FUTURES OF
DEMOCRACY, TECH & HUMAN RIGHTS LAB
The Futures of Democracy, Tech & Human Rights Lab is a collaboration with students making real-world interventions in the areas of peace, justice, and human rights.
CURRENT REPARATIONS
RESEARCH
Prof. Jonathan Crock's Futures of Democracy, Tech & Human Rights Lab is working with students on the human right to reparations. Our work will be submitted for publication and to the UN Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent for their report to the UN General Assembly and Human Rights Council on "Provisions and Pathways to Reparatory Justice for Africans and People of African Descent."
The Futures of Democracy, Tech & Human Rights Lab is a collaboration with students making real-world interventions in the areas of peace, justice, and human rights.
REAL-WORLD INTERVENTIONS
161 of my students have published their coursework as part of the engaged pedagogy in my classroom, publishing in Harvard Law School's Harvard Human Rights Journal Online, Wilson Center, University of Oxford Faculty of Law's Oxford Human Rights Hub, Oxford University Politics Blog, E-International Relations, Intersect: The Stanford Journal of Science, Technology, and Society (indexed in Google Scholar), Devex's Inside Development, UNICEF's Voices of Youth, and The Washington Times, among others.
6 human rights reports have been authored by my students as assignments in my courses that make real-world interventions. The reports have been cited by the UN Human Rights Council and Australian Human Rights Commission.
• Report on democratic control of AI cited 5 times by the Australian Human Rights Commission in its report on human rights and technology.
• Report on AI and privacy cited 3 times in UN Human Rights Council report (A/HRC/46/37).
• Report on right to housing cited 2 times in UN Human Rights Council report (A/HRC/56/61/Add.3).
• Report on digital technologies in the administration of justice submitted to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to inform the UN Secretary-General's report to the UN General Assembly (UNGA), pursuant to UNGA resolution A/RES/77/219.
• Report on the centrality of care and support for ongoing COVID-19 impacts submitted to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to inform the UN expert workshop and UN High Commissioner's report to the Human Rights Council (HRC), pursuant to HRC resolution 54/6.
• Report on violence against women submitted to UN special rapporteur on violence against women.
Student publications from my courses are listed below as useful examples for current students.
REPORTS
RIGHT TO REPARATIONS AND
REPARATORY JUSTICE
Prof. Jonathan Crock's Futures of Democracy, Tech & Human Rights Lab is working with students on the human right to reparations. Our work will be submitted for publication and to the UN Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent for their report to the UN General Assembly and Human Rights Council on "Provisions and Pathways to Reparatory Justice for Africans and People of African Descent."
Submitted to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to inform the UN Secretary-General's report to the UN General Assembly (UNGA), pursuant to UNGA resolution A/RES/77/219.
Submitted to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to inform the UN expert workshop and UN High Commissioner's report to the Human Rights Council (HRC), pursuant to HRC resolution 54/6.
Submitted to the UN special rapporteurs on the right to adequate housing and extreme poverty and human rights.
CITED 2 TIMES in UN Human Rights Council report (A/HRC/56/61/Add.3).
Report to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Privacy.
CITED 3 TIMES in UN Human Rights Council report (A/HRC/46/37).
Submitted to the Australian Human Rights Commission in response to their call for submissions regarding the Commission's "Human Rights and Technology: Discussion Paper" (December 2019).
CITED 5 TIMES in the Australian Human Rights Commission's Human Rights and Technology Final Report (2021) (https://tech.humanrights.gov.au/downloads).
PUBLICATIONS
I am particularly interested in advising students on conducting research and publishing in the areas of peace, justice, human rights, international law, democracy and democratic theory, international relations, and international political economy, drawing on feminist, critical race, critical class, postcolonial, and intersectional approaches.
Below is a selection of research students did in my courses and got published.
Menstruation, Human Rights and the Patriarchy: How International Human Rights Law Puts Menstruating People at Risk
The rights to adequate access to menstrual products, private and sanitary hygiene facilities and waste management at work and elsewhere, and education on menstruation must be protected through their inclusion in General Comments on both the ICESCR and CEDAW. To begin, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights must create a new General Comment stating that the right to an adequate standard of living includes the right to access menstrual products, as well as the more general right to protection against period poverty. Additionally, ICESCR General Comment No. 23 must be elaborated on to note that the right to “adequate sanitation facilities that meet women’s specific hygiene needs” at work includes the right to safe and clean menstrual product disposal and changing. CEDAW’s General Recommendation No. 24 must be expanded to ensure States report all policies on eliminating period poverty and discrimination in healthcare on the basis of menstruation.
Ukraine Distances Itself from Russia in Advancing LGBTQ+ Equality
Daniel Toren. The Russia File, a blog of the Kennan Institute, Wilson Center, January 17, 2024.
The UNHCR has provided aid and support to LGBTQ+ persons in Ukraine affected by Russia’s war. The need among LGBTQ+ Ukrainians will only increase as the war continues, and during its aftermath. It is important to ensure that LGBTQ+ Ukrainians are able to live without fear of persecution and to be equal under the law in a free Ukraine.
International support in this effort includes renewing programs such as PEPFAR that have been critical to supporting LGBTQ+ Ukrainians living with HIV. Enhanced military and humanitarian aid to the Ukrainian government and people can help lead to a positive outcome for Ukraine. A free Ukraine will be friendlier to and more accepting of LGBTQ+ people.
HIV in Russia Is a Human Rights Problem
Daniel Toren. The Russia File, a blog of the Kennan Institute, Wilson Center, December 4, 2023.
In 2023, new reporting indicated what was previously considered unthinkable: in exchange for providing life-saving antiretroviral treatment (ART) to Russian convicts living with HIV, the Russian government began demanding that they serve in the Russian Armed Forces. Many were sent to the front lines. It was estimated that 20 percent of all new Russian Armed Forces recruits from prisons had HIV.
