Newsletter Mar 2007
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NEWSLETTER World’s Leading Economist, World Vision CEO Talk Poverty NEWS A large audience was on hand at the nal thinker promoting innovative but offices of Clayton Utz in February to research based ways of alleviating the hear Professor Jeffrey Sachs and Tim plight of extreme poverty". FLASH Costello discuss solutions to the Professor Sachs has worked as a con- world’s poverty crisis. sultant for many countries, including Professor Sachs, director of the Earth Bolivia, Poland, China and Tanzania Institute at Columbia University, has and he discussed many of his experi- Dalai Lama been labelled by the New York Times ences in those countries. In particular, “the most important economist in the he addressed the concept of the world” for his groundbreaking work “ladder of opportunity”, which the to deliver on poverty in developing countries. He poorest countries must get one foot appeared via satellite from New York on in order to begin to develop. and was introduced by Tim Costello In his introduction, Mr Costello stated public lecture AO, head of World Vision Australia. at Castan Centre, 8 June 2007. See page 3 for details. The Castan Centre was established by the Monash University Law Tim Costello AO introduces Jeffrey Sachs on the big screen. School in 2000 as an independent, non-profit organisation committed Because of time differences, the event that, whereas Bono and Bob Geldof to the protection and promotion of was held prior to work and Clayton are the heart of the global poverty human rights. Utz provided a breakfast for the event, movement, “the heart would be noth- which was fully subscribed within ing if there wasn’t the head and I re- Through research and public edu- hours of being announced in Decem- gard Jeffrey Sachs and his thinking, his cation, the Centre generates inno- ber. Clayton Utz partner, Brad Vann, commitment, his intellect as really the vative theoretical and practical ap- said that his firm was very happy with head of this whole movement.“ Those proaches to understanding and the morning. "We were delighted to who were at the event would heartily implementing international and team with the Castan Centre to pro- agree. domestic human rights law. vide a forum for Professor Sachs given his outstanding reputation as an origi- For a detailed report of Professor Sachs’ lecture, please turn to page 7. Castan Centre for Human Rights Law, April 2007 Castan Centre News Students Write Wrongs in Human Rights Essay Competition By Anthony Capone against the statement, or can elect to awareness and understanding reflected examine both sides of the issue. The in the essays submitted. Tom Ballard, Monash University Law School, in con- same topic will be the focus of argu- of Brauer College in Warrnambool, junction with the Castan Centre for ment between top Monash Law alumni took out last year’s top prize. Human Rights Law, is again conducting at the 2007 Great Law Week Debate, the Writing for Human Rights essay to be held on 16 May. The debate is an This year’s winners will be invited to competition for Year 11 and 12 stu- annual event run in conjunction with attend the Great Law Week Debate dents. Young people from across Vic- the Law Institute of Victoria as part of where they will be presented with toria are given the opportunity to en- Law Week (13 – 19 May) 2007. their prizes. gage in a current and contentious hu- man rights topic, with an eye to raising Last year’s competition sparked more The Monash University Law School awareness of human rights and gener- than 100 entries from students all over and the Castan Centre look forward ating discussion in schools. Victoria and organisers are looking to another successful year of “human forward to even more entries this write-ing” that may inspire others to In 2007, students will be discussing year. The judging panel from last year become involved in seeking justice and whether “freedom of speech has gone remarked that they were very im- a fair go for all. too far”. Students may argue for or pressed by the level of human rights Castan Centre Torture Handbook Launched in Geneva tools in the fight to eradicate torture “Each act of torture and ill-treatment, and hold those who are responsible inflicted by one human being upon an- for such acts to account. The purpose other, permanently scars all those touched of the handbook is to give a voice to by it and destroys our sense of common victims, as stated by Manfred Nowak humanity.” United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture, in the foreword to the hand- Manfred Nowak, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture. book “…the fight against torture and ill-treatment is fuelled and strength- Carin Benninger-Budel, Katie