahoo [dot] com, and pfchap [at] gmail [dot] com.
For more information, please visit: http://jpccapepalmas.com
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Fellowships
The European Roma Rights Centre is looking for two new research fellows in 2012
Deadline for applications: 16 March 2012
The Gender Equality Research Fellowship provides an opportunity for interested activists working at the grassroots level to conduct research on gender equality issues.
The ERRC seeks applications from all European countries but priority will be given to proposals coming from Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, the Czech Republic, France, Italy, Macedonia, Moldova, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Russia, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine.
Information about the fellowship
The Fellowship is expected to start in April/May 2012 and will last for approximately six months. Fellows are expected to come to Budapest, Hungary for a period of two to four weeks for orientation and preparation of the research project. This will include aspects of media and communication, research methodology design, basic financial orientation and human rights training, as relevant) and then travel back to the research location to conduct the research with the ongoing assistance of the ERRC. Fellows are also expected to come to Budapest at the end of the six-month project to finish their research and produce a report. The Fellows will work closely with ERRC staff to complete their research.
Research proposal
Fellows will largely be selected on the basis of their research proposal. The proposal should target an issue related to gender equality in Roma communities. Research projects should be action-oriented, i.e. they should aim to inform or benefit the Romani community in some way (advocacy, direct action, litigation, etc.). The ERRC will give preference to community-based research proposals.
Profile of the applicants
The ERRC seeks Fellows who have significant experience living and working in Romani communities and who have been engaged in work with Romani communities at a local level for extended periods. The researcher should have a minimum of one year’s experience in the location in which the research is to take place. The Fellow should have working knowledge of English and must be fluent in the language of the target group for the research. Knowledge of Romani language preferred.
Fellowship support
The ERRC will provide support which includes a basic monthly stipend, some provision for field research expenses for the duration of the fellowship (in Budapest and in the research location) and travel and accommodation costs related to the stay in Budapest.
Application Procedure
To apply for this fellowship, candidates should send the following application materials:
• A maximum two-page research proposal including a description of the project and basic context, objective, research plan and possible outcomes;
• A maximum one-page letter of interest describing the candidate and including details of prior work or engagement on the issue to be researched;
• CV; and
• The contact details of two referees, familiar with the applicant’s educational or work background.
Candidates should submit their documents by 16 March 2011 via email to Dora Eke at dora...@errc.org . The message should be entitled: Research Fellowship.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted in the course of the selection process. Incomplete or late application packages will not be considered for the position.
The selected fellows will be contacted by April 10.
The ERRC is committed to equal opportunity for all. Romani candidates are particularly encouraged to apply.
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Human Rights First: Joffe Fellow/Senior Associate
Human Rights First is seeking a two-year Joffe Fellow/Senior Associate for the Human Rights Defenders program in the Washington, DC office. The Human Rights Defenders program works to ensure that human rights defenders in our focus countries are able to carry out their essential function free from harm and repression, in accordance with the 1998 U.N. Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.
About the Joffe Fellowship in Human Rights
The Joffe Fellowship honors the legacy of Robert Joffe, a leader of the bar who was known for his brilliance and for his unshakable commitment to human rights. Joffe served on the board of Human Rights First for over 22 years, the last five as vice chair, and was a passionate advocate for victims of injustice and oppression. He spent more than four decades at the law firm of Cravath, Swaine & Moore, serving as presiding partner for seven years.
The Joffe Fellowship is open to lawyers and others with graduate degrees in public policy and human rights. We seek in them the same excellence, the high values, and the uncompromising commitment that defined Robert Joffe.
The Joffe Fellow/Senior Associate will play a key role in formulating and achieving Human Rights Defenders program goals and objectives, including with regard to issues of religious freedom; fostering relationships with human rights advocates, nongovernmental organizations, and the U.S. government; conducting advocacy; engaging in research; developing recommendations, reports, website content, press materials, and other documents; developing specific projects; assisting in efforts to raise funds to support the program; and supervising interns.
For more information: http://ejob.bz/ATS/PortalViewRequirement.do?reqGK=530613
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Human Rights First: Pennoyer Fellow/Senior Associate
Human Rights First is seeking a two-year Pennoyer Fellow/Senior Associate for the Human Rights Defenders program in the Washington, DC office. The Human Rights Defenders program works to ensure that human rights defenders in our focus countries are able to carry out their essential function free from harm and repression, in accordance with the 1998 U.N. Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.
About the Pennoyer Fellowship
Since 2007 Human Rights First has been offering two year, fully funded fellowships named in honor of Robert Pennoyer. Mr. Pennoyer has been a tireless advocate for human rights – in official capacities as well as behind the scenes - for more than 50 years. Through the generous contributions of his friends and family Human Rights First is able to offer these opportunities for talented professionals.
The Pennoyer Fellow/Senior Associate will play a key role in formulating and achieving Human Rights Defenders program goals and objectives; fostering relationships with human rights advocates, nongovernmental organizations, and the U.S. government; conducting advocacy; engaging in research; developing recommendations, reports, website content, press materials, and other documents; developing specific projects; assisting in efforts to raise funds to support the program; and supervising interns.
