GHRN Information Bulletin 27th September 2013
1. Events
Friday 27th September – Saturday 12th October 2013
Take One Action Film Festival
Various venues in Glasgow and Edinburgh
Take One Action spotlights stories that connect us across the planet: from the Occupy movement to climate change, women’s global empowerment, fracking, international development and more.
For the full programme of events, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/takeoneaction/events
Thursday 3rd October 2013
What is the Welfare State?
David Garland, Professor of Law and Professor of Sociology, New York University
6.00 pm, Sir Charles Wilson Lecture Theatre, University of Glasgow
Since the 1980s, the “welfare state” has rarely sounded a positive note in political debate. But if the phrase has gone out of fashion, the reality it describes continues to be a fundamental feature of the world in which we live. For all its defects and dilemmas, the welfare state is an essential element of contemporary capitalism and a vital concomitant of democratic government. It is neither a policy choice nor a political preference: it is a fundamental dimension of modern society. The aim of this lecture is to cut through the fog of myths and misunderstandings and explain in clear and simple terms, what the welfare state is, how it works, and why it matters.
This lecture forms part of a series of events hosted by the School of Law in 2013 to celebrate the Tercentenary of the Regius Chair in Law. The School will also host lectures by Eleanor Sharpston (Advocate General, Court of Justice of the European Union) and Martti Koskenniemi (Professor of International Law, University of Helsinki) in November 2013. Further details of these lectures and of other Tercentenary events will be made available via www.gla.ac.uk/schools/law/tercentenary.
Thursday 3rd October 2013
The Annual Robert Burgess Memorial Lecture, Strathclyde University School of Law
‘Value Added: What Regional Human Rights Systems Contribute to the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights’
Dinah L Shelton, Manatt/Ahn Professor of International Law, The George Washington University Law School
6.00 – 7.15pm, University of Strathclyde, Collins Building, Richmond Street
Professor Shelton is Manatt/Ahn Professor of International Law at The George Washington University in Washington DC. In 2009, she was the first woman nominated by the United States to become a member of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and during this time she has acted both as the President of the Commission and the Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Professor Shelton is an acclaimed authority more generally on international law, environmental law and human rights law and has produced several prize-winning works. Professor Shelton is on the editorial board of the American Journal of International Law and is a former vice-president of the American Society of International Law. As well as serving on the boards of many human rights and environmental organisations she has acted as a legal consultant to the United Nations Environment Programme, UNITAR, the World Health Organization, the European Union, the Council of Europe, and the Organization of American States.
Refreshments served from 5.30pm.
Tuesday 8th October 2013
University of Edinburgh Chrystal Macmillan Lecture 2013
Ten Years on: Is the International Criminal Court Delivering for Women?
6.00pm, King Khalid Building, Hill Square (directly behind The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh)
Political scientist Professor Louise Chappell – a leading expert on the International Criminal Court – will deliver the University of Edinburgh’s Chrystal Macmillan Lecture 2013. The Lecture – on October 8th – is entitled, Ten Years on: Is the International Criminal Court Delivering for Women?
In the lecture, Professor Chappell reflects upon the first decade of the Court’s operation and evaluates the extent to which it has lived up to its promise to promote gender justice. The ICC has an innovative mandate that includes the most advanced articulation ever, under international law, of crimes of sexual and gender based violence and groundbreaking procedures to allow the victims of these crimes to seek redress.
Tickets are free. Further information and tickets at: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/event/8278054885
Thursday 10th October 2013
European Parliament Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought Panel Discussion
5.30-7.30pm, Hugh Fraser Seminar Room, Wolfson Medical School Building, University of Glasgow
The European Parliament's Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought is awarded annually to honour exceptional individuals who combat intolerance, fanaticism and oppression. The European Parliament Office in Scotland and the Glasgow Human Rights Network host this event at which students will mirror the process by which MEPs choose the winner of the Sakharov Prize.
