Dear Friend of Peace Brigades International:
We are very pleased to announce the launch of the National Lawyer’s Committee for Human Rights, NLCHR, an advisory committee to Peace Brigades International-USA, comprised of human rights lawyers from across the United States. This Committee’s mission is to support lawyers and other human rights activists whose lives are in danger due to their efforts to promote and protect human rights and challenge human rights violations committed in their countries. In Colombia alone, up to 25 lawyers are killed each year.
Peace Brigades International (PBI) sends teams of international observers to accompany lawyers and other human rights defenders at risk by offering them unarmed protection which often means the difference between life and death. The NLCHR lawyer’s initiative has been endorsed by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, Gabriela Knaul, who has said, “I believe that this network is a valuable resource to the global legal community.”
We invite you to join us for afternoon sessions covering legal aspects of critical international human rights issues, followed by a reception celebrating the NLCHR’s launch and honoring visiting lawyers-at-risk from the countries of Mexico, Guatemala and Colombia. The afternoon’s presentations and interactive discussions will focus on: Human Rights, Land Rights and Resources, and MNCs in relation to human rights; the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights’ Mechanisms for Protection: Precautionary and Provisional Measures--Challenges and Issues from 3:00 – 5:00 pm, Friday, October 29 at the American University Washington College of Law.
The reception is scheduled for 5:30-7:30 pm and will feature presentations by Edgar Perez Archila, Human Rights lawyer, Guatemala; Rafael Barrios of the José Alvear Restrepo Lawyers Collective and Justicia y Paz, Colombia; Vidulfo Rosales Sierra and members of the Tlachinollan Human Rights Lawyers Association, Mexico. There will also be informal networking opportunities with the NLCHR members. If you can’t make it to both events—afternoon session and the reception—you’re welcome to attend one.
Location: Sixth Floor, 4801 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20016
We very much hope that you will join us for the launch and consider supporting this exciting new initiative. To confirm your attendance at the afternoon presentations and/or the reception, please RSVP to Katherine Hughes-Fraitekh, Executive Director of Peace Brigades International-USA, at Katherine(at)pbiusa.org or kcelav(at)aol.com or 202-232-0142.
Sincerely,
Kay Bridger-Riley, Attorney & Chair, NLCHR, Sarah Simonson, NCC member, NLCHR Taskforce & Katherine Hughes-Fraitekh, Executive Director, PBI-USA & NLCHR Taskforce
Founding Members of the National Lawyers Committee on Human Rights, NLCHR
Kay Bridger-Riley, Chair
Attorney, Bridger-Riley & Associates, Board Member, ABA Center for Human Rights
David Baluarte
Professor of Law, American University Washington College of Law, International Human Rights Clinic
Sital Kalantry
Director, International Human Rights Clinic; Co-Director, Immigration Appellate Law and Advocacy Clinic; Faculty Director, The Avon Global Center for Women and Justice, Cornell Law School.
Sean O’Brien
Professor of Law, Notre Dame Law School
Arturo Carrillo
Professor of Clinical Law; Director of the International Human Rights Clinic, George Washington University Law School
Muna Ndulo
Professor of Law, Director of the Institute for African Development, Cornell University Law School
Margaret (Meg) Satterthwaite
Director, Global Justice Program NYU; Faculty Director, Center for Human Rights and Global Justice; Associate Professor of Clinical Law of the International Human Rights Clinic NYU
Peter Henner
Attorney, Law Office of Peter Henner
Leonardo Crippa
Staff Attorney, Indian Law Resource Center
Christina Xenides, Vice Chair
Visiting Attorney at UNHCR Representation in Cyprus, UNCHR
Katya Salazar
Executive Director, Due Process of Law Foundation
Jenny Moore
Professor of Law, University of New Mexico School of Law
Ashley Grant, Secretary
Attorney, Lenox Hill Neighborhood House; Past PBI volunteer to Guatemala 2000-2001 & Colombia 2004-2005
Wendi Adelson
Program Director, Human Rights and Immigration Law Project at the Center for the Advancement of Human Rights
Charles Hale
Professor of Anthropology; Director, Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies Institution, University of Texas at Austin