Human Rights Advocates Program 2011 Program Report Institute for the Study of Human Rights Columbia University 2011 Program Report | 1 Table of Contents 1 Introduction 1 Introduction 2 The Advocates — In Their Own Words 3 Lana Ackar . 3 Nadia Juliana Bazán Londoño. 6 1 Anyone can do human rights but you must be Ngungua Sangua Gisèle . 8 prepared to rise to the challenges knowing that Hasina Khan . 10 much more is possible. Athili Anthony Sapriina . 12 2011 Advocate John Mwebe, Uganda Rita Mainaly . 14 Abu Tunde Irunukhar . 16 Colins Imoh . 18 Th e 23rd year of the Human Rights Advocates Program (HRAP) at Columbia Ifeanyi Orazulike . 20 University continued the Institute for the Study of Human Rights’s commitment to strengthening the skills, knowledge and networks of proven grassroots human rights Elvis Mbembe Binda . 23 leaders—the people, as John observes, who “are prepared to rise to the challenges knowing Huda Shafi g . 26 that much more is possible.” Lydia Cherop . 28 Th e HRAP curriculum comprises academic coursework, skills-building workshops Salima Namusobya . 30 and networking opportunities with the human rights, academic and donor communities, John Mwebe . 33 primarily in New York City and Washington, D.C. Th rough a very competitive selection process, 14 human rights advocates were selected from 287 applicants—the highest number 3 Workshops 35 of applications received in the program’s history. Th e 2011 Advocates came from Bosnia, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, India (2), Nepal, Nigeria (3), Rwanda, 4 Support 41 Sudan and Uganda (3) to share and deepen their expertise on a number of issues including HIV/AIDS, gender, LGBT rights, the rule of law, migration, sexual and reproductive rights 5 HRAP Administration 42 and transitional justice. HRAP alumni were involved with many facets of the 2011 class. Several HRAP alumni 6 Institute for the Study of Human Rights 44 agreed to interview applicants for the 2011 Program. In addition to interviewing a number 7 Comments from HRAP’s Partners 45 2 | Human Rights Advocates Program 2011 Program Report | 3 of strong applicants, 2009 Advocate Elsadig Elsheikh returned to Columbia University to lead a very well-received workshop on negotiation and communication. 2010 Advocate Bakary Tandia led a workshop series on how the 2011 Advocates could maximize their time in the program. 2010 Advocates Andrea Nuila and Azra Smailkadic-Brkic and 2009 The Advocates Advocate Florencia Ruiz held individual and group meetings with the 2011 Advocates. In Their Own Words The Advocates traveled to Ellis Island and the State of Liberty during Orientation Week. 2We asked the Advocates to share with and domestic violence. Lana even watched us what inspired them to work in human as her mother’s organization assisted in rights. Following each account are details drafting a law on gender equality in Bosnia. on each Advocate’s experience in the 2011 “I am my mother’s daughter,” she says. “I HRAP. somehow wanted to contribute to what my mother and her colleagues were doing and that is why I studied law.” Lana grew up with many rights that other girls did not have. She explains, “My sister and I were raised to be allowed to Lana Ackar say what we want. Although my voice was always allowed to be heard, I learned that a Co-President majority of women’s rights are violated on a Pravnik daily basis.” Lana thus confidently pursued Bosnia and Herzegovina the study of human rights, specifically women’s rights. For Lana Ackar, the inspiration to “I feel that when you do human rights pursue human rights was nurtured in her work, you care—you’re alive. Your senses as a child. After the end of the Bosnian become sharper, and you just feel differently War in 1995, Lana, only 13, noticed her about people. I have learned that people are mother attending meetings in the evenings not as simple as you think they are. Everyone with female lawyers she knew. Soon, Lana has layers of personality and different learned that her mother was starting an needs.” NGO to provide legal assistance to women Lana now works with the NGO Pravnik, in her hometown who faced effects of the which seeks to bring together professionals war, such as dealing with property rights and scholars from Southeastern Europe and 4 | Human Rights Advocates Program 2011 Program Report | 5 beyond to study issues related to the rule of Arcus Foundation Georgetown University Moderated Gender, Sexuality and Human Rights. law and transitional justice. She hopes that Amnesty International USA Society for International Development Sponsored by International House. the International Summer School Sarajevo Carr Center for Human Rights Policy, Harvard United States Institute of Peace Presentation on Legal Framework Combating project that Pravnik has been implementing Kennedy School Gender-Based Violence as Challenge for Balkan World Bank Inspection Panel Masculinity. Sponsored by Harriman Institute, for the last fi ve years will contribute to Center for Economic and Social Rights Columbia University. the advancement of human rights in Speaking Engagements Equality Now Voices