Upcoming Human Rights Events and Opportunities (July 5, 2012)
LeitnerCenter LeitnerCenter
Leitner Center events:
(none scheduled)
Other Opportunities:
Upcoming Events
Internships
Fellowships
Positions
Call for papers
Open Society Foundations: Criminalizing Condoms: Policing Practices, HIV Vulnerability and Sex Work
Date: July 17, 2012
Time: 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Location: OSI – New York
HIV prevention programs globally have recognized the importance of ensuring sex workers have access to condoms and increasing their ability to use them. Yet before sex workers can use condoms, they need to be able to carry and keep them. In countries around the world—including the U.S.—police are actively engaged in stopping and searching sex workers and confiscating or destroying condoms found in their possession. In other cases, police use possession of condoms as grounds to arrest or detain people on charges of sex work. In some jurisdictions courts allow condoms to be used as evidence to convict people on prostitution-related charges.
At a panel event on July 17, the Open Society Foundations will release a report that documents the police practice of using condoms as evidence of prostitution and its impact on sex workers’ lives, including their vulnerability to HIV. Activists from New York, South Africa, and Zimbabwe who were involved in the research will discuss the report’s findings and the implications of these policing practices on sex workers and their communities.
- Sienna Baskin, Director, Sex Workers Project, Urban Justice Center
- Kholi Buthelezi, Sisonke National Coordinator / African Sex Worker Alliance Country Coordinator, South Africa
- Sian Maseko, Director, Sexual Rights Centre, Zimbabwe
- Moderator: Acacia Shields, author of Criminalizing Condoms: How Policing Practices Put Sex Workers and HIV Services at Risk in Kenya, Namibia, Russia, South Africa, the United States, and Zimbabwe
Refreshments will be served.
For more information: http://www.soros.org/events/criminalizing-condoms-policing-practices-hiv-vulnerability-and-sex-work.
Internships
UN: DPI NGO Youth Reps
Youth representatives are wanted to be invited to join a panel organized by UNFPA and UNRWA to be part of a side event during the Humanitarian Affairs Segment at UN Headquarters in NY on July 18th. The topic of the event is youth in humanitarian crisis and how to ensure inclusion of youth in decision making and programming. The organizers are searching for a youth representative to sit on the panel and 5-10 youth representatives as participants to make sure youth are represented in this discussion.
It would be great if DPI NGO Youth Reps can join and be part of the panel as well as participate. There is no geographical restriction, however since the discussion is about humanitarian crisis and refugees, the youth representative should ideally have some experience on these issues.
If you have any contacts/recommendations, please send the Leitner Center (leitne...@law.fordham.edu) the names and contact information of the Youth Rep by Monday, 9 July.
We have also reached out to some Youth Reps through the DPI/NGO Youth Rep Facebook to see if any of them are interested.
______________________________________________________________________________
Call for Assistant Editors, Interdisciplinary Journal of Human Rights Law (IJHRL)
The Council for American Students in International Negotiations (CASIN), along with the Advisory Board of the Interdisciplinary Journal of Human Rights Law (IJHRL), is currently seeking applications for the position of Assistant Editor. The IJHRL is a scholarly, peer reviewed academic journal focusing on interdisciplinary issues relating to human rights law. Individuals with editorial experience specializing in issues concerning international human rights law are highly encouraged to apply. Candidates should be available to assume their titles immediately. Interested candidates must be available to work part-time online from their present location. Due to the IJHRL's strict production schedule, editors must consistently adhere to assigned deadlines. The AE serves a renewable one-year, one-volume term.
Assistant Editors are afforded substantial input in the journal’s content and have unparalleled opportunities to work closely with a wide range of international scholars. Opportunities for additional responsibility and promotion within the organization are available to highly motivated candidates.
Qualifications: Candidates should have strong editing, research and writing skills, in addition to a demonstrated interest and background in human rights. Applicants should have relevant academic experience in the field of human rights, political science, history, law, sociology, religion, journalism, international affairs, area studies or another relevant field with a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in their field of specialty. Master’s or professional degree preferred. Lawyers, law students and those with experience working with an academic or law journal, particularly with experience in Bluebook citation formatting, are especially encouraged to apply.