Those Russian service members who are living with HIV infection are made to wear red wristbands, indicating their HIV status. There are even reports that some doctors refuse to provide them with medical treatment or battlefield first aid because of their status.
It is not currently known how many in the Russian military live with HIV. Some estimates are as low as several thousand. Official Russian Ministry of Defense figures are believed to be inaccurate, as most Russian service members are not tested for the virus.
While the Russian military currently lists HIV as a disqualifying medical condition, reporting by Meduza shows that the process to achieve disqualification is arduous and official guidance often is not followed. One individual reported that a military recruiter, when informed of the prospective service member’s HIV status, said, “Do you give a damn where you die?”
Even in cases where the Russian military is aware that an individual has been diagnosed with HIV, there is no current evidence to show that these individuals are receiving the ART needed to keep them healthy.
Not Merely a Shameful Past: The Case for State Responsibility in the Magdalene Laundries
Courtney McGourty. Opinio Juris, in association with the International Commission of Jurists, November 8, 2023.
In a 2010 ruling, the Irish Human Rights Commission recommended a statutory investigation into the human rights abuses in the laundries, and where State responsibility was established, the adoption of a framework of redress for the survivors. The Irish government agreed to ‘review and evaluate’ IHRC’s recommendations. But as of 2011 no further action had been taken. In 2011, Elizabeth Coppin pursued a case against Ireland to the UN Committee Against Torture (UNCAT). Ms. Coppin alleged that the abuse she experienced in the Magdalene Laundries violated the universal human right not to be tortured. UNCAT concluded in 2011—and again in 2017—that Ireland had failed to conduct thorough investigations of the alleged abuse, and/or take steps to prosecute those at fault. To that end, UNCAT recommended that further investigations be initiated, and a compensation scheme be devised to redress victims of the laundries. These judgments were echoed by the United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC). In the years following, few victims have been able to access financial compensation from the State. Of the estimated 10,000+ victims, only approximately 800 survivors have been awarded financial compensation.
The Real War On Drugs: The United States’ Perpetration of Human Rights Violations by Denying PrEP Drugs to At-Risk Individuals
Hadley Day. Harvard Human Rights Journal Online, Harvard Law School, July 30, 2020.
While the HIV/AIDS crisis is currently out of the news cycle, there are still approximately 38,000 new cases and 15,000 deaths in the United States each year. The only known way to prevent the spread of HIV is pre-exposure prophylaxis (“PrEP”), a daily preventative pill taken by individuals who are at risk of contracting HIV. Currently, Truvada is one of two FDA-approved PrEP drugs and the only heavily researched drug preventing the transmission of HIV in the United States. The drug is sold to patients for up to $1,500 per month, but the cost of making PrEP for one month is only about $6. Additionally, only about 10% of the 1.14 million individuals who need PrEP currently take Truvada. Due to their strict patents, Gilead Science holds a monopoly on the PrEP market, forcing at-risk individuals to choose between paying absurd prices for medicine or forgoing the drug entirely. The United States’ failure to disband Gilead’s monopoly over PrEP contributes to the loss of thousands of American lives to HIV and AIDS each year.
Human Rights are Refugee Rights: The Protection of Economic Rights for Refugees in the United States
Angele Maricar. Harvard Human Rights Journal Online, Harvard Law School, April 20, 2020.
All refugees should receive the same economic rights, including the right to employment, fair wages, and economic stability.... Violations of these legal standards often include the state’s failure to provide favorable employment opportunities, fair economic wages, and a sufficient amount of resettlement programs and support systems.
How the Prison System Is Failing Women and Why It Is a Human Rights Issue
Sydney Lang. Oxford Human Rights Hub Blog, University of Oxford, Faculty of Law, March 23, 2021.
While women make up the minority in global prison populations, they are the fastest growing prison population. With this, comes a need to evaluate human rights violations within justice systems and detention centers. Many women are imprisoned due to the gender discrimination prevalent in the society. This discrimination often appears in the form of (patriarchal) formal and informal justice systems, leading to incarceration. In 2001, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) established that discrimination against women includes inequitable treatment in the courts. Also, the United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (Bangkok Rules), adopted in 2010, created protections for women prisoners globally. Yet, officials around the world ignore these and other documents meant to establish women’s rights in justice systems.
Protecting Indigenous Communities in Cases of Climate-forced Migration
Zoha Zafar. Oxford Human Rights Hub Blog, University of Oxford, Faculty of Law, May 22, 2020.
On Indigenous People’s Day in 2018, the United Nations pushed for the protection of indigenous populations’ human rights in cases of social, political, economic, and climate-forced migration. It fell short of acknowledging that victims of climate-related forced migration receive limited protections under international law as compared to social, economic, and political migrants. Previous constructions of climate-related migration rely on the assumption of other contributing factors. Indigenous communities experiencing climate migration face decreased representation, limited opportunities for economic participation and decreased protection of property. This blog highlights the need for the enactment of proactive measures necessary to preserve indigenous communities experiencing climate-forced migration.
How the Externalisation of EU Migration Governance Places Refugees at Risk: An Analysis of EU-Libya Migration Cooperation
Emilie Joe Brandt. Oxford Human Rights Hub Blog, University of Oxford, Faculty of Law, May 11, 2022.
It is both dangerous and unlawful for the EU to evade its human rights responsibilities by continuing to externalise its migration governance. ... The Libyan case illustrates the EU’s failure to recognise its humanitarian responsibility: to protect the right to asylum and to honor concepts of global solidarity and burden-sharing. Going forward, the EU must openly acknowledge its human rights failures caused by externalising migration governance. In Libya, the EU must take responsibility for refugee protection and ensure concrete human rights improvements in the region, especially by strengthening asylum protection along the Central Mediterranean migration route.
The 2022 World Cup: From Soccer to Human Rights Violations & Geopolitics
Vitoria Oliveira. Oxford Human Rights Hub Blog, University of Oxford, Faculty of Law, January 3, 2023.
