Announcements
Walk to raise awareness about flaws in US immigration system
On 10 March 2012, a small team of brave, passionate students will embark on a 3,000 mile journey across the US, from San Francisco, CA all the way to Washington, DC, creating needed dialogue around the unspoken causes of immigration and the reality of abuses that take place due to the broken system. The communities and students will share their stories, and together will raise up the many voices across the country that are concerned with the humane treatment of people, together pushing for fairer reform.
The organisers, Campaign for an American DREAM (CAD), are accepting donations to help fund the event. Visit their website for more information, including how to make a cash donation, and to view a list of supplies that can also be donated. Also on the website is a sign-on letter that can be filled out by organisations or individuals in support of the project. If you are interested in getting more directly involved, CAD is looking for volunteers to assist with planning and logistics, or to join the walk itself.
Cornell Law School immigration clinic seeks appeal cases to take on
In the Cornell Law School immigration clinic, law students (under the supervision of the clinic directors) represent immigrants fleeing persecution in their appeals before the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA). The immigration clinic seeks two types of asylum or CAT cases to take on. First, they seek to represent respondents who have lost their asylum or CAT claim at the BIA and would like to appeal to the applicable Federal Court of Appeals. Second, they seek interesting asylum or CAT cases on appeal to the BIA. They are particularly interested in cases that have the potential to create good precedent or provide a strong basis for challenging existing negative precedent. The clinic starts at the end of January and ends on 1 May, so they can only accept cases where briefs are due between mid-March and the end of April. If you know of any cases that fall into either category and the established timeframe, email Steve Yale-Loehr and Wally Ruehle.
New quarterly newsletter from Open University research centre
The Centre for Citizenship, Identities and Governance (CCIG), based at the Open University, has launched a new quarterly newsletter. CCIG is a University designated Centre of Research Excellence. It has the aim of innovating research and debate on themes of citizenship, identity formation and practices of governance in contemporary society. The highlights included in this issue of the newsletter (multiculturalism, critical approaches to official and public discourses, social sciences’ involvement in public practices) express not only the interdisciplinary nature of CCIG but also its contributions to socially and politically conscious research that draws out new possibilities for social justice and positive social change.
New Australian grant for human rights defenders in Uganda and South Sudan
Human rights defenders in Uganda and South Sudan are to benefit from a grant under Australia’s Human Rights Grants Scheme, the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project (EHAHRDP).
In Uganda, the grant will allow Protection Desk Uganda, a partnership initiative between EHAHRDP and Protection International, to share tools on security management with Ugandan human rights defenders and provide technical support that will enable them to assess risks emanating from their human rights work and develop tailor-made response strategies that mitigate risks and allow for a continuation of their work. In the new nation of South Sudan, the grant will allow training for human rights defenders on how to access and engage international and regional human rights mechanisms such as the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the UN Human Rights Council, and the Universal Periodic Review to best effect.
For more information, please contact EHAHRDP’s Executive Director Hassan Shire via email or phone: +256 772 753 753.