Duties: Assistant Editors report to the Managing Editor and Editor-in-Chief of the journal. Primary responsibilities of Assistant Editors include reviewing submissions and preparing them for publication. This includes editing for content, formatting, grammar, style, as well as fact checking, cite checking, final copyediting and typesetting. Assistant editors are expected to initially review manuscripts submitted by authors, provide constructive comments, and determine the manuscript’s suitability for publication and contribution to the field. Assistant editors are also responsible for general editing, copy editing, cite checking and proofreading. Candidates should also have steady access to email, library/research facilities and databases for fact and citation checking purposes. Members will be identified according to their availability and expertise.
Compensation: All positions with the IJHRL are performed on a volunteer basis. The position of Assistant Editor is thoroughly rewarding: benefits include the satisfaction of producing high-quality scholarly work, engaging with top scholars, and working with highly motivated staff. Past editors have used the position as a staging ground for coveted positions in academia and law.
To apply, please send a letter of interest, resume/CV, relevant writing sample, contact information for three references and examples of past editing work (if applicable), in .doc or .pdf format to ij...@americanstudents.us by July 15, 2012. In the letter of interest, please indicate that you are applying as an Assistant Editor for the Interdisciplinary Journal of Human Rights Law. Competitive candidates will be asked to review and edit a sample article. For additional information, please visit our website at http://www.americanstudents.us/journals/ijhrl/.
______________________________________________________________________________
Call for Copy Editors, Interdisciplinary Journal of Human Rights Law (IJHRL)
The Council for American Students in International Negotiations (CASIN), along with the Advisory Board of the Interdisciplinary Journal of Human Rights Law (IJHRL), is currently seeking applications for the position of Copy Editor. The IJHRL is a scholarly, peer reviewed academic journal focusing on interdisciplinary issues relating to human rights law. Candidates should be available to assume their titles immediately. Interested candidates must be available to work part-time online from their present location. Due to the IJHRL's strict production schedule, editors must consistently adhere to assigned deadlines. The Copy Editor serves a renewable one-year, one-volume term.
Qualifications: Candidates should have strong editing, research and writing skills, with excellent critical thinking skills, keen attention to detail and adherence to deadlines. Applicants should have a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in their field of specialty (international relations, human rights, law, journalism, literature or related field). Master’s or professional degree preferred. Fluency in English (oral and written) is required at the native speaker level. Those with experience working with an academic journal, particularly with experience in Bluebook citation formatting, are especially encouraged to apply. Prior work experience in publishing and/or editing is highly preferred.
Duties: Copy Editors report to the Managing Editor and Editor-in-Chief of the journal. The primary responsibility of Copy Editors is to finalize submissions for publication. This includes editing manuscripts for spelling, punctuation, grammar and flow, as well as ensuring that the submission adheres to the CASIN style guide and Bluebook citation formatting. Copy Editors are responsible for ensuring that articles adhere to the guidelines provided for layout and typesetting, including standardizing headlines, margins, headers and footers, as well as formatting citations and footnotes. Copy Editors will also be asked to perform final proofreading. Candidates should also have steady access to email and internet. Members will be identified according to their availability and expertise.
Compensation: All positions with the IJHRL are performed on a volunteer basis. The position of Copy Editor is thoroughly rewarding: benefits include the satisfaction of producing high-quality scholarly work, engaging with top scholars, and working with highly motivated staff. Past editors have used the position as a staging ground for coveted positions in academia and law.
To apply, please send a letter of interest, resume/CV, relevant writing sample, contact information for three references and examples of past editing work (if applicable), in .doc or .pdf format to ij...@americanstudents.us by July 15, 2012. In the letter of interest, please indicate that you are applying as Copy Editor for the Interdisciplinary Journal of Human Rights Law. Competitive candidates will be asked to review and edit a sample article. For additional information, please visit our website at http://www.americanstudents.us/journals/ijhrl/.