It is not news that Qatar, a country with serious human rights violations, was chosen to host this year’s World Cup. Migrant workers have been the most affected by the nation’s kafala system, with abuses, exploitation, injuries, and death, while the most vulnerable – including women and LGBTQ+ people – are subjected to verbal, physical, and sexual abuse. As the tournament comes to an end, the focus on the country’s workers must remain, as they will be essential to the dismantling of structures, such as temporary stadiums. Qatar is not solely the one to blame for a World Cup built on racial injustice. FIFA and its parameters for choosing a host country are also at fault: for years, regimes have used the World Cup to hide their human rights abuses, and they have been overtly ignored by the International Federation.
A Tale of False Promises: Florida Governor DeSantis’ Refugee Crisis
Rossina Ruano. Refugee Law Initiative, School of Advanced Study, University of London, November 11, 2022.
The United States is facing a migrant and refugee crisis. The US government attempts to navigate this issue and find practical solutions to aid these individuals. Keeping control of the influx of migrants entering the country through the US/Mexico border has been demanding. However, the political divide in the country and strong opinions have resulted in certain governors attempting to take the situation into their own hands. In September 2022, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis transported around 50 migrants located in San Antonio, Texas to Martha’s Vineyard (an island south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts). DeSantis is now facing a criminal investigation and an investigation from the Federal Treasury Department regarding the misuse of coronavirus relief funds to transport the migrants. In this blog post I lay out the legal issues and the human rights violations involved in this context.
Disarming the Police
Olivia Fergerstrom. International Affairs Forum, September 5, 2020.
Police officers should no longer be permitted to carry guns on duty because they present an actual and perceived danger to citizens. The actual danger is in their capacity to arbitrarily kill or harm citizens, and to be justified by the state to do so. The perceived danger occurs when the population, specifically minority communities, have an immense and justified fear of the police as a result of the actual danger that impacts their emotional health and everyday lives. This danger undermines the role that police should play in an ideal democratic society, as well as violates citizen’s rights to life, proper mental health, education, work, etc.
How Coronavirus Exposes Unequal Access to Education in America
Tanishka Talagadadeevi. E-International Relations, April 30, 2020.
The pandemic must serve as a wake-up call for legislators and school board members; far too many students are being disadvantaged by a lack of Internet access. This issue will not only affect students during their time in primary and secondary education but will continue to follow them into higher education. Their peers, many of whom have been privileged with high-speed access and their own laptops, have received a different education. As suggested by the U.N. report on the Right to Internet Access, access to Internet is an educational issue, a feminist issue, an economic issue, and a racial issue.
COVID-19’s War on Feminism in the U.S.
Tanishka Talagadadeevi. E-International Relations, December 14, 2020.
The above data serves as evidence of the gender disparities still present in the American labor force. These statistics also speak to a larger issue, in that a significant number of women who left their jobs during the pandemic reported doing so to care for their children. During September of 2020, 63 percent of working mothers reported being "primarily responsible for childcare during the spring shutdown" compared to 43 percent of their male counterparts. According to the same survey, 80 percent of working mothers reported being primarily responsible for assisting their children with online learning; only 31 percent of surveyed working fathers reported their assumption of this responsibility. Since the start of the pandemic, an estimated 17 percent of working mothers quit their jobs versus 10 percent of working fathers. One possible explanation for this disparity is a difference in income between men and women. According to data from the National Women’s Law Center, working mothers earn about 70 cents for every dollar working fathers earn.
Rising Chinese Influence on International Organizations
Ryan Ghandour. The Washington Times, June 10, 2020.
Dozens of tanks, all assembled into a column before the unidentified man, threatened to crush him under their mechanical feet if he did not move out of the way. In defiance, whenever the column attempted to move around him, he would shift his position to prevent them from moving forward. The Tiananmen Square Massacre of 1989 gained notoriety around the world for the brutality displayed by the government of the People’s Republic of China. The previously mentioned courageous individual, otherwise known as Tank Man, was one of the many involved in those protests. The picture taken of him in his heroic act would gain recognition worldwide. He stood up to a tyrannical Communist government in the hopes that a free and democratic China would take its place. He recognized the threat that the Communist Party of China posed, not just in his own country, but around the world as well.
Adequate, Effective, and Prompt: Analyzing the Right to Reparations in Transitional Justice
Alexandra Byrne. Georgetown University Undergraduate Law Review, Vol. VI, Issue 1 (Spring 2020), pp. 1–13.
Abstract
The right to reparations is clearly defined in international law as a human right, though no framework and little precedent exists to guide reparations programs and ensure their implementation. This paper argues that the right to reparations is a customary norm of international law and should be fulfilled with the same urgency and adequacy of other customary norms. I compile a formula for reparations implementation based on three case studies of past reparations programs. This formula consists of lost income, lost assets, and costs of medical, legal, and psychological services. Finally, I develop a timeframe for reparations implementation by region based on household wealth and yearly expenditure. Based on these findings, I make several recommendations as to how governments should proceed when establishing reparations programs that comply with international law and the basic principles of human rights.
It Is Time for Reparations
Alexandra Byrne. International Affairs Forum, January 16, 2020.
As described in the United Nations General Assembly resolution, Basic Principles and Guidelines on the Right to a Remedy and Reparation for Victims of Gross Violations of International Human Rights Law and Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law, reparations should be “adequate, effective and prompt reparation for harm suffered.” ... Requests for reparations should be handled with haste and all eligible populations should be notified and informed of their rights. Post-transition agencies should be created to specifically handle these requests.
Why More Needs to be Done to Defend Internet Access
Nathan Messer. The Oxford University Politics Blog, Oxford University Department of Politics and International Relations, January 13, 2020.
Internet access has been a controversial issue; in the U.S., many people believe in the notion that "internet access is a privilege." ... Allowing governments to restrict internet access infringes on several human rights. ... It is time that the international community adopts a more serious approach to defending internet access and discourages both governments and companies from restricting citizens’ access to the internet.
