Dear colleagues,

Welcome to November's newsletter. We hope you have had a productive and inspiring fall semester and are planning some respite over the upcoming holidays. 

If you are a Member Institute who would like to share news, events, or vacancies, or other types of call, instead of sending an email, please follow this link Newsletter Link

This month our featured institute is the Center for Human Rights Science, Carnegie Mellon University. 

This is to issue a correction of the previous newsletter regarding the contact information for the November featured institute, Center for Human Rights Science, Carnegie Mellon University, USA. To send any queries please contact chrs@andrew.cmu.edu. 

• The 2023 AHRI Conference will be hosted by Pedro Arrupe Human Rights Institute, University of Deusto, Spain. More information to follow.
• Applications: The deadline for new member institute applications is May 31, 2022. Find out more here 
• There is a correction to be made to an October news item for the Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice, Sheffield Hallam University, UK: Dr. Sunita Toor wins an Asian Women of Achievement Award 
  • Please join me in congratulating Dr Sunita Toor, Head of Human Rights and Social Justice, who won the award in the Social and Humanitarian category in recognition of her work leading a project to improve access to justice for women and girl victims of violence in India.

CHRS Team 

The Center for Human Rights Science at Carnegie Mellon University exists to facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration in order to promote the development and application of scientifically valid methods for collecting, analyzing, and communicating human rights information. We provide technical assistance to individuals and organizations devoted to advancing human rights through private consultations, education programs, workshops, and original research. 

From Left to Right: Director Jay D. Aronson; Media and Human Rights Program Director Enrique Piracés;Statistics and Human Rights Program Director Robin Mejia.

The center currently has two main program areas. The Technology Program, managed by Enrique Piracés, focuses on ensuring that emerging technologies can be harnessed to advance accountability, transparency, and justice without jeopardizing the mandate, sustainability, or safety of individuals and organizations involved in human rights work.

We work in close collaboration with human rights practitioners to understand the technical challenges human rights organizations face; including analyzing potential technological solutions to these problems, and developing tools and systems that make sense for the human rights community.

We also have a Statistics and Human Rights program that helps practitioners and organizations with limited statistical capacity better understand how to use data to advance their advocacy and accountability work, as well as how to utilize appropriate data collection methods moving forward.

Our statistics program is currently focused on the US criminal legal system, though we have previously done work on civilian casualties in times of conflict and the analysis of community needs during humanitarian emergencies. In addition to these programs, we maintain an ongoing interest in forensic science. Founder and director Jay Aronson is currently completing a book on the way the US investigates and records police killings and deaths in custody in the United States.

Statistics Program Manager Robin Mejia is part of a large research project on improving the quality and validity of forensic scientific disciplines that have not yet been subjected to adequate scientific scrutiny.

FRA ( European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights) 

Selected recent publications:

• 9 November: Antisemitism: Overview of antisemitic incidents recorded in the European Union 2010-2020

• 4 November: Legal aid for returnees deprived of liberty

• 28 October: Fundamental Rights Forum 2021: all 145 sessions are now available online  by clicking on the session in the Forum 2021 programme.

Selected upcoming publications:

• Strengthening guardianship for unaccompanied children

• Migration quarterly October-December 2021

• Handbook on European law relating to the rights of the child – Update 2021

• Charter e-guidance and case studies: translation of new online tools (currently available in EN here under Charter e-courses) into French

Selected recent events:

• 10 November: Fundamental Rights Platform thematic meeting on Roma+NRCPs consultation Roma survey 2020

• 29 October: EASO workshop on asylum detention for judges

Selected upcoming events:

• 24 November: Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) and FRA co-organise a webinar on the EU Charter of fundamental rights and related FRA materials and tools

• 12, 17 and 20 November: FRA speaks at a Series of disability related events, namely a disability workshop of the European Parliament, the annual disability conference organised by the European Law Academy Trier and the disability conference of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union

Other information of interest:

·       Check FRA publications here.

·       Check FRA news here.

·       Subscribe the FRA newsletter here.

Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice, Sheffield Hallam University, UK 

 Is there a need to review the wording and application of guidance and legislation on Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs)?

Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice researchers Dr Vicky Heap, Dr Jamie Grace, Dr Alex Black, Dr Jill Dickinson and Benjamin Archer have had their written evidence accepted and published by the Human Rights (Joint Committee) for their inquiry on Freedom of Expression. Researchers specifically responded to the call for information about Public Spaces Protection Orders. Read more: https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/19144/pdf/

• Vacancy: PhD Research Fellow, Norwegian Centre for Human Rights, Norway
• Call for Papers: Centre for Human Rights and Peace, University of Nairobi, Kenya
• Call for Applications: Masters Degree Program, Institute for Human Rights, Åbo Akademi University, Finland
• Call for Papers: Women, Climate and Insecurity Conference, Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice, Sheffield Hallam University, UK 
• Event: Freedomville: The Story of a 21st Century Slave Revolt – Professor Laura Murphy book launch, Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice, Sheffield Hallam University, UK 
• Event: Lecture series "Contemporary issues of human rights theory and practice. Global, regional and national perspectives”, Human Rights Department, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Poland
• Call for Contributions: European Yearbook on Human Rights 2022, European Training and Research Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, University of Graz, Austria
  

   

Norwegian Centre for Human Rights, Norway

Vacancy

Deadline: Nov. 19, 2021

PhD Research Fellow

One position as PhD Research Fellow in human rights research is available at the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law. The Centre is the leading research and educational institution on human rights in Norway.

Learn More here: 

Vacancy 

Centre for Huamn Rights and Peace, University of Nairobi, Kenya

Call for Papers

Deadline: November 13, 2021

CALL FOR PAPERS: HAKI Journal of Human Rights
Premiere Issue 2021

A: Aims and Scope
HAKI Journal of Human Rights is an annual peer-reviewed academic journal that seeks to provide researchers, scholars and human rights practitioners with a platform for engaging in human rights theory, practice and advocacy. The journal’s general aim is to broaden the study and practice of human rights by fostering a critical re-examination of existing approaches from an Afrocentric perspective through discussions and debate on relevant themes, and issues on the universal theory and practice of human rights.

This premier issue of the Journal, likely to be published by December 2021, invites analytically rigorous papers, articles, comments on cases, legislation, policies and book reviews pertaining to various thematic areas in Human Rights in Kenya.

B: Following are key topics for this issue 
• The Constitution of Kenya 2010 and Human Rights 
• Human Rights of Vulnerable groups 
• Socio-Economic rights
• Language and Human Rights
• Prison Reforms
• Security and Human Rights
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Human Rights and Business
• Human Rights, politics, public policy and governance
• Data protection and the right to privacy 
• Media and Human rights

Email Your Manuscript
Please email your manuscript to editorhakijhr@uonbi.ac.ke. The subject line should carry: CFP HJHR Premiere Issue 2021

Institute for Human Rights, Åbo Akademi University, Finland

Call for Applications

Deadline: December, 31, 2021

Master's Degree Programme in International Law and Human Rights 2022-2024

The Master's Degree Programme in International Law and Human Rights is a two-year full-time programme designed to prepare its graduates for challenging careers in international organizations, non-governmental organizations, public administration or legal practice. It offers students the possibility to profile themselves in different specialisation areas, such as international human rights law, migration and refugee law, international law and conflicts, and general international law. Studies within the programme equip students with expert knowledge, provide the requisite background for advanced research, and develop the practical application skills. The programme is open to those holding a bachelor's degree in law or another bachelor's degree with at least 45 ECTS credits in law or other relevant subject(s).

Application period (for the programme starting in August 2022): 5 – 19 January 2022

Link to more information: https://www.abo.fi/en/study-programme/the-masters-degree-programme-in-international-law-and-human-rights/

How to apply: http://www.abo.fi/apply

Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice, Sheffield Hallam University, UK 

Call for Papers

Deadline: December 15, 2021

Women, Climate & Insecurity Conference, 28–30 April 2022

As the United Nations Environment Programme marks its 50th anniversary, this conference invites scientists, social scientists, humanities scholars, policymakers, legal experts, and activists to think across sectors and disciplines about climate crisis and the injustices, disparities, insecurity, and militarized responses crisis often incurs. We encourage feminist analyses of and responses to growing climate-driven insecurities and their effects on women and other marginalized populations. The conference aims to create a dialogue between policymakers, activists, and academics from diverse disciplines about the goals and methodologies we can use to create a more liveable and just future.