Fellowships
2012-2013 RFK Donald Wilson Fellowship
DUTIES:
Duties will include, but not be limited to, conducting extensive research on the 2012 RFK Human Rights Award Laureate's work, his/her country of origin, its human rights landscape, guiding national and international laws, and related U.S. and international policy. In addition to completing critical background research, the RFK Fellow will work closely with the RFK Partners for Human Rights Director and programmatic staff to develop long-term strategies, legal actions, and advocacy campaigns to support the 2012 Laureate. The RFK Donald Wilson Fellow will also assist with RFK Center's broader human rights work, providing substantive and administrative support as needed. The Donald Wilson Fellowship is a one-year position beginning in September 2012.
QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:
The ideal candidate will have experience with regional and international human rights mechanisms; working knowledge of the United Nations system, domestic legislative and human rights systems; an ability to maintain active contacts with key stakeholders in the aforementioned systems to support the goals and objectives of the RFK Human Rights Award Laureates; an ability to master complex human rights issues under tight deadlines; and excellent written and verbal communication skills.
A Juris Doctor's degree is required. Fluency in Arabic, French, or Spanish is strongly preferred.
ORGANIZATION:
Founded in 1968, the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights (RFK Center), formerly Robert F. Kennedy Memorial, works to realize Robert F. Kennedy's vision of social justice. The Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award was established in 1984 to honor courageous leaders and activists from around the world who dedicate their lives to overcoming serious human rights violations, often at great personal risk. Each year, after a thorough nomination process, a human rights defender is named the recipient of the RFK Human Rights Award. The RFK Center engages in long-term partnerships with RFK Human Rights Award recipients (Laureates) to concretely contribute to their social justice goals and make an impact on the global human rights movement. The RFK Center combines innovative human rights tools and advocacy campaigns with a rights-based approach driven by our grassroots partners around the world. It provides legal and technical assistance, marshals resources, increases public awareness, and generates domestic and international political support for the growing ranks of Laureates. The RFK Center engages a Global Advocacy Team of pro-bono experts, professional human rights staff, and the Kennedy family and their networks to advocate for the change its Laureates seek; these include changing policies and actions of governments, intergovernmental organizations, international financial institutions (IFIs), and corporations. The RFK Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization established to carry forward RFK's legacy of justice and tolerance.
DONALD WILSON FELLOWSHIP:
In 2011, the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights established the Donald M. Wilson Fellowship program to provide a position at the RFK Center to one outstanding recent law school graduate each year. Donald Wilson and his family recognized the need for greater support for recent graduates who wish to devote their professional lives to public service and generously endowed the Fellowship program at the RFK Center.
The fellowship carries the name of the prominent magazine journalist who developed a close friendship with Robert Kennedy during John F. Kennedy's presidential campaign. A LIFE magazine correspondent for twelve years, Donald Wilson covered the Korean and Viet Nam wars for the magazine and afterward led LIFE's Washington, D.C., bureau, where he met Robert Kennedy. Following the campaign, Donald Wilson was appointed deputy director of the United States Information Agency (USIA) and served under presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. In 1989, he retired as Corporate Vice President-Public Affairs at Time Inc. In 1991, with James L. Greenfield, a former assistant managing editor at The New York Times, he founded the Independent Journalism Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to promoting free and independent media in Eastern and Central Europe and Southeast Asia. The RFK Donald Wilson Fellowship provides invaluable training and experience for a recent law school graduate preparing for a career in human rights.
