GHRN Newsletter, 21st February 2014
1. Events
Wednesday 26th February 2014, 2.30 – 4.00pm Roundtable discussion on the global politics of mineral extraction and trade and their effects on livelihoods in Africa Meadow Lecture Theatre, Old Medical Building, University of Edinburgh Speakers: Chantal Daniels (Senior Policy Advisor at Christian Aid: conflict minerals, Central Africa); Claude Kabemba (Executive Director of Southern Africa Resource Watch); Dr. Wolfgang Zeller (CAS, University of Edinburgh); Dr. Jana Hönke (Politics and IR, University of Edinburgh) Moderation: Sara Dorman (Politics and IR, University of Edinburgh) For more information please visit: http://www.pol.ed.ac.uk/events/conferences/britainafrica50/roundtable
Tuesday 4th March 2014 Human Rights in Scotland: Understanding the challenges and embracing the opportunities Thistle Hotel, Glasgow This conference aims to promote greater respect for the importance of human rights by ensuring a better understanding of the extent of the obligations and freedoms deriving from domestic and international human rights law. For more information and to book, please visit: http://www.mackayhannah.com/conferences/human-rights-in-scotland
4th - 5th March 2014 How to Litigate Before the European Court of Human Rights - Practical Guide to Procedure Strasbourg This seminar aims to prepare the parties of a potential case before the Strasbourg Court on the practical aspects of its procedure. Key topics: • What national remedies must be sought before submitting an application to the Court in Strasbourg? • What admissibility criteria have to be complied with? • What should an individual application contain? • What are the objectives of the written and the oral parts of the proceedings? For further information and details of how to register, please visit: https://www.era.int/cgi-bin/cms?_SID=0a18f4fff9e2db2cc7b2e72379252c7b9bf23ef900275267550820&_sprache=en&_bereich=artikel&_aktion=detail&idartikel=124238
Monday 10th March 2014 Employment, Race Equality and the Referendum Senate Room, University of Glasgow BEMIS Scotland and partners, the Scottish Refugee Council and STUC (One Workplace Equal Rights), are pleased to announce the latest in an annual series of conferences focused on employment. The conference will seek to generate informed debate regarding employment and race equality in relation to the independence referendum, and what the Scottish Government's White Paper on independence proposes. If you would like to register to attend this conference, please fill in this registration form, or email events@bemis.org.uk, and give your name, organisation, and any dietary, access or other requirements.
Tuesday 1st April 2014, 6.00 – 8.00pm (registration/refreshments from 5.15pm) HIV, Human Rights and Development Network Debate The Future of HIV, Migration and Human Rights in Scotland University of Edinburgh Modelled on the BBC Question Time and anchored by Prof Susan Deacon (Assistant Principal, Corporate Engagement and Professorial Fellow of The University of Edinburgh), the debate will explore the “Future of HIV, Migration and Human Rights in Scotland”. We hope that such a debate will feed in to the wider debates in the context of Scottish independence referendum. Panelists: Jim Eadie MSP; Kezia Dugdale MSP; Patrick Harvie MSP; Prof Alen Miller, Chair of Scottish Human Rights Commission; Dr Dan Clutterbuck, Consultant in Genitourinary & HIV medicine, NHS Lothian Lead Clinician Sexual Health, NHS Borders; Jackie Morton, Chair, HIV Scotland; Flutura Shala, Head of Asylum Services, Scottish Refugee Council and Mildred Zimunya, Manager, African Health Project, Waverley Care, Glasgow Welcome by: Prof Charlie Jeffery (Vice Principal Public Policy & Impact, The University of Edinburgh) (This event will be filmed & photographed and media reps may be present). Places are free but need to be booked in advance, no later than 26th March 2014 To book a place, please email your name and contact details to Emma Giles, emma.giles@ed.ac.uk | 0131 650 9370
Tuesday 8th April 2014 Stateless but not Rightless: Improving the Protection of Stateless Persons in Europe Room 3, Palais de l'Europe, Strasbourg Organised jointly by the European Network on Statelessness and the UNHCR Representation to the European Institutions in Strasbourg The event will include a key note speech by the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr. Nils Muižnieks, as well as two main panels including representatives of relevant international organisations, NGOs, State authorities as well as a Judge of the European Court of Human Rights, academics and legal practitioners, who will discuss "Standards and practice on statelessness determination and protection" and "The protection of stateless persons through courts and quasi-judicial bodies". The Conference is open notably to practicing lawyers, members of the CoE Secretariat, Parliamentarians, States and NGO representatives. However, please note that due to a limited number of places we strongly encourage you to confirm your attendance as early as possible. There is no registration fee but participants will need to arrange their own travel and accommodation if required. Please register by Friday 14th March. For registration details and more information, please visit: http://www.statelessness.eu/capacity-building/ensunhcr-statelessness-conference-strasbourg-8-april-2014