from the Field. Sponsored by Society for Southeastern Europe. Journal of Human Rights Practice Challenges in the Field of Human Rights Work. International Development—Washington, D.C. Sponsored by Prof. Andrew Nathan, School Chapter. “Human rights work is not easy,” she Harriman Institute, Columbia University of International and Public Aff airs, Columbia comments. “You cannot do it if you do not Hollaback! University. have support from the closest people in your Human Rights Watch life—family, partner and friends. You may International Center for Transitional Justice be doing great things but you need their Open Society Foundations support when it gets diffi cult. Learning Permanent Mission of Bosnia and Herzegovina to through HRAP that there are so many the United Nations people working in the fi eld of human rights Rockefeller Brothers Fund motivates me [because I see] that making Russian Eurasian & East European Studies, the world a better place is possible.” Columbia University United Nations Development Fund for Women Faculty Mentor WITNESS Elazar Barkan Washington, D.C. Professor of International and Public Aff airs Advocacy Project Director of the Human Rights Concentration Bosniak American Advisory Council for Bosnia and I feel that when School of International and Public Aff airs Herzegovina you do human Director, Institute for the Study of Human Rights Center for Development and Population Activities rights work, you Classes Fund for Global Human Rights care—you’re alive. Gender Action Your senses become Globalization of Motherhood, Mailman School of Global Rights Public Health sharper, and you International Center for Research on Women Politics of History and Reconciliation, School of just feel differently National Democratic Institute International and Public Aff airs National Endowment for Democracy about people. Networking Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice & Human Rights New York City School of Advanced International Studies, Johns American Jewish World Service Hopkins 6 | Human Rights Advocates Program 2011 Program Report | 7 Nadia Juliana Bazán Londoño Nadia says that her mother’s example impactful work of grassroots women’s Clinton Global Initiative Grants Coordinator motivated her to work in human rights. “I organizations by securing fi nancial resources Equal Shot learned about inequalities [when I was] very for women’s rights. Fondo de Acción Urgente de América Latina y el Equality Now young,” she says, “[by] attending political Global Network of Women Peacebuilders Caribe Hispanohablante She admits that in spite of the many meetings at the university where my Human Rights Watch Colombia mother was studying.” In high school, she challenges she faces in her human rights International Center for Transitional Justice joined a group of conscientious objectors to career, including stress and sometimes fear, International Human Rights Funders Group military conscription. Th rough this group she remains “strengthened by hope—the Th ough forced migration, rape and she fi rst facilitated non-violent workshops hope for transforming inequalities, the hope International Women’s Health Coalition domestic violence are part of Colombia’s for young people with the goal of changing for clean water, and the hope for access to Open Society Foundations everyday life, Nadia Juliana Bazán Londoño their mindsets from war and violence to education, among other basic human needs. Social Accountability International maintains that “there is also hope and dialogue and non-violent strategies. Nadia If everyone realizes that everything can be Overbrook Foundation willingness to improve our situation.” then discovered the world of women’s funds shared, then fulfi lling rights will allow us to United Nations Development Fund for Women grow and develop as a nation. I have the sense and found her niche WITNESS in supporting the of the right path and that in collaborating with others, you know you’re not alone and Washington, D.C. can fi nd strength.” Advocacy Project Center for Justice and International Law Faculty Mentor EarthRights International Fund for Global Human Rights I have the Pablo Piccato Global Rights sense of Professor, Department of History Director, Institute of Latin American Studies Human Rights First the right path National Endowment for Democracy and that in Class Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice & Human collaborating Seminar in Sexuality, Gender, Health, and Human Rights with others, Rights, Mailman School of Public Health United States Institute of Peace you know you’re Networking World Bank Inspection Panel not alone and New York City Speaking Engagements can find American Jewish World Service Voices from the Field. Sponsored by Society for strength. Amnesty International USA International Development—Washington, D.C. Chapter. Arcus Foundation Gender, Sexuality, and Human Rights. Sponsored by Business & Human Rights Resource Centre International House. Carr Center for Human Rights Policy, Harvard Kennedy School 8 | Human Rights Advocates Program 2011 Program Report | 9 Ngungua Sangua Gisèle Africa.