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Begin New Search Topic Human Rights Content Type Video

1. International Law and Palestine featuring George Bisharat

Author:
George E. Bisharat
Publication Date:
03-2023
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
Center for Security, Race and Rights (CSRR), Rutgers University School of Law
Abstract:
Law is where power announces its victories. In other words, law generally, and international law in particular, have little independent potency to shape social and political realities. That principle is well-demonstrated in the case of Israel/Palestine, where law has exercised little impact on the ground, other than to legitimate Israel’s domination and dispossession of the Palestinians among certain audiences. Can that dynamic be altered, such that Palestinian rights can be vindicated by law? Possibly, by treating international law as one kind of discourse that is persuasive in certain contexts and in certain fora, from which Palestinian voices cannot afford to be absent. It follows, however, that legal discourse is not a substitute for other forms of struggle, and is likely capable of no more than a subordinate role in a broader movement for Palestinian rights.
Topic:
Human Rights, International Law, and Justice
Political Geography:
Middle East, Israel, and Palestine

2. We Uyghurs Have No Say: A Roundtable on the Writings of Ilham Tohti

Author:
Rune Steenberg, Abdürreşit Celil Karluk, and David Brophy
Publication Date:
04-2022
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University
Abstract:
Prior to his arrest and sentencing in 2014, economist Ilham Tohti was one of China’s leading experts on contemporary Xinjiang. His academic work and online writings voiced a rare perspective – that of an Uyghur intellectual working within the Chinese system - on the increasingly marginal and precarious position of his Uyghur community in modern China. Ultimately, this critique proved too controversial for the party, and he is now serving a life sentence in prison for “separatism.” We Uyghurs Have No Say (Verso 2022) is a collection of Ilham Tohti’s articles and interviews, translated from Chinese into English, which chart his scholarly interventions from 2007 until his silencing. To mark its publication, this event will assemble a panel of sociologists and anthropologists of Xinjiang – some of whom studied under Ilham in Beijing – to reflect on these writings and the wider significance of Ilham’s work for our understanding of social and political developments in Xinjiang.
Topic:
Human Rights, Prisons/Penal Systems, Political Prisoners, and Uyghurs
Political Geography:
China, Asia, and Xinjiang

3. Iran’s Protests 3 Months On

Author:
Alistair Taylor and Alex Vatanka
Publication Date:
12-2022
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
Middle East Institute (MEI)
Abstract:
Now entering their fourth month of defiance, the people of Iran continue to protest the regime of Ali Khamenei. Since protests began in September, the crackdown by security forces has become increasingly severe and the government has now begun executing protesters. According to figures from the Human Rights Activists News Agency, as of Dec. 15, nearly 500 protesters have been killed and almost 20,000 people have been arrested. Despite the risks, Iran's astonishingly brave protesters continue to call for the fall of the regime. For an update on the situation and an eye towards the future, host Alistair Taylor turns to Alex Vatanka, founding Director of the Iran Program at the Middle East Institute.
Topic:
Human Rights, Social Movement, and Protests
Political Geography:
Iran and Middle East

4. Israeli Raids on Palestinian Civil Society Organizations — The Costs of International Inaction

Author:
Shawan Jabarin, Raed Jarrar, Lara Friedman, Khaled Quzmar, Zaha Hassan, Sahar Francis, Ubal al-Aboudi, Khaled Elgindy, Moayyad Bsharat, and Tahreer Jaber
Publication Date:
08-2022
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
Middle East Institute (MEI)
Abstract:
Co-convened by the Middle East Institute, the Foundation for Middle East Peace, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, DAWN, the International Crisis Group, Century International and USMEP.
Topic:
Conflict Prevention, Civil Society, Human Rights, International Law, and Judiciary
Political Geography:
Middle East, Israel, and Palestine

5. Consistent Partiality: US Foreign Policy on Palestine-Israel

Author:
Sarah Whitson and Peter Beinart
Publication Date:
09-2022
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
Center for Security, Race and Rights (CSRR), Rutgers University School of Law
Abstract:
Although the Biden administration talks about supporting democracy and human rights, it has maintained unconditional US support for Israel even as human rights organizations label it an apartheid state. What are the political and ideological foundations of America’s hostility to Palestinian freedom? And what would it take to change them? Does the US’s unconditional support for Israel serve America’s national interests? Join the Center for Security, Race and Rights as we address these questions with two internationally known experts.
Topic:
Foreign Policy, Apartheid, Human Rights, Politics, Democracy, Ideology, and Strategic Interests
Political Geography:
Middle East, Israel, Palestine, North America, and United States of America