2. Calls for Papers
Glasgow Human Rights (GHRN) Conference 2014 29th – 30th May 2014 University of Glasgow The Glasgow Human Rights Network (GHRN) are hosting a 2-day conference in May 2014 and invite contributions from researchers and practitioners working on the status and role of human rights in evolving political, societal and economic contexts. This conference comes at a particularly pertinent time when Scotland’s own constitutional future is under question in the run up to the independence referendum and where this is increasing polarisation from Westminster on issues relating to human rights, welfare and social justice. The GHRN are keen to highlight and embed a focus on human rights in this debate. The conference aims to bring a comparative perspective to the Scottish context by critically reflecting on the role a human rights discourse has played, and should play, in Scotland’s uncertain times, and by highlighting international experiences that might provide valuable lessons for Scotland. We welcome contributions from any disciplinary perspective, or an interdisciplinary perspective with a Scottish, other national, international or comparative focus. Keynotes include: Patrick Harvie, Leader of the Green Party and Member of the Scottish Parliament Dr. Alison Hosie, Head of Research at the Scottish Human Rights Commission Further keynotes TBC Proposals for panels and/or papers may use the following themes as starting points, but this is not an exclusive list: Stream A: Human rights in Scotland: opportunities and areas for development Stream B: Where are human rights in the independence debate? Stream C: What happens to human rights in countries that become independent or devolved? Stream D: Comparative perspectives on human rights in times of political and economic uncertainty Stream E: Embedding human rights in domestic contexts (welcome contributions from any country) Stream F: Reflections on how gender, sexuality, race, class, disability impact on the realisation of human rights Submission requirements and deadlines: Abstracts for panel proposals to be submitted for consideration by 24th February 2014. Panels should comprise 3 speakers and a chair/discussant and proposals should include the panel title, list of speakers/chair, short biographies (no more than 100 words) for each speaker; and include abstracts of no more than 250 words for all papers. Abstracts for individual papers of no more than 250 words should also be submitted by 24th February 2014 to Jo.Ferrie@glasgow.ac.uk Authors of panels and papers selected for inclusion will be notified in early March 2014 Conference Attendance Costs The cost includes refreshments, lunch, access to the full programme of papers, wifi and invitation to the conference social event (29th May 6-8pm). Thurs 29th & Fri 30th May £150 Thurs 29th OR Fri 30th May £85 Thurs 29th & Fri 30th May (student rate) £75
Women in War and at War: Recent developments 18th – 19th September 2014 University of Warwick Women’s roles in war are complex and varied and are not limited to that of victims. During the Arab Spring, women took to the streets protesting against oppressive regimes in North Africa and the Middle East. We are also witnessing a significant rise in female political activism during conflict: many women increasingly find Internet, blogs and social media a useful tool to fight oppression, advocate change but also to report from war zones. Many women actively participate in combat, in regular armed forces but also as guerillas and, freedom fighters. They are also compelled to fight as girl child soldiers. Abstracts of max. 250 words should be submitted by 28th February 2014 to womeninatwar@gmail.com. Authors of selected abstracts will be informed by mid-March 2014. For more information, please visit: http://ilg2.org/2014/01/11/call-for-papers-women-in-war-and-at-war-conference-2014/
The Association of Human Rights Institutes Conference 2014 Human Rights Under Pressure: Exploring norms, institutions and policies 29th – 30th September 2014 The Danish Institute for Human Rights and the Faculty of Law, University of Copenhagen Papers can be presented on any topic related to human rights and should be unpublished. Interdisciplinary projects and jointly authored papers are welcomed. Proposals for entire pa-nels (up to four papers) are equally welcome, indicating the title, abstract and author of each paper as well as proposed chairs and discussants. The deadline for submission is 1st May 2014. Full details can be downloaded at http://www.ahri-network.org/
Scotland's Children: Possible Futures? 5th – 6th September 2014 School of Education, University of Strathclyde On the 18th September 2014 the people of Scotland will vote to determine whether it will become an independent nation. Whatever the outcome, there will be implications for Scotland’s children. Interestingly, too, many children will have a real voice in this referendum since sixteen and seventeen year olds will be enfranchised. Proposals of up to 200 words should be submitted electronically by the deadline of Monday 31st March 2014. For more information and details of how to submit a proposal, please visit: http://www.strath.ac.uk/humanities/schoolofeducation/ccc/.