For more information: http://ejob.bz/ATS/PortalViewRequirement.do?reqGK=530614
INTERIGHTS seeking Litigation Director - Maternity Cover
Application deadline: 18 March 2012
Since 1982 INTERIGHTS has played a leading role in promoting human rights through the use of international and comparative law. We have pursued this through strategic litigation, capacity building and providing information to lawyers, judges and civil society partners worldwide. INTERIGHTS currently focuses its activities in Africa, Europe and the Middle East and North Africa, and thematically on economic and social rights, equality and security and the rule of law.
The Litigation Director has primary responsibility for quality assuring INTERIGHTS' litigation and leading our strategy on the implementation of judgments in cases in which INTERIGHTS has played a significant representational role.
The Litigation Director supports the litigation work of INTERIGHTS' team of nine international human rights lawyers, helping to select cases, develop strategies and finalise briefs, to ensure the highest possible quality of our litigation.
The Litigation Director works closely with an external consultant, the Senior Consultant/Special Counsel (two days per week). The Senior Consultant/Special Counsel supports INTERIGHTS to ensure that specific litigation briefs produced by the legal team are of the highest quality in terms of their content, drafting and legal argument, before submission to court.
This is a rewarding and challenging role in a significant international human rights NGO. You will have extensive and in-depth knowledge of international and comparative human rights law, substantial litigation experience, demonstrable ability to use law as a tool to promote human rights and excellent communication skills including written and spoken English.
The benefits for this post include annual pro rata leave of 25 days per year, and public holidays which will also be pro rata, plus time off during the Christmas period when the office closes from the 24th December -1st January inclusive.
To apply for this post, please go to http://www.interights.org/vacancies/index.html and download an application pack, application form and equal opportunities monitoring form. Please send the completed application form, equal opportunities monitoring form and covering letter via email to the address below, stating the job title in the subject field of the email. Closing date: 18th March 2012. Interviews will be held on 27th March 2012.
If any applicant wishes to discuss this role before applying please contact Interights on 0207 278 3230.
Email: jo...@interights.org
INTERIGHTS is committed to equal opportunities
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Human Rights First seeks a Temporary Part-time Staff Attorney in the Refugee Protection program in our New York office to assist with know-your-rights presentations and screening of unrepresented detainees at the Delaney Hall Detention Center in Newark, New Jersey, during the months of April, May, and June.
Primary Responsibilities:
Working under the supervision of the Deputy Director of the Refugee Protection program, the Temporary Staff Attorney will:
- Conduct know-your-rights presentations for all persons newly detained at the Delaney Hall Detention Center;
- Screen those unable to secure private counsel for possible relief from removal;
- Prepare written case summaries for circulation to our partner organizations in a joint project to provide initial legal information and free legal services to detainees at the Elizabeth Detention Center;
- Assist in local advocacy on behalf of detained asylum seekers;
- Ensure that the refugees represented by Human Rights First’s pro bono program receive high-quality legal representation.
SALARY: Competitive
DAYS PER WEEK: Three (3)
START DATE: April 1, 2012
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Applications will be considered on a rolling basis starting immediately.
How to Apply: Please complete the online application found at: http://www.humanrightsfirst.org
You will be asked to provide:
- Cover letter (upload)
- Resume (upload)
- Names and contact details for three (3) references (enter online)
- Writing sample (upload)
NO PHONE CALLS, PLEASE. Only selected applicants will be contacted for phone or in-person interviews.
For more information: http://ejob.bz/ATS/PortalViewRequirement.do?reqGK=528708
Call for Papers
The New Zealand Yearbook of International Law is currently calling for articles and other submissions for its ninth (2011) edition and the formal call for submissions is attached. The Yearbook, launched in June 2004, is an annual, internationally refereed publication intended to stand as a reference point for legal materials and critical commentary on issues of public international law. The Yearbook serves as a valuable tool in the determination of trends, state practice and policies in the development of international law in New Zealand, the Pacific region, the Southern Ocean and Antarctica and to generate scholarship in those fields. In this regard the Yearbook contains an annual ‘Year-in-Review’ of developments in international law of particular interest to New Zealand as well as sections dedicated to the South Pacific and to Antarctica.
The Editors of the Yearbook are now calling for the submission of articles, commentaries and notes on any aspect of international law. The Editors are particularly keen to receive submissions on issues of especial relevance to New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific. The closing date for submissions is 1 May 2012. Submissions should be sent to Karen...@canterbury.ac.nz.
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Texas Tech University Center for Biodefense, Law &Public Policy along with the Journal of Biosecurity, Biosafety, and Biodefense Law Announce the First Annual Writing Competition.
Topic: A current event within the biodefense community and its potential impact on the laws and regulations governing biodefense.
Prizes: First Place: $700 award, the winning article will be published in the Journal of Biosecurity, Biosafety, and Biodefense Law, as well as the option to present at the Biodefense Center Symposium. Second Place: $200 award. Third Place: $100 award. Additionally, all submissions have the potential of being read and judged by leading authorities in the Biodefense field.
Deadline: April 1, 2012. Winners will be announced May 2012
For additional information see attachments, visit our website at www.ttu.edu/biodefense/<http://www.ttu.edu/biodefense/>, or email us at biodefe...@ttu.edu<mailto:biodefe...@ttu.edu>