Yes, It's Time for Reparations
Shawky Nabil Darwish. International Affairs Forum, May 2020.
Lorde is quite right. The fact of the matter is that in our capitalist system, those without resources simply die off. And given the fact that white Americans have been given (and are still receiving) their ~400 year head-start on Black Americans, the system we have is a slow but steady insurance policy against equality. Is this starting to make sense?
And when we all finally agree that reparations probably should finally be repaid to Black Americans, someone inevitably shoots up in the back of the room with a grin and a “How are we ever going to afford this?” Seriously? To start, reparations has been used by the United States government before, in the case of those affected by Japanese Internment, each individual received direct compensation of $20,000, or $42,000 adjusted for inflation. The use of direct reparations for Japanese-Americans, and the refusal of reparations for African-Americans, highlights the American tradition of assuming Black people don’t know how to spend their own money. And second, let’s not pretend that Congress didn’t just pull $2 trillion dollars out of its marble ass for COVID-19. We have the money, so let’s do what’s right.
Social Media’s Impact on International Relations
Fulin Wang. International Affairs Forum, May 21, 2020.
ISIS, a terrorist militant group, is known for killing dozens of people and carrying out public executions, crucifixions and other acts (“ISIS Fast Facts”). If it were not for the tangible support that Facebook, Google and Twitter provided, ISIS would not have expanded so rapidly in the past few years. Not only they recruit children to fight wars all over the world, but also promote reactionary politics and religious fundamentalism.
Women's Rights: "The Untapped Resource in the MENA Region"
Fatiha Tabibipour. International Affairs Forum, June 12, 2020.
Women in the Middle East and North Africa are viewed through the eyes of a patriarchal system that has been in place for centuries. As we approach the first quarter of the 21st century, women in the region still live in the shadow of a patriarchal society that continues to dominate despite the efforts and fight for equality. ... [A] way to address the issue is by introducing a gender quota in parliaments, for example. A few countries – such as Morocco – have introduced a gender quota; “81 of 395 (21%) seats in the Majliss-annouwab / House of Representatives are held by women” (Gender Quotas Database). This is an example for other countries, and it could work if the quota’s percentage is large enough so that a difference can be made.
#YoungAndPowerful: The Fundamental Need for Youth Representation in International Relations
Fatima. Plan International Blog, April 22, 2019.
Economic Sanctions: An Illegal Use of Force from the United States, and an Attack on the Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of Iranian Women
Sanam Analouei. The Undergraduate Law Review at New York University, Vol. II, Issue 2 (Spring 2019).
Abstract
Throughout history, sanctions have become an increasingly popular tool in attempting to change state behavior without having to go to war. President Woodrow Wilson once described economic sanctions as a “peaceful, silent, deadly remedy.” Only a century later, the United States has continued to impose sanctions despite knowing their deadly results. In this paper, I argue that given international obligations and norms, the U.S.’s use of economic sanctions, specifically those on Iran, violates basic human rights principles. Moreover, the U.S. has consistently ignored calls for reform within their use of sanctions, which would halt the violation of human rights imposed by such sanctions. Research has shown that economic sanctions have harmful, even disastrous effects on humanitarian relief and quality of life for populations in targeted countries. However, research has also often failed to recognize that sanctions do not affect populations equally: sanctions result in gendered outcomes, with women suffering the most. This is not to say that men do not also experience hardship under sanctions, but rather, that there are often unintended gendered effects that especially hurt women. This paper will also examine the gendered effects of economic sanctions on the economic, social, and cultural rights of Iranian women by referencing documents such as the UDHR, ICESCR, ICCPR, CEDAW, and several General Comments and Special Rapporteur reports. The United States has historically been the largest abuser of economic sanctions abroad; the current administration has not differed immensely in the long-standing economic sanction policies on Iran.
The Human Rights Violation of Sanction: U.S. Unilateral Sanctions and Iran’s Government
Tarra Olfat. Journal of International Relations, March 10, 2020.
Sigma Iota Rho Honor Society for International Studies
Unilateral sanctions, in particular, deter nearly all human rights, including the right to self-determination, the right to health, the right to education, the right to an adequate standard of living, and the right to development. Countries should no longer utilize unilateral sanctions as an instrument for influence.
PARKER ENNIS
"Our Day Will Come: The Inevitability of Irish Unification as Brexit Approaches"
The Oxford University Politics Blog, Oxford University Department of Politics and International Relations, January 7, 2019
Internal processes have led to a unified island increasingly becoming a greater possibility. The external shock of Brexit has accelerated these trends and made reunification near inevitable.
LIZ HOLMES
"A New Animal Rights Treaty Regime Is Needed That Mirrors Human Rights Treaties: Animals Aren’t Commodities, They Have Inherent Rights"
Animal Blawg: Blog of Animal Law, September 16, 2018
Maintained by Professor David N. Cassuto, Pace University School of Law
HAILEY KATZENBERGER
"Netflix's Tiger King Does More Harm Than Good"
Animal People Forum, May 6, 2020
ANDREW SOMPLE
"Mass Incarceration and the Consequences of Disparate Drug Sentencing"
International Affairs Forum, May 8, 2020
The United States constitutes less than five percent of the total world population, however it comprises nearly 25% of the entire world’s prison population. Disparities in drug sentencing and the enactment of racist, unjustifiable mandatory minimum sentences have exploded the correctional systems population by 700% to 2.3 million individuals, from the beginning of the 1970’s.
JESSE ERNEST
"Navigating Free Speech and Social Order:
An International Case Study on Protecting the Internet"
Georgetown University Undergraduate Law Review, Vol. V, Issue 1 (Summer 2019), pp. 52–59
An examination of personal data protections in the digital age using the European Union, China, and the United States as case studies to support the creation of a binding international agreement for data regulation.