3. Notices
The human rights sections of the American Political Science Association, the European Consortium for Political Research, the International Political Science Association, and the International Studies Association, are pleased to announce the publication of the panel program and the opening of registration for the third joint international conference on human rights, on the theme “Human Rights and Change” to take place 16th – 18th June 2014 at Kadir Has Üniversitesi in Istanbul. You can find the program, and a link to registration, here: http://www.isanet.org/Conferences/HRIstanbul2014/Program.aspx . We had an overwhelming response to our call for papers, resulting in an excellent and diverse program. Other elements of the program, including plenary sessions, will be posted in the coming weeks. The conference is being organized in association with, and will be followed immediately by the ACUNS Annual Meeting: "Global Governance: Engaging New Norms and Emerging Challenges". The ACUNS annual meeting will also be held at Kadir Has University, from June 19 - 21. The paper proposal deadline for the ACUNS conference is 3 March. Individuals registered to attend either conference will be eligible to receive a 20% discount registration for the other conference. The organisers gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the following: Glasgow Human Rights Network, University of Glasgow Centre for Global Constitutionalism, University of St. Andrews International Studies Association Human Rights Section International Political Science Association Human Rights Research Committee European Consortium for Political Research Standing Group on Human Rights and Transition Journal of Human Rights The organisers also acknowledge the support of Kadir Has University and the Academic Council on the United Nations System. The Human Rights and Change Team: Kurt Mills Chandra Sriram Anja Mihr Bethany Barratt Anthony Lang Fusun Turkmen
Human Rights, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in the Commonwealth The first book on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender human rights in the Commonwealth has been published and is available to download entirely free online as part of a global dissemination strategy in partnership with activists and NGOs that contributed chapters. Human Rights, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in the Commonwealth: Struggles for Decriminalisation and Change is co-edited by Matthew Waites (Senior Lecturer in Sociology, University of Glasgow) and Corinne Lennox (Institute of Commonwealth Studies, London), and published by School of Advanced Study on a not-for-profit basis, in print or free online at: http://commonwealth.sas.ac.uk/publications/house-publications/lgbt-rights-commonwealth. For ongoing updates on debates and knowledge exchange related to the book, see Matthew’s staff website: http://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/socialpolitical/staff/matthewwaites/ and follow Matthew on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MatthewWaites. Further information can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/#!/HumanRightsSOGICommonwealth
The Rainbow International LGBT Activist Solidarity Fund A new fund was been launched in Central London 8th December. The Rainbow International LGBT Activist Solidarity Fund will provide critical financial assistance to frontline LGBT rights activists – principally in the countries where being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender is still illegal – so as to empower individuals and groups to campaign for LGBT rights, sexual liberation, equality, justice, democratic change, and working class unity. For more information, please visit: www.rainbow-international-fund.org
The Poverty and Social Exclusion (PSE) website, http://www.poverty.ac.uk, is a free educational resource for academics, students, NGOs and policy makers interested in evidence-based research on poverty and social exclusion in the UK. It is a comprehensive research tool, containing information on: methodology, conducting original and ethical research, research findings, international surveys, as well as up-to-date articles and a searchable digest of news stories and reports on welfare, poverty, inequality and more. It will also be publish the results of two major surveys over the next few weeks. This website is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, (ESRC) and is a major collaboration between the University of Bristol, Heriot-Watt University, The Open University, Queen's University Belfast, University of Glasgow and the University of York, working with the National Centre for Social Research and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. Join in the Poverty and Social Exclusion attitudes to necessities survey at www.poverty.ac.uk/take-part. • Contact the PSE if you are interested in writing an article for the website. • Follow and tweet comments @PSE2010 • Register to post comments on the website The PSE are keen to hear from students and educators about what they would like to see on the PSE website, including any specific research papers they would like to suggest for inclusion. The PSE are also in the process of adding links on the PSE website to other organisations and projects researching poverty and social exclusion so if you have suggestions, again, do contact the PSE.
If you have an announcement for an event or resource which may be of interest to other members of GHRN, please send them to GHRNadmin@glasgow.ac.uk for inclusion in the bulletin.
http://www.gla.ac.uk/research/az/glasgowhumanrightsnetwork/