6. An Uncertain Future: Prospects for ISIS Detainees in Syria and Iraq

Author:
Charles Lister, Vera Mironova, Eric Oehlerich, Mick Mulroy, and Sara Kayyali
Publication Date:
03-2021
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
Middle East Institute (MEI)
Abstract:
Two years after the territorial defeat of ISIS in Syria and Iraq, tens of thousands of fighters and associated civilians remain in various forms of detention, with little sign of any meaningful solution to their status. Until now, few Western governments have proven willing to repatriate their citizens, choosing instead to leave them in the region, where security is weak and humanitarian conditions are dire. Multilateral efforts to determine the prospects for localized judicial mechanisms have failed, leaving behind an unsustainable crisis that threatens long-term security. The Middle East Institute (MEI) is pleased to host a panel of experts in this timely and important discussion.
Topic:
Security, Human Rights, Prisons/Penal Systems, Citizenship, Islamic State, and Foreign Fighters
Political Geography:
Iraq, Middle East, and Syria

7. Human Rights in Southeast Asia and China

Author:
Donald Emmerson, Sarah Cook, and Amy Freedman
Publication Date:
11-2021
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University
Abstract:
Human rights in Southeast Asia have deteriorated along with democratic freedoms. Don Emmerson will give an overview of human rights issues in Southeast Asia and look at how Chinese foreign policy in Southeast Asia affects, and is affected by, the more despotic character of ASEAN’s mainland compared with its maritime member states. He will address how much or how little influence China has in the region. Sarah Cook will then address the issue from the other side; looking at China’s internal political dynamics and rights abuses and how China’s foreign policy towards Southeast Asia is affected by those domestic conflicts. This event is co- sponsored by the Weatherhead East Asian Institute and the Global Asia Institute at Pace University.
Topic:
Foreign Policy, Human Rights, Democracy, and ASEAN
Political Geography:
China and Southeast Asia

8. Post-Colonial Legality and Human Rights

Author:
Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na'im
Publication Date:
09-2021
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
Center for Security, Race and Rights (CSRR), Rutgers University School of Law
Abstract:
Autonomy and self-determination of all individuals cannot be realized and sustained unless true within every person. Enslavement and dehumanization remain true of citizens of imperial nations if it remains true for colonized persons and peoples. Join us for a timely lecture exploring the contradictions between stated commitments to human rights and actions in Western and post-colonial societies.
Topic:
Human Rights, Imperialism, Post Colonialism, Self Determination, and Autonomy
Political Geography:
Global Focus

9. Exporting the War on Terror: Islamophobia in Asia

Author:
Khaled A. Beydoun and Sahar Aziz
Publication Date:
01-2021
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
Center for Security, Race and Rights (CSRR), Rutgers University School of Law
Abstract:
Join us for a fireside chat between Professor Khaled Beydoun and Professor Sahar Aziz on the latest legal and political developments in the troubling rise of Global Islamophobia in India, China, and other Asian countries.
Topic:
Human Rights, Populism, Islamophobia, and War on Terror
Political Geography:
China, India, and Asia

10. Panel 2: Islamophobia in Asia: Genocide and Detention

Author:
Audrey Truschke, Asher Ghertner, and Engy Abdelkader
Publication Date:
03-2020
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
Center for Security, Race and Rights (CSRR), Rutgers University School of Law
Abstract:
This panel was part of the "Global Islamophobia in an Era of Populism" conference.
Topic:
Genocide, Human Rights, Populism, Islamophobia, and Detention
Political Geography:
China and Asia

11. The Future of Saudi Arabia and Its Crown Prince: A Book Talk with Ben Hubbard and Susanne Koelbl

Author:
Susanne Koelbl, Deborah Amos, and Ben Hubbard
Publication Date:
09-2020
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
Middle East Institute (MEI)
Abstract:
Saudi Arabia is a country in the midst of dramatic change. The fundamental pillars of its economic and social institutions have been upended, and a young generation is moving to the foreground. At the head of this dramatic shift is Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, known as MBS, who since 2015 has branded himself as a modern reformer and the face of a new generation of Saudi leadership. But who is the real MBS: the man who will lead Saudi Arabia into the 21st Century, or a dictator known for his retaliatory actions against members of the royal family and brutal restrictions on human rights? In the wake of the Khashoggi murder and in the midst of a war in Yemen, detention and torture of women’s rights activists, and repeated efforts to consolidate his own power, it is unclear to what extent bin Salman’s actions are driven by a strategy. Meanwhile, an increasingly connected Saudi population is confronting traditions and modernization initiatives which may open new conversations. The Middle East Institute (MEI) is pleased to host a book talk with two acclaimed journalists whose works draw from firsthand experience in Saudi Arabia to examine the rise of Mohammed bin Salman and the changing nature of Saudi society in the decade of Vision 2030. Ben Hubbard and Susanne Koelbl will be joined in conversation with Deborah Amos to explore the current and future obstacles facing reform and progress in Saudi Arabia.
Topic:
Human Rights, Authoritarianism, Leadership, and Modernization
Political Geography:
Middle East, Saudi Arabia, and Gulf Nations

