Human Rights Bulletin Board

Right Now - Human Rights in Australia
Right Now is a volunteer, not-for-profit media organisation led by young people focused on human rights issues in Australia. We are committed to covering human rights issues through free, accessible, creative and engaging online, print and radio media. Our work begins with the belief that creating a positive, rights-respecting culture in Australia begins with the flow of information.

Right Now publishes an online journal containing art, poetry, fiction and non-fiction about human rights in Australia. Right Now Radio is broadcast live on Melbourne's 3CR 855AM at 6pm every Thursday. For more information about contributing art and writing, please email submissions@rightnow.org.au

Victorian Council of Civil Liberties membership
Julian Burnside QC, President, Liberty Victoria invites you to become a member of the organisation, especially (but not exclusively) the under 35s. Liberty Victoria were the organisation that stood up and took legal action on behalf of the Tampa asylum seekers in 2001. Membership form available at -www.libertyvictoria.org.au. 

Africa & Middle East Refugee Assistance: Refugee Status Determination - Volunteer Legal Advisor Position
The Legal Advisor Volunteership is a position of 7.5 months' duration. Legal Advisors are assigned to work on the Refugee Status Determination (RSD) team and are responsible for representing individual refugee status determination cases before the UNHCR in Cairo. Legal advisors manage their own caseload of clients, interviewing them, taking their testimonials, writing legal arguments for appeal/reopening, and accompanying clients to their interviews at UNHCR. Legal advisors are expected to work full-time (35 hours per week).

Selected volunteers will be expected to begin on 15 January 2012 in order to participate in a two-week intensive training program. This is a non-paid position.

To apply, email 1) a cover letter (in English), 2) a complete CV, 3) an unedited writing sample, and 4) names and contact details of two references to: rsdv@amera-uk.org.

The Aurora Project Legal Internships - Job opportunities with TAI
The Aurora Project and the Charlie Perkins Trust for Children & Students are seeking a NSW State Coordinator to implement TAI's pilot academic enrichment program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander high school students living in NSW. This program will be the first of its kind in Australia, and if successful, has the potential to expand to other states in years to come.

Key responsibilities include coordinating and attending at least 20 days of residential programs in NSW each year, providing sustained long-term support for TAI students and their families, and maintaining strong collaborative relationships with key community groups, Elders, schools and other organisations. The State Coordinator position is a full time role, responsible for supporting 30 Year 8 students for 5½ years. Our aim is to ensure all TAI students are eligible to attend university.

The position calls for an engaged, dynamic person, who has a passion for education and proven experience in youth work, teaching or program coordination. The State Coordinator will need strong project management and relationship management skills.

TAI is also looking for those interested in teaching on the residential programs in NSW and Victoria. Key responsibilities include attending between 5 and 20 days of residential programs during the school holidays each year and working with a team of teachers to deliver an innovative and effective curriculum which supports students to develop their academic skills, and build their resilience and aspirations.

For more information please visit our website at: http://www.auroraproject.com.au/node/465

International Humanitarian Law Student Writing Competition
The Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law at the American University Washington College of Law and the American Society of International Law's (ASIL) Lieber Society on the Law of Armed Conflict are pleased to announce the second annual International Humanitarian Law Student Writing Competition.  The Competition seeks submissions of academic papers on the topic of international humanitarian law (IHL) from students currently enrolled in a law degree program in the United States or abroad.  The purpose of the Competition is to enhance scholarship and deepen understanding among students in this important area of international law.  The winning authors will be flown to Washington, DC to present their papers at a conference at American University Washington College of Law focused on emerging issues in IHL with a panel of expert professors and practitioners.  In addition, winners will receive a complimentary registration to the ASIL 2012 Annual Meeting in Washington, DC on March 28-31, 2012 and a one-year ASIL student membership.  Last year the Competition received nearly 50 submissions from 17 different countries.
 
To be eligible to make a submission, students must be enrolled in a law degree program at a US or foreign law school.  Submissions must be unpublished academic papers on a topic within the scope of international humanitarian law. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 12:00 pm (noon) EST.
 
The Competition presents an invaluable opportunity for students, and we would appreciate your help in promoting it through a variety of avenues that you deem appropriate.  Thank you in advance for your help with this endeavor.
 
For detailed rules and submission guidelines, please visit http://www.wcl.american.edu/humright/center/student_ihl_writing_competition.cfm

February 2012

  • Australian Human Rights Centre Annual Lecture With Eve Ensler

An Australian Human Rights Centre in association with Sydney Theatre Company presentation. Award-winning American playwright, performer, feminist and human rights activist, Eve Ensler will be visiting UNSW to attend the Justice for All Conference and associated workshop and to give the Australian Human Rights Centre (AHRCentre) Annual Public Lecture. Best known for her play The Vagina Monologues, Ms Ensler is also renowned as a writer and rights advocate, focusing in particular on violence against women in situations of conflict. The topic of Ms Ensler's lecture will be using theatre as a mechanism for giving visibility to human rights abuse and promotion, focusing on her work on women and girls in conflict situations.

Time: 6pm
Date: 12 February 2012
Venue: Sydney Theatre, 22 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay
For further information: Go to http://www.sydneytheatre.org.au/event.asp?pID=261

  • Conference: Emerging Challenges in Privacy Law

The Monash University Law Faculty and the Monash University European and EU Centre are hosting an international conference, Emerging Challenges in Privacy Law: Australasian and EU Perspectives. The conference is directed at legal professionals working in the field of privacy; privacy officers in government and private enterprise; policy makers; academics; and others with an interest in new developments in privacy protection in Australia and overseas.

Date: Thursday 23 and Friday 24 February 2012
Venue: Monash University Law Chambers, 555 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
Keynote speakers: Australian Privacy Commissioner Timothy Pilgrim and Ian Brown from the Oxford Internet Institute, and other Australian and international privacy experts
For further information: Go to http://www.law.monash.edu.au/about-us/events/privacylaw/
Early Bird Registration: Now Open-click here https://www.secureregistrations.com/Privacylaw/

 

March 2012

  • International Injustice Conference

An Australian first, this groundbreaking event brings together international and national experts in justice, forensic science, law, law enforcement, criminal psychology and criminology.
Date: 8-11 March 2012
Venue: Burswood Convention Centre, Perth, Western Australia
Early bird discount closes 30 November 2011
Full details: http://internationaljusticeconference.com/