The discussion will be followed by a drinks reception. To register, please visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/event/7621960489
Wednesday 16th October 2013
UCL, EDF and the EDF Research Network Seminar
Bridging the divide – integrating national equality and human rights bodies
6.00 – 8.00pm, University College London
University College London (UCL), the Equality and Diversity Forum (EDF) and the EDF Research Network are pleased to invite you to a seminar to discuss the findings of a study on the integration of national equality and human rights bodies.
To register, please visit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JNKGFC3
Wednesday 6th November 2013
The Arts and Humanities Research Institute Lecture
The Peace Process in Colombia
H. E. Mauricio Rodríguez Múnera, Colombian Ambassador to the United Kingdom
6.00pm, D’Arcy Thompson Lecture Theatre, Tower Building, University of Dundee
Wednesday 13th November 2013
Update on the Arab Spring
5.15 – 7.15pm, Senate Room, Main Building, University of Glasgow
Two and half years ago, the Arab world erupted in protest and there were high hopes for sweeping social and political change. Since then, we have witnessed elections, a military intervention, a military coup, mass atrocities, including the use of chemical weapons, and millions of displaced people. What went wrong? To what extent have the hopes of 2011 been fulfilled and to what extent have they been dashed? What does the aftermath of the Arab Spring say more generally about the possibilities for sweeping social and political change?
Chair: Kurt Mills, University of Glasgow
Discussants:
Ahmed Ben Aessa, University of Glasgow
Keith Hammond, University of Glasgow
Naomi Head, University of Glasgow
Anthony Lang, University of St. Andrews
Adham Saouli, University of Edinburgh
The discussion will be followed by a drinks reception. To register, please visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/event/7621960489
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
2. Training Events
Positive Action in Housing: Equality and Diversity Training
Welfare Reform: PAiH working with Rights Advice Scotland
Wednesday 9th October, 10.00am – 1.00pm
98 West George Street, Glasgow G2 1PJ
Non-members £75, members £50
Culture Awareness
Thursday 10th October, 10.00am – 1.00pm
98 West George Street, Glasgow G2 1PJ
Non-members £75, members £50
Rights and Entitlements of EU Nationals (including A8 and A2 Nationals)
Wednesday 30th October, 9.30am – 12.30pm
98 West George Street, Glasgow G2 1PJ
Non-members £75, members £50
Rights of Refugees and Asylum Seekers
Wednesday 30th October, 1.00 – 4.00pm
98 West George Street, Glasgow G2 1PJ
Non-members £75, members £50
For more information on PAiH training courses and to book, please visit: http://www.paih.org/~training/
2. Call for Papers
Human Rights and Change
16th – 18th June 2014
Kadir Has Üniversitesi, Istanbul
A joint conference organized by:
Human Rights Section, International Studies Association
Human Rights Section, American Political Science Association
Human Rights Research Committee, International Political Science Association
Standing Group on Human Rights and Transition, European Consortium for Political Research
In association with: Kadir Has Üniversitesi and Academic Council on the United Nations System
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 third joint international conference on human rights, on the theme “Human Rights and Change” to take place 16-18 June 2014 at Kadir Has Üniversitesi in Istanbul. The conference will take place immediately before the annual meeting of the Academic Council on the United Nations System (19 – 21 June), also in Istanbul (http://acuns.org/am2014/).
The so-called Arab Spring which began in early 2011 seemed to herald significant change in the human rights situation in the Middle East/North Africa, as well as broader regional and global political change. Yet, the changes have been highly ambiguous, both from a human rights perspective and a broader political perspective. The Arab Spring appears to be a product of significant normative and institutional change as well as a cautionary tale about the limits and ambiguities of change. This conference will address this theme of change – not only in the Middle East, but also globally. Thus, while there will be a number of panels and other events focused on the Middle East, a significant portion of the conference will deal with much broader contexts and issues, and paper submissions which address the broader theme in any context are welcome. We also welcome, and indeed actively encourage, participation from non-academics who are involved in human rights practice. Some of the questions to be addressed in the conference include:
• How do we understand change in the realm of human rights? What theoretical and conceptual perspectives do we have to help us analyze change?
• What is the relationship between broader geopolitical change and human rights development? Is human rights a product or a cause of such change?
• How do we explain changes in norms, laws and societies?