Abstract
In an increasingly digital world, free speech and privacy laws in any given country have a growing impact on the lives of people across the globe, especially with regard to personal data protections. Unfortunately, there has yet to be any global and effective legally binding agreements to set a base level of protection for digital information on individuals. On one side of the debate, some countries argue that some level of censorship is necessary to prevent cybeterrorism and maintain social order. On the other, other countries and human rights organizations warn that censorship violates the human rights to freedom of speech, expression and privacy, making it easier for governments to quiet dissidents and spread false information. After analyzing the legal position of data protection, I recommend the ratification of legal protections for personal data, even if it is not as extensive as one could hope. In order to be effective, any treaty would have to create a supervising body and court for resolving disputes and offering advisory opinions. Hopefully, private corporations will take the lead, valuing employee and local input rather than profits alone.
Novyi Mir, Novaya Prava: The CIS Space in Transition
Graham Connors. The Monitor: Journal of International Studies, Vol. 23, Issue 2 (Spring 2018).
This paper argues that the post-Soviet states already had significant experience with playing by—and manipulating—the “rules of the game” of the Western international legal system during the Soviet era. As a result, the full integration of the post-Soviet space into the Western legal order involved a significant amount of calculation by the states involved to obtain economic benefits and enhance their political legitimacy. But at the same time, it is undeniable that the post-Soviet states were influenced by newly adopted standards, systems, and institutions in ways that ran counter to expected outcomes or their interests. Rather than being a one-sided, imperialistic enforcement of Western norms on the former Soviet Union or a manipulation of weak Western institutions by newly independent states, the development of international law in the region was instead a complex interplay between the agendas of regional and extra regional actors as well as international bodies.
KEVIN BLOODWORTH II
"Bleeding them Dry: America's Vampiric Relationship with Puerto Rico"
International Affairs Forum, December 30, 2019
America is heralded as a hope and beacon of democracy yet refuses to enfranchise over 4 million U.S. citizens in Puerto Rico. This lack of representation has cost Puerto Rico dearly, as America’s consistent violations of Puerto Rican’s human right to self-determination is the major factor contributing to Puerto Rico’s current economic crisis.
WILLIAM DU TERTRE
"Error 420: Problems Caused by State and Federal Legal Divergences"
Legal Reader, May 21, 2020
The battle to legalize cannabis hasn’t seen much progress despite gaining significant popularity among people all around the country in recent years. It is one of the few issues today which hasn’t been polarizing and has received legal support from now over two-thirds of the American population, according to studies from the Pew Research Center. Despite the efforts of now almost 20 states and districts decriminalizing or recreationalizing the drug, the question becomes what’s holding back pot smokers from smoking pot legally in today’s times?
SHANNON SUTHERLAND
"Removing Assad"
International Affairs Forum, May 18, 2020
The Syrian people are the only group with a right to power over the direction of their government, and any attempt to remove or replace Assad without the consent of the Syrian people will create fractured peace at best. Although removal of the Assad regime by foreign actors may be quicker and easier in the short term, in the long term it will likely cause a dangerous power vacuum and deepen political unrest and conflict in Syria.
MARIA AHMED
"Controlling Coronavirus and Egypt's Government"
International Affairs Forum, May 21, 2020
Initially, in the response to COVID-19, authorities administered strict punishments for those breaking laws that were established to prevent the widespread of coronavirus. While this was applauded by the public, concerns were raised when President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi gave himself and his government more power by amending the country’s emergency law.
As Sissi approved these amendments, the Egyptian government responded by defending him, saying that the measures are necessary in preventing the spread of COVID-19. However, many human rights activists argue that this increase in power is an easy passage for the government to abuse the rights and freedoms of the people.
MIA PARKER
"We Know Mississippi Can Improve Its Schools, If Only Our Leaders Would Get on Board"
Education Post, May 20, 2020
The state boasts one of the lowest per-pupil spending rankings in the nation. Until Mississippi leaders recognize the importance of education on both the lives of the students and the success of the state, students will continue to underperform, and the state will fall further behind the rest of the U.S., both economically and socially. ... Mississippians deserve an equal opportunity to achieve educational excellence—like every other American. It is time for Mississippi lawmakers to acknowledge the importance of a quality education. And it is time for Mississippi public schools to receive the resources they need for both the students and the state as a whole to be successful.
LAUREN ZANE
"Ending the Global Assault on Protest"
Diplomatic Courier, January 6, 2020
The right to protest is under assault in most of the world today, from the most democratic to authoritarian. Protests have become increasingly criminalized by governments and decried as criminal in the press. Those without permits to protests are labelled as “illegal” or violent, but what constitutes violent or illegal protests? ... Often, governments mislabel legitimate protests as “violent” in order to stifle civil rights and eventually even justify violence and brutality against protesters.
SALEM AMARE
"A Nobel Peace Prize With No Peace: Is Ethiopia the Next Rwandan Genocide in the Making?"
International Affairs Forum, January 6, 2020
The future of Ethiopia is uncertain but one thing remains clear: the ethnic violence is worsening. The government needs to acknowledge this harsh truth and take dramatic action, such as moving from ethnic federalism, a system that divides based on ethnicity, to a proportional representative democracy. Unless Ethiopian leaders and the international community want another Rwanda on their hands, they can no longer stand by idly handing out peace prizes as violence among the ethnic groups escalates.
RYAN HANSEN
"Russian Government Cyber-Attacks in Ukraine in 2014 Constituted an Illegal Use of Force"
The Monitor: Journal of International Studies, Vol. 23, Issue 2 (Spring 2018)
JULIEN KEARNS
"Money Is of No Object: How the U.S. Government Mishandles Price Gouging in Key Industries"
International Affairs Forum, June 5, 2020
The United States needs to better allocate the federal budget to support those affected by price gouging in the pharmaceutical industry as opposed to standing idly by as its citizens are unable to access life saving medication. The defense industry serves as an example of how the United States seems to throw money at a situation to resolve it, yet only addresses those that fall directly into their own interests. The government would rather spend money on a half-inch metal pin that has become nearly 10,000% more expensive than for a struggling citizen’s insulin that’s become 300% more expensive.
