Razia Said discusses Malagasy predicament in Madagascar

Dec 052012
 
 December 5, 2012

Malagasy activist and musician Razia Said recently participated in a conference and concert sponsore by KIE, the Lemur Center, and the Africa Initative, “Forests, Families, Lemurs, & Guitars: Rights to Madagascar’s Resources.” The Duke Chronicle interviewed Said about her use of music as a tool of activism and the ways in which she approaches the Malagasy people on the need to conserve resources.

The conference and concert were held Monday, December 3, and addressed the ethical dimensions of conservation and development in Madagascar, specifically the illegal harvesting of precious woods from the island’s rain forests.

Nadia El-Shaarawi, KIE Postdoctoral Fellow, evaluates status of Iraqi refugees

Nov 072012
 
 November 7, 2012

In a recent post to IslamiCommentary, a blog for perspectives and research on the study of Islam and the Muslim experience, Nadia El-Shaarawi uses the upcoming tenth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq as a touchstone for examining the plight of approximately 3 million displaced Iraqi refugees. El-Shaarawi uses her own work with Iraqi refugees in Egypt to explore reasons why refugees are reluctant to return to their home country, and the lack of resources the refugees face in their adopted nations.

Duke Human Rights Center at KIE hosts panel on the ethics of photography

Nov 032012
 
 November 3, 2012

Photojournalists and documentary photographers are often forced to navigate difficulties in how their work with small communities is received and presented. On November 1, the Duke Human Rights Center at the Kenan Institute for Ethics hosted a panel discussion, “The Ethics of Photography for Social Change” to address some of the ethical complications that arise with photographic fieldwork. Panelists included Greg Constantine, an American-born photographer now based in Asia who works with stateless peoples around the world; John Moses, a pediatrician at Duke Medicine with experience documenting patient photographs; and Charity Tooze, Senior Communication Officer at the United Nations Refugee Agency. Tom Rankin, the Director of the Documentary Studies program, moderated.

The panelists spoke passionately of the need to lend a voice and sense of agency to those being photographed, whether they be ethnic minorities, underage mothers, or refugees. Several questions from the audience dealt with the implications of using individuals and their photos as representatives of a larger group. While it is impossible to capture each individual in a refugee community, there are ways in which the narrative that is presented can best describe personal experiences. The role of the photographic series or photo essay was brought up as a means to give a broader context, as well as the importance of intent by the photographer to act as an observer. In many of the projects that were discussed, little attention was given to the plights of particular communities prior to the documentary projects, and it is worthwhile to consider how the importance of educating the public on social issues might outweigh whatever misrepresentation may be introduced by the photographer as editor. By working directly with communities and being up front with the purpose and future distribution of the project, documentarians can limit the ways in which the stories that emerge from the photographs or videos distort the perspectives of the people being photographed. Legal issues were raised as well, in terms of the types of agreements made between the photographers and subjects, and the ways in which photographers can stipulate to larger agencies how their work is used or displayed.

The panel occurred in conjunction with the opening of “Nowhere People: The Global Face of Statelessness,” a photography exhibition of Constantine’s work now on view at the Kenan Institute for Ethics in the West Duke Building through the end of March.

KIE Post-Graduate Fellow Brianna Nofil joins UN Working Group in Mongolia

Oct 242012
 
 October 24, 2012

A year ago, Brianna Nofil was taking midterms in her last fall semester as a Public Policy and History major at Duke. This October, she found herself in the growing democracy of Mongolia, listening to native nomadic herders discuss encroachments by new foreign-funded mineral mines as part of a United Nations Working Group.

Nofil is the Stephen and Janet Bear Post-Graduate Fellow at the Duke Human Rights Center at the Kenan Institute for Ethics, a one-year position that allows recent Duke graduates to work closely with the UN Working Group on Human Rights and Business. Established in June 2011, the Working Group supports efforts to prevent and address adverse impacts on human rights arising from global business activities.

The Working Group consists of professional experts in business and human rights who are appointed by the UN. The relationship between the Kenan Institute for Ethics and the Working Group is unique, and Nofil’s participation affords unprecedented opportunities.

This ten-day trip was the first of the Working Group’s country missions—traveling assignments meant to engage stakeholders, examine business and human rights in a national context, and create recommendations for governments. In 2011, Mongolia saw $5.3 billion in foreign direct investment, and the national GDP could as much as quadruple in the next five years. The economic gains made from mining large deposits of precious minerals must be balanced with maintaining land rights of nomadic herders.

During her time in Mongolia, Nofil met with representatives from the miners, nomadic herders, government officials, business leaders, and Non-governmental organizations. Along with the Working Group, she also attended a conference titled “Human Rights and Mining in Mongolia,” sponsored by the National Human Rights Commission of Mongolia.

Nofil notes that it will be “interesting to see how business interests and human rights concerns are reconciled as Mongolia launches into one of the most significant new mining operations globally. Multinational companies moving into this emerging economy have the opportunity to utilize best practices and set a precedent of cooperation on human rights issues.”

 

Huffington Post features KIE Senior Fellow Christine Bader on “baby market”

Oct 232012
 
 October 23, 2012

In a recent post to the Huffington Post, Christine Bader discusses the difficulty in maintaining socially responsible consumer practices while shopping for goods on the “baby market.” When faced with little information from producers on their labor practices, Bader suggests ways in which ethics can come to play when shopping for baby goods. (Originally posted on the Corporate Social Responsibility Newswire.)

Registration open for UNC Center for Global Initiatives Nov. 3rd conference

Oct 172012
 
 October 17, 2012

Register now for the University of North Carolina Center for Global Initiatives’ Visualizing Human Rights Anti-Conference.  The day-long event will feature artists, performers, and advocates who use their skills to advance the struggle for dignity and human rights both locally and globally.  Appearing will be NPR’s “The Story” host Dick Gordon, Carolina’s Beat Making Lab, Paperhand Puppet Intervention, and others. Registration is free.

Saturday November 3, 2012 from 12pm-5pm. All activities will take place at the FedEx Global Education Center at UNC-Chapel Hill.

KIE Senior Fellow Laurence Helfer speaks before international high court judges

Sep 282012
 
 September 28, 2012

As the Jacob L. Martin Fellow in the U.S. State Department’s Office of the Legal Adviser, KIE Senior Fellow Laurence Helfer has accepted a role advising government attorneys on international issues and regulatory trends concerning sexual orientation and human rights. The Duke School of Law has published a feature describing Helfer’s comments to high court judges of the U.S. and Europe at a United Nations event in Geneva, Switzerland last March.

Nominations for University of Connecticut’s Thomas J. Dodd Prize now being accepted

Sep 122012
 
 September 12, 2012

The University of Connecticut Human Rights Institute is accepting nominations for the 2013 Thomas J. Dodd Prize in International Justice and Human Rights now through December 31, 2012. This prize is awarded bi-annually to an individual leader or group that has made a significant effort to advance the cause of international human rights and justice through the legal process.

The Dodd Prize comes with a monetary award of $75,000, to be presented at a ceremony in fall 2013. This award commemorates the distinguished career in public service of Thomas J. Dodd, who served as Executive Trial Counsel at the Nuremberg Trials, U.S. Representative from 1953 to 1957, and Connecticut Senator from 1959 to 1971. To learn more or submit a nomination, please visit the Dodd Prize website.

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