Advocacy Meeting Agenda: 9/15/05

LSHR Advocacy Committee Meeting: 9/15/05


Co-Chair Contact Info:



Jessica Chicco Sarah Parady

jessicachicco@nyu.edu sjp315@nyu.edu

(302) 383-7118 (801) 633-6073



LSHR Blog: www.lshr.blogspot.com – use freely and check frequently!

LSHR listserve: lshr@forums.nyu.edu



Agenda:



Introductions (co-chairs and committee members); member surveys


Announcements:
a. Education Committee announcements:

i. Event: Courage to Think: Displaced Intellectuals in the US, featuring visiting scholars from Liberia, Pakistan, and Rwanda, Monday, 9/19, 12:00, F318.

ii. Education Committee Recruiting talk – Brian Crow, crow@nyu.edu

b. Foreign and International Research Training:

i. Research librarian Mirela Roznovschi, Thursday, 9/22, 6-7:30, VH 216.

c. Hurricane relief:

i. LSHR supports SBA’s combined efforts and would like ideas for our own initiative.

d. Petition against extradition of New York AIDS patient (circulate and discuss).

e. A case supported by LSHR work last year had been filed against Wal-Mart in CA by International Labor Rights Fund: See blog for more info.

f. Anything from members?



Upcoming projects:
a. Legal Challenge to the Guantanamo Bay Detentions – Ying Chi, ying.chi@nyu.edu

i. Working for: World Organization for Human Rights USA

ii. Description: See Ying’s handout

b. Research into European Anti-Terrorism Reactions – Sarah, sjp315@nyu.edu, and Jes, jessicachicco@nyu.edu

i. Working for: Human Rights Watch Office of Counsel

ii. Description: Extensive research into 1) speech restrictions and 2) renditions by European countries in reaction to terrorism. We especially need French and German speakers.

c. Groundwork for New Branch of Anti-Forced-Migration NGO – Jon Balcom, balcomj@nyu.edu

i. Working for: Fusion International

ii. Description: Jon founded Fusion with a project in Colombia, and would like research assistance as they choose a country for a second project.

d. Legal Challenge to the REAL-ID Act – Sarah, sjp315@nyu.edu

i. Working for: World Organization for Human Rights USA

ii. Description: An NYU student who interned at WOHRUSA is passing her work against the REAL-ID Act (which creates a mandatory federal uber-ID card) on to LSHR.

e. Support for Legal Access Network for South Asians – Jes, jessicachicco@nyu.edu

i. Working for: Center for Human Rights and Global Justice

ii. Description: Provide direct legal services to South Asians in the city.

f. Research Extraditions and Disappearances by the U.S. Government – Carolina Cincotta, cincotta@nyu.edu

i. Working for: Center for Human Rights and Global Justice

ii. Description: CHRGJ has led research (through FOIA requests, etc.) to uncover renditions by the U.S. in the war on terror. Work will involve editing and finishing research for a report they are about to publish.

g. Comparative Research into Voting Rights for Non-Citizens – Ellen van Scoyoc, ecv206@nyu.edu

i. Working for: Immigrant Voting Project

ii. Description: Research provisions in foreign countries that govern voting by non-citizens (often allowed on lower levels of government or after certain residency periods).

h. Research into Health Law and Vaccination Policy - Prof. Mary Holland

i. Working for: National Economic and Social Rights Initiative

ii. Description: Prof. Holland will discuss this in person.

i. Organizations that may have projects soon (not taking signups for these yet):

i. International Rescue Committee

ii. International Labor Rights Fund



Subcommittee sign-ups:
a. Brainstorm other projects or topics, based on member interest.

i. Choose two of these topics to become the basis of subcommittees and new projects

ii. Discuss LSHR support for individual work on topics of interest (if your topic doesn’t become a subcommittee).

b. Divide into subcommittees based on above projects, make e-lists, take volunteers for project head for projects now headed by co-chairs.

c. Break out into subcommittees to get to know each other, get project details from co-chairs, and begin planning!



Brainstorm direct action possibilities or topics.


Next meeting: we will check up on project progress and discuss writing op-eds on human rights topics. Tentatively scheduled for Thursday, October 6, time and location TBA.