12. LGBTQ+ Movements in the Middle East: Navigating Political Unrest and Global Pandemic

Author:
Roula Seghaier, Amir Ashour, Antoun Issa, and Rasha Younes
Publication Date:
04-2020
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
Middle East Institute (MEI)
Abstract:
Acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community is low across the Middle East, and LGBTQ+ individuals face a number of unique challenges due to their identity. The Middle East Institute (MEI) is pleased to host a virtual panel which will seek to explore the ways in which these communities have organized in the Middle East in order to raise visibility and advocate for greater rights, and how these efforts are under attack across the region. Panelists will discuss the impacts that governments, laws, and society have on the lives of LGBTQ+ people, and the ways in which grassroots organizations and initiatives strive to support this community in the face of backlash and the challenges of navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. What are the major challenges LGBTQ+ people face in the Middle East? In what ways have LGBTQ+ rights been integrated into broader social and political movements in countries like Lebanon and Iraq? How has COVID-19 impacted important advocacy work, and how are activists and organizations adapting to continue to protect these communities? Is there any hope for future protection of LGBTQ+ people in the wake of regional and global crises?
Topic:
Human Rights, LGBT+, Advocacy, COVID-19, and Identity
Political Geography:
Middle East

13. Human Rights in Times of Global Crises

Author:
Ibrahim Al Assil, Nour El Achi, Mai El Sadany, and Sana Mustafa
Publication Date:
05-2020
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
Middle East Institute (MEI)
Abstract:
As COVID-19 spreads throughout the Middle East and civil wars continue, already fragile human rights protections are increasingly under threat. COVID-19 puts migrants and minority communities at increasing risk due to structural inequalities, and activist movements are losing crucial visibility and the ability to mobilize and gather in public. Meanwhile, the impacts of the virus expose existing injustices faced by detainees, women, and occupied communities. How are social movements in Lebanon, Iran, and Iraq adapting to changing dynamics as they confront pandemic-related shutdowns and existing internet restrictions? How do inequalities in the region’s legal systems prevent women from exercising personal rights, as domestic violence rates surge worldwide? What are the unique challenges faced by migrant workers, refugees, and IDPs? In countries with ongoing conflicts, what are the prospects for advocating for greater rights for detainees and prisoners of conscience?
Topic:
Civil War, Human Rights, Displacement, Pandemic, COVID-19, and Health Crisis
Political Geography:
Iraq, Iran, Middle East, and Lebanon

14. Assessing the Implications of the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act

Author:
Rime Allaf, James Jeffrey, Lister, and Qutaba Idlibi
Publication Date:
06-2020
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
Middle East Institute (MEI)
Abstract:
On June 17, the long-awaited Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act came into force, imposing the most comprehensive set of sanctions against Syria’s Assad regime to date. Aimed principally at preventing further war crimes by preventing any foreign investment into the Syrian regime, the sanctions will almost certainly have a consequential impact on Syria’s politics and economy. As the act comes into force, Syria is already beset by a spiraling economic crisis, the effects of which have generated unusually defiant and persistent anti-regime protests in the Druze-majority governorate of Suwayda and rising levels of discontent within regime-held territories. Southern Syria faces an expanding insurgency, ISIS is slowly resurging in the central desert, Turkey is doubling down on a permanent presence in the northwest and for now, U.S. troops appear to be staying. How will the Caesar Act’s sanctions be enforced and with what goals in mind? What effect are they likely to have within today’s context? Does a policy of escalating pressure on the Assad regime promise diplomatic progress or humanitarian suffering?
Topic:
Human Rights, Sanctions, Syrian War, Legislation, and Civilians
Political Geography:
Middle East, Syria, and United States of America

15. How Counterterrorism Drives U.S. Foreign Policy in Somalia

Author:
Abukar Arman
Publication Date:
10-2020
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
Center for Security, Race and Rights (CSRR), Rutgers University School of Law
Abstract:
The United States is home to over 200,000 Somali refugees most of whom fled civil war in Somalia. Their Black, Muslim, and immigrant identities puts them in the crosshairs of America's racialized counterterrorism regime, resulting in the surveillance, investigation, and prosecution of Somali American communities across the country. These domestic factors converge with US foreign policy that effectively criminalizes political opposition to imperial and militarized US action in Somalia.
Topic:
Security, Foreign Policy, Human Rights, Counter-terrorism, and Refugees
Political Geography:
Africa, Somalia, and United States of America