Mitchell & In late November of 2006 Professor ened by the courage of those who Sarah Joseph at the book launch in Geneva Sarah Joseph, Director of the Castan speak out against it. These voices are Centre and Katie Mitchell, Program critical to the struggle against torture Officer at the Castan Centre partici- member of the U.N. Committee on and other forms of ill-treatment be- pated in the launch of “Seeking Reme- Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, cause they remove acts of torture dies for Torture Victims: A Handbook Markus Schmidt from the OHCHR, from the darkness and bring them into on the Individual Complaints Proce- Boris Wijkström, OMCT Legal Advi- the light, exposing them for what they dures of the UN Treaty Bodies" at the sor and the authors Professor Joseph are and seeking to hold those who University of Geneva. The handbook and Ms Benninger-Budel. perpetrate them accountable.” was co authored by Professor Sarah Joseph, Carin Benninger-Budel, Katie The handbook series has been trans- The Handbook can be purchased through Mitchell and Linda Gyorki and is the lated into French, Spanish, Arabic and the OMCT website (www.omct.org). fourth in a series published by the Russian and represents a new set of World Organisation Against Torture. The handbook aims to assist victims of torture by demystifying the jurispru- dence and procedures of the UN Hu- man Rights Committee, Committee Against Torture and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women and thereby increas- ing access to justice. An experienced panel of human rights (L-R) Boris Wijkström, OMCT Legal Advisor (Series Editor), Markus Schmidt, OHCHR, Eric experts spoke at the launch regarding Sottas, Director of OMCT, Prof. Giorgio Malinverni Professor of Law University of Geneva & various aspects of these UN bodies, Member of the U.N. Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights including Professor Giorgio Malinverni 2 Castan Centre for Human Rights Law, April 2007 Castan Centre News Dalai Lama Visit to Castan Centre Sold Out The Castan Centre, in conjunction he worked to build dialogue between awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in with the Australia Tibet Council, is the Dalai Lama and the leaders of the 1986 for his non violent efforts in pur- proud to announce that His Holiness People's Republic of China. Tibetan suing the liberation of Tibet. As docu- the Dalai Lama will present a keynote self-determination is a right that the mented on his official website the address to the centre on 8 June at the Dalai Lama has been promoting and Dalai Lama has travelled to more than Robert Blackwood Hall, Monash Uni- fighting for since his exile from Tibet 62 countries, ”he has received over 84 versity. The event was sold out within to Dharamsala, India in 1959. Born on awards...and has authored more than two days of tickets going on sale. 6 July 1935, he was found to be the 72 books.” fourteenth Dalai Lama at the age of This is the Dalai Lama’s second visit to two, and he became Tibet’s head of The CEO of the executive committee Australia in five years. During his last state in 1950. The Dalai Lama was organising the Australian tour, Dr. visit, he received much support from Allan Molloy, said “His Holiness has the Australian public, and it is ex- three important messages to convey, pected that during this year’s visit, and our goal is to have those messages approximately 200,000 people will heard by as many Australians as we hear him speak around the nation. possibly can. Besides, anyone who has ever been in close proximity to the His Holiness had a collaborative rela- Dalai Lama will testify to his amazing tionship with Ron Castan, after whom presence. You can’t see him and not our centre is named. Ron had a pas- be somehow moved.” The Dalai Lama sionate concern for the rights of the will be joined on stage by a panel of Tibetan people and during the 1960s His Holiness, the Dalai Lama eminent Australians. Positive Changes in Wadeye By Katie Mitchell However the Council represents a development. new era for the community as it works In the Northern Territory township of towards building the capacity of the Sean Bowden, Thamarrurr’s legal ad- Wadeye, change is in the air. The Thar- young people of Wadeye. The Council, viser, has pointed to the results so far marrurr Regional Council, established in with the support of the Castan Centre which include a commitment from the 2003, has steadily worked to merge tra- and Arnold Bloch Liebler (ABL), is Northern Territory of $5.6 million for ditional and contemporary structures of focusing on improving the educational infrastructure development at the pri- governance to create a central voice in opportunities for young people in the mary school and $4 million towards the community.