Please send abstracts of 250 words and a short professional bio to hri@binghamton.edu. 

Panel submissions of up to 500 words, with a short bio for each presenter, are also welcome. We encourage non-traditional, interactive panels and presentations. 

Women, Climate, Insecurity is co-hosted by Environmental Humanities South at the University of Cape Town, South Africa; the Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice at Sheffield Hallam University, England; and the Human Rights Institute at Binghamton University, USA.

Find out more:  https://www.shu.ac.uk/helena-kennedy-centre-international-justice/events/women-climate-insecurity-conference

Event 

Freedomville: The Story of a 21st Century Slave Revolt – Professor Laura Murphy book launch

Please join the Helena Kennedy Centre for the launch of Professor Laura Murphy's new book Freedomville: The Story of a 21st Century Slave Revolt, recently published with Columbia Global Reports. 

Baroness Helena Kennedy and Dr Sunita Toor will discuss the book with Professor Murphy on the 16th of November at 3.30 PM on the Collegiate Crescent Campus (Heart of the Campus Lecture Theatre 0.06.). Reception to follow.

Freedomville tells the story of a community of people who were enslaved in India in the 21st century, and who overthrew their slaveholders and founded their own new village - Freedomville. They were celebrated by the press and non-profits as anti-slavery heroes. But when Murphy returned to the village to learn more about the community's life after slavery, she learned that they kept a dark secret for a decade -- they had committed murder. The book explores the significance of violent protest and the "ngo-ification" of the stories of survivors of slavery.

The three scholars of human rights will discuss the implications of the revolt for human rights around the world.

Human Rights Department, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Poland

Event

Lecture series "Contemporary issues of human rights theory and practice. Global, regional and national perspectives”- November  25, 2021

Human Rights Department (Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń) and Poznań Human Rights Centre (Institute of Law Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences) are pleased to announce that we resume the Lecture series „Contemporary issues of human rights theory and practice. Global, regional and national perspectives” after summer break. The Lecture series is organized in association with AHRI.

A 4th guest lecture will be delivered by Dr Valentina Rita Scotti (European Law and Governance School (EPLO) in Athens) will be presenting a topic "Challenges to the constitutional protection of gender equality”

Date: 25 November 2021 (Thursday) at 3 PM CET

More information at: https://www.law.umk.pl/en/calendar/ and https://fb.me/e/1sxHZpd90

European Training and Research Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, University of Graz, Austria

Call for Contributions 

Deadline: March, 2022

European Yearbook on Human Rights 2022

The European Yearbook on Human Rights is shedding light on current human rights topics of concern and the most pressing issues that impair human rights protection, the rule of law and democracy in Europe and beyond. With special sections dedicated to the three main organisations securing human rights in Europe (EU, Council of Europe and OSCE) as well as a section on cross-cutting issues the Yearbook provides much-needed analysis and insightful commentary. 

The Yearbook is supported by three major Austrian human rights institutions dedicating their work to researching, teaching and promoting human rights – the European Training and Research Centre for Human Rights and Democracy of the University of Graz, the Austrian Human Rights Institute of the University of Salzburg and the Vienna Forum for Democracy and Human Rights – and the Global Campus of Human Rights, Venice. It is published by Intersentia and all contributions are subject to a double-blind review process ensuring the highest academic standards.

We welcome submissions concerning human rights developments within the major European institutions namely the EU, the CoE and the OSCE. Articles concerning a topic not related to one of the aforementioned institutions but dealing with current and topical human rights developments will be taken into consideration as well. 

Authors will be invited to submit full contributions based on an abstract (max 500 words) that should be send by 15 December 2020. Abstracts should be submitted with a short bio to lisa.heschl@uni-graz.at. 

The deadline for submitting the manuscript is end of March 2022.

For further information on the European Yearbook on Human Rights see https://intersentia.com/en/european-yearbook-on-human-rights-2021-49213.html

Event: Autumn Seminar Series, The Sussex Centre for Human Rights Research, UK