16. Brigitte Bierlein, Federal Chancellor of the Republic of Austria

Author:
Brigitte Bierlein
Publication Date:
09-2019
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
Columbia University World Leaders Forum
Abstract:
This World Leaders Forum program features an address, Freedom, Security & the Rule of Law - a European Perspective, by Brigitte Bierlein, Federal Chancellor of the Republic of Austria, followed by a moderated question and answer session with the audience.
Topic:
Security, Human Rights, National Security, Law, Political stability, and Courts
Political Geography:
New York, Europe, Austria, and European Union

17. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia

Author:
Nikol Pashinyan
Publication Date:
09-2019
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
Columbia University World Leaders Forum
Abstract:
This World Leaders Forum program features an address by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia on comprehensive government reforms, approach to regional security challenges, and Armenia's priorities at the United Nations related to peace and security, sustainable development, human rights and cooperation with the UN in promoting good governance, fight against corruption, eradicating poverty, and other areas. The Prime Minister's address will be followed by a moderated question and answer session with the audience.
Topic:
Security, Development, Human Rights, and United Nations
Political Geography:
New York, Armenia, and United Nations

18. Michael Higgins, President of Ireland

Author:
Michael D. Higgins
Publication Date:
04-2018
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
Columbia University World Leaders Forum
Abstract:
His Excellency Michael D. Higgins, President of Ireland, addresses the Columbia University World Leaders Forum in Low Library.
Topic:
Climate Change, Human Rights, United Nations, Neoliberalism, and Social Justice
Political Geography:
New York, Europe, and Ireland

19. Top Risks & Ethical Decisions 2017 with Ian Bremmer

Publication Date:
01-2017
Content Type:
Video
Abstract:
Ian Bremmer, president of Eurasia Group, discusses his company’s annual top political risks for 2017 and their ethical implications. Topics include the potential challenges from a Trump administration, the moral legacy of President Obama’s foreign policy, human rights in the Middle East, the fate of liberalism in Europe and the world, and the dangers of populism.
Topic:
Foreign Policy, Human Rights, International Security, International Affairs, and Geopolitics
Political Geography:
Middle East and Global Focus

20. Global Leadership in the 21st Century

Author:
Jan Eliasson and Vishakha N. Desai
Publication Date:
11-2017
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
Columbia University World Leaders Forum
Abstract:
Former UN Deputy Secretary General Jan Eliasson and Professor Vishakha N. Desai discuss the demands facing great leaders among the 2017 Tällberg Global Leaders, an event of the Columbia University World Leaders Forum at the Italian Academy / Casa Italiana.
Topic:
Human Rights, International Cooperation, United Nations, and Sustainable Development Goals
Political Geography:
United States of America and New York

21. How Can the International Community Promote Libya's Stability and Security?

Author:
Wafa Bughaighis, Ben Fishman, Nigel Lea, Jason Pack, and Jonathan Winer
Publication Date:
10-2017
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
Middle East Institute (MEI)
Abstract:
Libya occupies a sensitive position for the security of Arab and European neighbors, including many U.S. allies, and in managing the region’s destabilizing migration flows. The country’s fractious politics and armed insurgencies are depriving Libyans of security, basic services, and economic stability, and leave the country vulnerable to jihadi terrorism. The United Nations has proposed a road map for rethinking the embattled government of national accord and binding Libya’s rival parliaments and militia commander Khalifa Haftar into negotiation of a consensus path forward. The Middle East Institute (MEI) presented a two-panel symposium to examine opportunities for the United States and international community to advance Libya's security and mobilize to meet the humanitarian challenges. This is the first of the two panels.
Topic:
Conflict Resolution, Security, Human Rights, Migration, United Nations, Conflict, and Negotiation
Political Geography:
Middle East, Libya, and North Africa

22. Doris Leuthard, President of Switzerland

Author:
Doris Leuthard
Publication Date:
09-2017
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
Columbia University World Leaders Forum
Abstract:
Her Excellency Doris Leuthard, President of the Swiss Confederation, addresses the Columbia University World Leaders Forum in Low Library.
Topic:
Conflict Resolution, Development, Globalization, Human Rights, International Law, and Peacekeeping
Political Geography:
Europe and Switzerland