LAUREN ZANE
"AI and the Erosion of Freedoms"
Diplomatic Courier, November 15, 2019
AI is implicated in halting and limiting civil resistance. The ability to hold protests and to freely speak out against injustice is one of the most implicit freedoms that define liberal democracies. The critical question is: how much of our democratic freedoms are we willing to give up to advance technology?
YINING LI
"Losing Citizenship: A Comparative Study on the Legal Issues of Returning ISIS Affiliates,"
Georgetown University Undergraduate Law Review, Vol. VI, Issue 1 (Spring 2020), pp. 23–30
Abstract
As coalition forces have taken back the territory occupied by ISIS militants, former ISIS participants and affiliates have encountered a new problem. While several countries have decided to readmit them as citizens, other countries have stripped them of their citizenship. According to Article 15 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, no person may be denied their nationality. This paper analyzes the legality of those countries' measures and discusses ISIS affiliates' human rights. It summarizes the background of ISIS and examines citizenship as a fundamental human right for ISIS affiliates. This paper categorizes those countries into two groups according to whether they are willing to repatriate the participants or not. With regard to countries rejecting the citizenship of ISIS participants, this paper evaluates four such countries' laws and argues that ISIS affiliates have the right to keep their citizenship and face a fair trial. Countries should openly accept them because their crimes cannot supersede the human rights of ISIS affiliates.
RYAN KELLEY
"The Legality of the U.S. Drone Program Under International Law"
The Monitor: Journal of International Studies, Vol. 23, Issue 2 (Spring 2018)
Received the Frank Shatz Award for the best article of the year in The Monitor.
ALEXANDER TONG
"Why Federalists Should Support the Legalization of Marijuana in America"
International Affairs Forum, April 18, 2020
The legalization of marijuana for medicinal and recreational purposes, at the federal level, would prove beneficial to both the state and its people. ... By adopting such a system and implementing on a nation-wide scale, Federalists can achieve their goal of centralizing legislative power within the federal government, resolve the abuses of the war on drugs, profit off the fastest growing industry in the US job market, and, in the process, enjoy the medicinal and recreational benefits of legal cannabis.
KANGHYUN KWON
"How Abe Was Wrong about COVID-19 and the Olympics"
Journal of International Relations, May 17, 2020
Sigma Iota Rho Honor Society for International Studies
Japan could have remained as an exemplar state in containing COVID-19 infections if it had adopted and maintained the mass testing of COVID-19 simultaneously with its preparation for the Olympics. Conducting massive testing of COVID-19 would have been a risky political adventure for Abe, given the Japanese government’s relatively successful containment of COVID-19 infection at the early stage of pandemic. Nonetheless, as the “Recovery Olympics” would not have miraculously cured COVID-19, his ‘readiness for the Olympics’ should have been manifested differently than mere concealment of COVID-19. They could have coexisted if only Abe had taken enough time to contemplate the policies of sophisticated inter-sectoral cooperation and efficient utilization of domestic resources. Doing so would have proven Abe’s government transparency. He also could have secured and reinforced his leadership that would remain solid regardless of the postponement of the Olympics.
The world has seen South Korea successfully conducting its parliamentary election in April without aborting its mass testing of COVID-19, which resulted in zero cases of local transmission throughout the election period. Given the Japanese government budget, financial stability, medical infrastructure, and human resources available in Japan that surpass the South Korean one, there was no way that Japan could not have done the same.
JACK SHANGRAW
"Self-Determination Between Two Giants: Geopolitical Obstacles to Democracy in Nepal"
International Affairs Forum, December 30, 2019
If large countries are able to determine the modes of economic development, political systems, or internal policies open to their neighbors, they are denying them full membership as independent states in the international system. This poses a clear violation of the principle of self-determination as has been established in international law. Acting together, countries such as Nepal must work to expand the application of the right of external self-determination to indirect neo-colonial forms of domination.
KEN FRANK
"The UK Voted to Leave the EU, and Now Scotland Must Vote to Leave the UK"
International Affairs Forum, May 13, 2020
On September 18 2014, Scotland held a referendum to decide whether or not it should leave the United Kingdom. The referendum failed, but only by a margin of 5.3 percent of the vote. Six years later, the United Kingdom has voted to leave the European Union. The reasons for this decision are numerous, but at the crux of them is the desire for the United Kingdom to have greater autonomy over its political and financial future. This desire for self determination is both admirable and forward-thinking. However, if this logic is to be followed to its natural conclusion, it also means Scottish independence from the UK.
BRENDAN O'HALLORAN
"The Ethical Concerns of Drone and Automated Warfare"
Journal of International Relations, January 28, 2019
Sigma Iota Rho Honor Society for International Studies
The war of the future is still one in which noncombatants are regularly harmed. Ultimately, the United States government’s current path on this matter is one that places effective warfare above ethical concerns. The only solution—one which seems increasingly unlikely—is to deescalate the usage of autonomous weapons.
GRAHAM WEINSCHENK
"The ‘Great Wall of Sand’ Is Just the Beginning"
International Affairs Forum, December 28, 2018
Since as early as 1999, the People’s Republic of China has quietly been conducting one of the largest land reclamation projects in human history: the expansion of small islands and reefs in the South China Sea into sprawling military assets. Described by Admiral Harry Harris, US Ambassador to South Korea and former Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command, as a “Great Wall of Sand,” these islands pose a massive threat to stability in the region and around the world.
BASEM ALEJANDRO BADER RODRIGUEZ
"Ecuador's COVID-19 Chaos: Exploring People's Mentality"
International Affairs Forum, July 7, 2020
Mayors, officials, and ministries suggested stay-at-home orders but were never enforced. Almost two months and a half after first case was discovered in the country, Ecuador already registered more than 30,000 cases, with roughly 3,000 deaths that haven’t been yet well recorded.