If interested please e-mail a cover letter, resume, writing sample, and 3 references to:
Stephanie Postar
Subject: RFK Donald Wilson Fellow
Please note, due to the high volume of applications received, the RFK Center will follow up with candidates directly in regards to the interview process. No calls or emails, please. For candidates taking the July 2012 Bar Exam, we anticipate interviews to begin in August, 2012.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
2013-2014 JENNINGS RANDOLPH PROGRAM FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE SENIOR FELLOWSHIP Posted: 06/03/2010
Washington, DC
UNITED STATES INSTITUTE OF PEACE
http://www.usip.org
Job Type: FELLOWSHIP - Non-Legal
Schedule Type: Full Time
Application Deadline: 09/08/2011
Practice Areas: Academic, International Law/Human Rights, Legislative/Policy Issues
Job Description
The Jennings Randolph (JR) Senior Fellowship provides scholars, policy analysts, policy makers, journalists, and other experts with opportunities to spend time in residence at the Institute, reflecting and writing on pressing international peace and security challenges.
Senior Fellowships usually last for ten months, starting in October, but shorter-term fellowships are also available. Fellowships are open to citizens of any country.
The Institute awards between 10 and 12 fellowships per year.
Priority is given to proposals deemed likely to make timely and significant contributions to the understanding and resolution of ongoing and emerging conflicts and other challenges to international peace and security.
Applications are invited from all disciplines and professions.
Applicants should propose projects with clear policy relevance. Historical topics are appropriate if they promise to shed light on contemporary issues. Area studies projects and single-case studies will be competitive if they focus on conflict and its resolution, apply to other regions and cases, or both.
Senior Fellow awards may not be granted for projects that constitute policymaking for a government agency or private organization, focus to any substantial degree on conflicts within U.S. domestic society, or adopt a partisan, advocacy, or activist stance.
Qualifications
Citizens of any country may apply. Non-U.S. Citizens without permanent resident status must obtain a J-1 exchange visitor visa to participate in the Fellowship Program. J-1 status requires recipients to reside in their home country for two years following the fellowship before applying for the H or L visa, or for permanent residency in the United States.
There is no specific educational degree requirement for Senior Fellowship candidates. Fellows come from a variety of professional backgrounds and from early, middle, and late stages of their careers.
Joint applications (two or more applicants for a single project) will not be accepted.
The following examples suggest the range of eligible candidates:
- Government and Nongovernment Pracitioners in international security, peacebuilding, and public affairs, such as diplomats, negotiators, mediators, government policymakers and admininstrators, military officials, officials and professional staff of international organizations, international lawyers, community leaders, businesspersons, labor leaders, clergy, and leaders in health and humanitarian affairs;
- Scholars and Researchers, such as college and university professors, policy analysts in governmental or nongovernment research organizations, and independent consultants and writers;
- Media and Communications Specialists such as journalists, editors, and producers in print, television, radio, and other communications media.
Salary
- The program attempts to match the recipient's earned income during the year preceding the fellowships, up to a maximum of $100,000 for 10 months.
- The Institute will provide coverage of 80% of health premiums for the Fellow and his/her eligible dependents, with a cap of $500 per month.
- The Institute will also cover travel to and from Washington, D.C., for Fellows and their dependents.
- Each Fellows is provided with a part-time research assistant during his/her fellowship.
- The Institute does not provide housing in Washington D.C., but it provides information on housing, schools, and daycare.
- Fellows are expected to be at the Institute and participate in the daily life of the Institute.
- Fellows are expected to devote full attention to their fellowship work in order to complete their projects within the period of residency.
- The Institute requires first right of review for manuscripts produced as a result of fellowship support.
- An Institute fellowship may not be deferred or combined with any other major award.
Application Instructions:
The Senior Fellowship applications are available online at www.usip.org/fellows/apply.html or visit http://www.usip.org/grants-fellowships/jennings-randolph-senior-fellowship-program/ for more information.
The 2013-2014 Senior Fellowship Application is due on September 10, 2012.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Positions
Senior Program Manager, MENA (Staff)
The Senior Program Manager will have region-wide programmatic, financial and operational responsibilities. S/he will manage/supervise program staff and may serve as primary manager of specialized programs. Responsible for program development, including writing grant proposals. There will be visits to the region in order to assess programs. The Senior Program Manager also assists in managing donor relations.
Education: Must have a JD.