23. Egypt: Three Years after Tahrir Square

Author:
Andrew Thompson and Shreen Abou El-Naga
Publication Date:
05-2015
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
Centre for International Governance Innovation
Abstract:
In the final episode of Inside the Issues Season Four, Shreen Abou el-Naga joins host Andrew Thompson for a discussion on Egypt three years after Tahrir square. Has Egypt's revolution stalled? What role are the new intellectuals playing in shaping the country's future? Has the human rights situation, specifically for h, shifted? Tune in to access the full discussion and learn more about life in Egypt today.In the final episode of Inside the Issues Season Four, Shreen Abou el-Naga joins host Andrew Thompson for a discussion on Egypt three years after Tahrir square. Has Egypt's revolution stalled? What role are the new intellectuals playing in shaping the country's future? Has the human rights situation, specifically for women, shifted? Tune in to access the full discussion and learn more about life in Egypt today.
Topic:
Human Rights, Law, Political Activism, Popular Revolt, and Reform
Political Geography:
Arabia and Egypt

24. Around 1948: Human Rights and Global Transformation

Author:
Rashid Khalidi, Lydia H. Liu, Samuel Moyn, Deborah Nelson, and Eurgenia Lean
Publication Date:
10-2014
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University
Abstract:
Footage from the October 8, 2014 panel discussion "Around 1948: Human Rights and Global Transformation" at Columbia University about the issues surrounding the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Featuring Rashid Khalidi, Edward Said Professor of Modern Arab Studies, Columbia University; Lydia H. Liu, Wun Tsun Tam Professor in the Humanities, Columbia University; Samuel Moyn, Professor of Law and History, Harvard University; and Deborah Nelson, Associate Professor of English, University of Chicago. Moderated by Eugenia Lean, Associate Professor of Chinese History and Director of the Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University. Co-sponsored by the Weatherhead East Asian Institute, the Center for International History, Critical Inquiry, the Department of East Asian Languages & Cultures, the Department of History, the Institute for Comparative Literature and Society, and the Middle East Institute.
Topic:
Human Rights, History, and Geopolitics
Political Geography:
Middle East, East Asia, Asia, and Global Focus

25. A Discussion Featuring Daw Aung San Suu Kyi

Author:
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
Publication Date:
09-2012
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
Columbia University World Leaders Forum
Abstract:
This World Leaders Forum program features a discussion with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, chair of the National League for Democracy, Member of Parliament from Kawmhu Constituency, and recipient of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize. Ann Curry, national and international anchor and correspondent for NBC News will moderate. Ms. Suu Kyi will discuss the role of education and health on human development and Burma's political transition. The discussion will be followed by a question and answer session with the audience.
Topic:
Development, Economics, Education, Health, and Human Rights
Political Geography:
Burma and Southeast Asia

26. New Research on Transitional Justice

Publication Date:
02-2011
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
The Harriman Institute
Abstract:
Participants: Aryeh Neier (Founder, Human Rights Watch and President, Open Society Institute), Monika Nalepa (Political Science Department, Notre Dame University), Lara Nettelfield (Post-Doctoral Fellow, Harriman Institute, Columbia University), Tina Rosenberg (Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Haunted Land: Facing Europe\'s Ghosts after Communism), Ruti Teitel (Ernst C. Stiefel Professor of Comparative Law, and Associate Director, Center for International Law, New York Law School, and Visiting Professor, London School of Economics), and Leslie Vinjamuri (School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London). This event is part of the "Human Rights in the Post-Communist World: Strategies and Outcomes " series (Harriman Core Project 2010-2011).
Topic:
Human Rights, Human Welfare, International Law, Post Colonialism, and Law
Political Geography:
Africa, New York, and Europe

27. Mobilizing for Human Rights

Publication Date:
10-2010
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
The Harriman Institute
Abstract:
Beth Simmons (Clarence Dillon Professor of International Affair, Harvard University) Discussants: Kenneth Roth (President, Human Rights Watch); Professor Alexander Cooley(Political Science Department, Barnard College).
Topic:
Civil Society, Human Rights, International Law, International Organization, and Treaties and Agreements

28. The Justice Cascade

Publication Date:
10-2010
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
The Harriman Institute
Abstract:
Kathryn Sikkink (Regents Professor and McKnight Presidential Chair in Political Science,University of Minnesota) Discussants: Richard Dicker (Director, International Justice Program, Human RightsWatch); Robert O. Keohane (Professor of Public and International Affairs, PrincetonUniversity, and past president of the American Political Science Association).
Topic:
Civil Society, Human Rights, International Law, and International Affairs