The lack of enforcement and the poorly created “safe passages” that allowed anyone to drive around the city just as long they had a valid reason to do so, were the main reasons the virus spread so swiftly around Ecuador. The situation is so dreadful, that if Guayas (a coastal province) was considered a country, it would the second most infected in South America.
LAURA KIRK
"The Price of Perpetual Production: Rectifying Human Rights Abuses in the Garment Industry"
The Monitor: Journal of International Studies, Vol. 25, Issue 2 (Spring 2020)
Abstract
In the past decade, a number of high-profile tragedies within the global garment industry have sparked reform movements. In order to address the human rights abuses within this industry, the international community has developed systems of corporate responsibility, which entail voluntary codes of conduct created and implemented by corporations. This system has multiple flaws, as it puts reform in the hands of corporations without addressing exploitative practices or allowing for the legal enforcement of labor standards. In order to effectively address the human rights abuse within the global garment industry, direct governmental intervention has become necessary. In particular, the responsibility for intervention rests with the developed world, where the majority of garments are imported. Economically influential nations, particularly the United States, must implement import bans on garments produced using unethical labor practices. Such a ban is the most effective way to address and end the persistence of human rights abuse within the garment industry. This paper explores how current reform efforts have ultimately failed, and explains the rationale behind and the potential implementation of an import ban on unethically produced garments.
ANNE ALLEN HODGE
"Mississippi Blues Aren't Music, They're Trade Deficits"
International Affairs Forum, January 16, 2019
The economic losses due to the trade war are closing farms. These farms form the base of the state’s economies and lifestyles.... “These policies affect almost everyone I know. Agriculture is directly and indirectly one of the major employers in the US and is a huge part of the GOP for this country,” says Scott Cannada, Mississippi Farmer of the Year in 2011, when asked about the effects of the trade war policies on Mississippi’s farmers.
FLORENCIO YUZON
"The Imperial Eagle Rising"
International Affairs Forum, May 7, 2020
The modern, democratic Germany is at the heart of the continent’s economic, security, and humanitarian endeavors. It stands at the forefront of the European project, one that could be upended if Germany’s neighbors, many still carrying painful memories of the Second World War in their public consciences, feel threatened by nationalist German rhetoric. It matters because it is a larger movement than many Germans believe, with some elements even infiltrating police and military forces. It matters because they have radicalized, with members being implicated in xenophobic, anti-Semitic, and anti-government attacks on German soil.
CATIE BROWN
"Breaking Bad: The Dangers of the Shipbreaking Industry"
International Affairs Forum, January 16, 2019
Shipbreaking is most commonly carried out in low-income countries where labor is cheap, there are relatively fewer safety regulations, workers are desperate for jobs, and limited environmental regulations exist compared to high-income countries such as Germany or England. One of the leading problems of shipbreaking is the environmental impacts associated with its process. Environmental damage from shipbreaking includes soil contamination, air and water pollution, and biodiversity loss. For example, by 2009, Bangladesh had lost twenty-one of its fish and crustacean species due to water contamination from the shipyards.
REFUGEES & MIGRATION
Human Rights are Refugee Rights: The Protection of Economic Rights for Refugees in the United States
Angele Maricar. Harvard Human Rights Journal Online, Harvard Law School, April 20, 2020.
All refugees should receive the same economic rights, including the right to employment, fair wages, and economic stability.... Violations of these legal standards often include the state’s failure to provide favorable employment opportunities, fair economic wages, and a sufficient amount of resettlement programs and support systems.
Protecting Indigenous Communities in Cases of Climate-forced Migration
Zoha Zafar. Oxford Human Rights Hub Blog, University of Oxford, Faculty of Law, May 22, 2020.
On Indigenous People’s Day in 2018, the United Nations pushed for the protection of indigenous populations’ human rights in cases of social, political, economic, and climate-forced migration. It fell short of acknowledging that victims of climate-related forced migration receive limited protections under international law as compared to social, economic, and political migrants. Previous constructions of climate-related migration rely on the assumption of other contributing factors. Indigenous communities experiencing climate migration face decreased representation, limited opportunities for economic participation and decreased protection of property. This blog highlights the need for the enactment of proactive measures necessary to preserve indigenous communities experiencing climate-forced migration.
Why Women Leave: Gang and Gender-Based Violence in the Northern Triangle
Samin Huq. Refugee Law Initiative, School of Advanced Study, University of London, November 20, 2023.
At least 1 million people found themselves leaving the Northern Triangle of Central America (NTCA) – which comprises El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras – to go elsewhere in Latin America or to the United States due to poverty and insecurity, environmental crises, and rampant violence. Tens of thousands of women and girls across the NTCA find themselves forced to leave their homes due to extreme sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). This blog aims to pinpoint the role of SGBV as a driver of forced migration, assess current practices to combat violence, as well as outline a potential path forward.
All Eyes Must Be on America’s Offshore Processing Centers
John Angelo Gerard D.O. Calbario. Refugee Law Initiative, School of Advanced Study, University of London, August 3, 2023.
The Biden administration has set up immigration processing centers in Colombia and Guatemala to stop migrants from making the perilous journey to the southern border. These facilities screen applications of migrants fleeing Central and South America in search of legal entry to the United States (US). This new policy aligns with the imminent lifting of Title 42, a pandemic policy that turned away migrants without an asylum hearing. The Biden administration likewise declared that more stringent enforcement actions will be taken against migrants who enter the country illegally across the US-Mexico border. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas indicated that the centers will encourage migrants to avoid traffickers and pursue legal entry into the US. ... Offshore processing was aimed at impeding future migration of individuals who may be escaping persecution and violence and avoiding legal scrutiny by establishing a “law-free zone”.