Experience: Must have a JD and at least 4 years experience; experience in working with USG funded programs; experience or knowledge of legal reform issues in region; language proficiency required or extremely helpful; management experience required. There will also be extensive travel involved with the Senior Program Manager position.
HOW TO APPLY
To apply, please visithttp://www.americanbar.org/utility/about_the_aba/human_resources/aba_job_search.html. Due to the high volume of applicants, only candidates selected for interview will be contacted.
______________________________________________________________________________
ESCR-Net Consultant –Summer and Fall 2012
Production of a Guide on Strategic Litigation under the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
The International Network for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR-Net) seeks to provide a space for organizations, individual advocates, and academics to share resources and information, to discuss key issues and potential responses, and to explore possibilities for collective efforts to support the effective implementation of economic, social and cultural rights.
The Adjudication Working Group of ESCR-Net initiated a Strategic Litigation Initiative in 2009 focused on supporting emblematic ESCR cases, particularly those which might support international jurisprudence under the OP-ICESCR.
The overarching objectives for this project include:
Helping to build a movement for use of ESC rights litigation that is directed toward support for the OP-ICESCR;
Supporting conditions and cases for litigation before other UN treaty bodies on ESC rights, including through legal advice and amicus interventions;
Increasing awareness and capacity to use the OP-ICESCR, including ratification of the instrument;
Develop a transnational research and advocacy agenda on implementation and a space for sharing and learning from the developments in different jurisdictions; and
Use the knowledge developed above to strategically advocate for implementation of key ESCR cases.
In addition to facilitating collective legal support and building linkages across regions, the Working Group has prioritized the development of a guide with focused on legal strategies for bringing complaints under the OP-ICESCR. This guide will build on the rich and nuanced understanding of the relevant issues discussed in the background paper for the SLI workshop and the Expert Commentary on the OP-ICESCR (forthcoming) to help guide potential claimants and lawyers on developing a strong claim under this mechanism.
Responsibilities:
ESCR-Net is seeking a consultant to draft the guide with reference and integration of material from the relevant resources referenced as well as oversee a revision and editorial process for publication of the resource.
Tasks:
Mapping and identifying trends with regard to ESCR cases brought before UN Committees through individual complaints;
Identifying main challenges faced by individual complainants presenting claims before UN Committees, including issues of admissibility;
Giving recommendations on how to face those challenges, specifically in relation to the OP-ICESCR given the procedural and substantive differences of this mechanism;
Reporting to ESCR-Net Secretariat staff regularly as well as occasionally communicating with the Steering Committee for the Strategic Litigation Initiative during the revision process;
Creating a complete first draft of a step-by-step manual on bringing a case under OP-ICESCR;
Coordinating input and comments from ESCR-Net Secretariat staff, Adjudication working group members and other relevant experts . Integrating and revising draft manual based on comments and input from above;
Working with Administrative staff to input draft manual into an electronically publishable format.
Qualifications:
High level of knowledge and experience using ESC rights framework and the OP-ICESCR;
Strong research capabilities;
Strong English-language writing and communication skills;
Reliable and organized, consistent attention to detail;
Capacity to work independently;
JD or equivalent;
Demonstrated commitment to advancing human rights and social justice
Timeframe:
The guide should be completed in five months.
A preliminary outline for the guide has already been produced. A detailed outline should be presented in two weeks after the contract is signed. The outline will be revised by an editorial board for comments.
After approval of the outline, a total of three drafts should be presented to the editorial board by the consultant: o A first draft should be presented in two months with a list of case studies related to each of the sections. A template shall be produced to assure that case studies are reported in a consistent way. o A pre-final draft should be presented in four months with the case studies already inserted in the text. o A final draft should incorporate comments raised by the editorial committee and be presented in five months after the contract is signed.
Acknowledgment:
This will serve as an institutional publication of ESCR-Net. Authorship as well as other input and support will be recognized on an Acknowledgments page on the inside cover.