• Is change a top-down or bottom-up process?
• Has our understanding of human rights changed?
• Is human rights expansion a teleological process? Do we assume that it is?
• How do we deal with competing norms in times of flux?
• How have human rights been integrated (or not) into domestic legal and political orders?
• What role do human rights play in transitional justice processes?
• What explains the Arab Spring?
• How does the Arab Spring confirm or challenge current approaches to human rights development?
• What role of global and international actors played in fomenting or furthering the political dynamics of the Arab Spring?
The deadline for submissions is 1 December 2013. Notification of acceptances will be sent by e-mail by 15 January 2014.
Paper submission details can be found here (please note that proposals must relate to the theme of the conference to be considered): http://www.isanet.org/Conferences/HRIstanbul2014.aspx
The program chairs may be contacted at: humanrightsandchangeprogram@gmail.com
3. Opportunities and Resources
Interim Vacancy at Amnesty International
This is an exciting opportunity to join an International and widely known charity within their campaigns team as an Interim Programme Director. This role is a 5 month contract, based in Edinburgh. The main responsibilities of this role are to oversee and organise events to promote the organisation, as well as ensuring that the Scottish office operates effectively.
The main duties of this position are:
- Acting as a media spokesman for the organisation to maximise their presence within the Scottish media
- Contributing to campaign events, at both regional and national levels
- Preparing and managing the programme budget of the Scottish office
- Recruiting, inspiring and supervising volunteers
- Ensuring the organisation's presence at specific political and cultural events within Scotland to raise awareness of the charity's aims and mission
To apply for this role ideally you will:
- Be politically aware and have a knowledge of political processes
- Have previous experience of campaigning and managing budgets
- Be comfortable working with the media
- Have the ability to recruit and manage volunteers
- Have previous experience of organising events
PLEASE NOTE: This position is based in Edinburgh and is a 5 month contract.
The recruitment agent is AWS Recruitment, to whom applications should be made directly by cutting and pasting the following link to your browser.
http://awsrecruitment.co.uk/charity-jobs/view/interim-programme-director-charity-jobs/
The Equality and Diversity Forum (EDF) and EDF Research Network
The Equality and Diversity Forum (EDF) and EDF Research Network are looking for an intern/volunteer with to support our work. The post-holder will have the opportunity to learn about the UK’s equality and human rights agenda, while participating in the day-to-day activities of an NGO with a ten-year track record of contributing to progress on these issues. Both EDF and the Research Network work on the basis of partnership and dialogue with a wide range of individuals and organisations across government, academia and the voluntary sector. The position is an excellent opportunity for someone wishing to develop connections and an understanding of these interrelated areas of policy and legislation, perhaps with a view to future work in these fields.
The deadline for applications is 9.00am on Wednesday 2 October 2013.
Click here for details and please forward to your colleagues and networks.
Human Rights Fellowship at Colby College
Colby College, under the Oak Institute for the Study of International Human Rights, invites applications for its human rights fellowship. Funding enables a prominent practitioner in international human rights to take sabbatical leave from front-line work to spend the fall semester in residence at Colby. The fellow's responsibilities include regular meetings with students and assistance in shaping a lecture series or symposium on his or her human rights interests. This year, the fellowship focuses on human rights protection in situations relating to gender. This focus is not limited to activism involving women, but also includes the protection of sexual minorities and activism on men or masculinity.
Activists working on sexual and reproductive rights, gender empowerment and education, human and sexual trafficking, activism against gender-based violence, gender- and sexual-based asylum, or gender and environmental rights, are invited to apply. Eligibility is restricted to those whose work takes place primarily outside the US. The fellowship includes a US$32,000 stipend, as well as health benefits, housing, a campus meal plan and transportation. The fellow will also receive research support, including office space, secretarial support, computer and library facilities and a student assistant. A limited budget is allocated to help offset the cost of transportation, housing and meals for dependent family members who accompany the fellow. Following the period of the award, the fellow is expected to return to her or his human rights work.
Closing date: 6th December 2013
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-WattUniversity, 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.
OPPORTUNITIES TO TAKE PART
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.