HOW TO APPLY
Please send your resume, an unedited writing sample, and a cover letter explaining your interest and specific qualifications to Daniela Ikawa at dik...@escr-net.org by July 20.
Only finalists will be contacted for interviews.
ESCR-Net, a project of Tides Center, is an equal opportunity employer. We strongly encourage and seek applications from women, people of color, including bilingual and bicultural individuals, as well as members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities. Applicants shall not be discriminated against because of race, religion, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, color, marital status, medical condition (cancer-related) or conditions Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and AIDS-related conditions (ARC). Reasonable accommodation will be made so that qualified disabled applicants may participate in the application process. Please advise in writing of special needs at the time of application.
______________________________________________________________________________
Call for Papers
Call for Papers, Interdisciplinary Journal of Human Rights Law (IJHRL)
The Interdisciplinary Journal of Human Rights Law (IJHRL) is an annual, peer-reviewed scholarly journal which explores political, philosophical, and legal questions related to international human rights from diverse perspectives. It strives to create a more thoughtful polity better able to make informed choices about ethical foreign policymaking. The journal invites quality submissions from scholars, jurists, and professionals in fields related to human rights. Occasionally, exceptional student work will be accepted. The IJHRL also welcomes review essays, book reviews, and comments/notes from the field. The deadline for submissions for consideration for the 2012-2013 issue is August 1, 2012.
Manuscripts must be computer generated in MS Word and submitted electronically in .doc format via e-mail or Berkeley Electronic Press’s ExpressO submission service. Each submission should contain an abstract of no more than 150 words, a CV, appropriate contact information and a cover letter to the editor assuring that the manuscript has not been submitted or published elsewhere and that the author will not submit the manuscript to any other publication while under consideration with the IJHRL. Manuscripts should range from 3,000 to 10,000 words (approximately 15-25 pages) and be typed, double-spaced. Notes from the field run at approximately 4,000-5,000 words. Book reviews may run from 1,000 to 2,500 words. Please cite sources in standard American legal format according to The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation. Submissions that do not adhere to the aforementioned guidelines may not be considered for publication.
Submissions are subject to external, double-blind peer review. Additionally, authors are encouraged to seek comments on their manuscripts from colleagues within their discipline. Notification of acceptance, rejection or need for revision will be given within approximately 6-8 weeks of receipt of manuscript.
Submissions and other editorial correspondence should be addressed to ij...@americanstudents.us. For additional information, please visit our website at http://www.americanstudents.us/journals/ijhrl/.
______________________________________________________________________________
Call for Submissions
5th GoJIL International Law Essay Competition “The Interplay of International and National Law”
The Goettingen Journal of International Law (GoJIL; www.gojil.eu) is the first student-run journal in the field of International Law in Germany. Our object is to publish a journal that fosters debate among scholars of diverse fields in International Law and related disciplines. Since 2009 the journal has already published four issues.
The backbone of GoJIL is formed by the Editorial Board, a group of enthusiastic students and scholars from various academic disciplines. As we are students ourselves, we want to give young scholars the chance to gain practical experience and make their own professional scientific publication with GoJIL.
To make this possible, the GoJIL hosts an annual International Law Essay Competition on a current topic in International Law. This year’s topic is “The Interplay of International and National Law”.
In our current global political and legal system, international law does not only influence national law, but also depends on it. Can national law set borders for the content of international treaties or does it become more flexible as treaties force interaction with other judicial systems? Can it be used to settle conflicts between national powers? How are treaties, both bi-lateral and multi-lateral, implemented on the domestic level? What is the impact of UN Security Council Resolutions or Human Rights agreements on States' law and politics? These are just a few of the numerous questions you could raise and address in your essay.
The deadline for your submission is 15 August 2012. The maxim word count is 3 000 words (without footnotes).
If you would like to write an article or are already working on the subject, send in your essay! The best article will be published in the Goettingen Journal of International Law - GoJIL Vol 4 No 3. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at in...@gojil.eu! We strongly encourage you to take advantage of this great opportunity and hand in your submissions on the topic.