How the Externalisation of EU Migration Governance Places Refugees at Risk: An Analysis of EU-Libya Migration Cooperation
Emilie Joe Brandt. Oxford Human Rights Hub Blog, University of Oxford, Faculty of Law, May 11, 2022.
It is both dangerous and unlawful for the EU to evade its human rights responsibilities by continuing to externalise its migration governance. ... The Libyan case illustrates the EU’s failure to recognise its humanitarian responsibility: to protect the right to asylum and to honor concepts of global solidarity and burden-sharing. Going forward, the EU must openly acknowledge its human rights failures caused by externalising migration governance. In Libya, the EU must take responsibility for refugee protection and ensure concrete human rights improvements in the region, especially by strengthening asylum protection along the Central Mediterranean migration route.
How the Experiences of Eritrean Refugees During the War on Tigray Highlight Serious Shortcomings in the Fight for Human Rights
Samrawit Fesshaie. Refugee Law Initiative, School of Advanced Study, University of London, May 18, 2023.
The Ethiopian government cut off Tigray from the rest of the world by putting in place a telecommunication blackout and by blocking “virtually all food and medical shipments into Tigray, using food as a weapon of war”. It is estimated that around 600,000 people lost their lives during this conflict and it is believed that millions of Ethiopians have been displaced since the onset of this war. It is clear that several ethnic groups have experienced instances of ethnic cleansing and in the case of Tigrayans—a full blown genocide. Yet, there is one group of vulnerable people that have been all but forgotten during this conflict—Eritrean refugees. Throughout this entire conflict, Eritrean refugees located in Ethiopia found themselves at the mercy of multiple armed groups with nowhere to run and no one to protect them.
The 2022 World Cup: From Soccer to Human Rights Violations & Geopolitics
Vitoria Oliveira. Oxford Human Rights Hub Blog, University of Oxford, Faculty of Law, January 3, 2023.
It is not news that Qatar, a country with serious human rights violations, was chosen to host this year’s World Cup. Migrant workers have been the most affected by the nation’s kafala system, with abuses, exploitation, injuries, and death, while the most vulnerable – including women and LGBTQ+ people – are subjected to verbal, physical, and sexual abuse. As the tournament comes to an end, the focus on the country’s workers must remain, as they will be essential to the dismantling of structures, such as temporary stadiums. Qatar is not solely the one to blame for a World Cup built on racial injustice. FIFA and its parameters for choosing a host country are also at fault: for years, regimes have used the World Cup to hide their human rights abuses, and they have been overtly ignored by the International Federation.
The Northern Triangle Crisis: Will U.S. Surveillance help?
Cherisse Lewis. Refugee Law Initiative, School of Advanced Study, University of London, June 15, 2023.
The Northern Triangle countries have long histories of autocratic rule, weak institutions, and corruption. The region’s inequality and violence, in which the U.S. has long played a role, is driving people to leave their homes to seek refuge and opportunity. In El Salvador, after a coup resulted in a military-civilian junta, the U.S. government supported the junta even as its civilian members resigned, and it grew more violent. In Honduras, there was also a military coup in 2009, which the U.S. denounced but still supported the military which debilitated the citizens’ livelihood. Finally in Guatemala, a military coup overthrew the President and led to a civil war, with the U.S. aiding the culpable military. All interventions resulted in a tumultuous and violent era which have had long-lasting effects on its citizens. History shows that by backing military coups or support for civil wars, the U.S. government has only exacerbated the problematic conditions in these vulnerable countries.
The Dominance of Christian Charities in US Refugee Resettlement
Misgana Kurban. Refugee Research Online, University of Melbourne, Melbourne Social Equity Institute, February 12, 2024.
The majority of refugee resettlement agencies are faith-based organisations, and out of the top five resettlement agencies, four are religious organisations and three are Christian organisations. While the US Government does not allow the resettlement agencies to spend government dollars on religious activities – these Christian charities still find ways to get away with it by incorporating religion and their specific beliefs in their organisational activities – i.e. praying before meetings and events or asking unaccompanied minors if they attend church. Instead, the government should focus more of its efforts on supporting Ethnic Community-Based Organisations (ECBO) which would eliminate the evangelisation that faith-based organisations commit. Ethnic Community-Based Organisations (ECBOs) are community-based organisations comprised primarily of refugees, for the specific purpose of assisting other refugees.
Unintended Consequences: The Effect of Harsh Italian Migrant Policies on Irregular Agricultural Work
Gabriel Maggiore. Refugee Law Initiative, School of Advanced Study, University of London, October 31, 2023.
Implementing policies that limit migrants’ access to social inclusion, State support, and legal pathways to residency and work, like the Salvini and Cutro Decrees, have been shown to be ineffective, and only push migrants without social protections to abusive irregular work environments that routinely violate their human rights. The State should instead provide funding to programs like the SAI (Sistema di Accoglienza e Integrazione), which decentralizes reception activities so local networks and NGOs can chose what reception activities best suit them. Migrants trapped in the Caporalato system have their human rights violated every day through inhumane working conditions, living conditions, and psychological and physical abuse.
Freedom of Expression at Risk as US Agency Ends COVID-Era Interpretation Services
Bianka Ukleja. Refugee Research Online, University of Melbourne, Melbourne Social Equity Institute, October 24, 2023.
In a move that has caused much anger and confusion, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is no longer providing free interpretation services for asylum seekers. Since September 2020, USCIS provided applicants with its own telephonic interpretation services in 47 critical languages. However, on September 13, 2023, the agency rolled back its COVID-era temporary final rule (TFR), a policy which increased language access for many. While this temporary policy was designed to protect US Asylum Officers from heightened exposure to the COVID-19 virus, it was arguably low-income, limited English proficiency (LEP) asylum seekers who benefited most from heightened language access. By repealing these services, USCIS placed some of the 1.5 million individuals currently waiting for asylum hearings and some future applicants at greater risk of targeted scams and further administrative delay.
A Tale of False Promises: Florida Governor DeSantis’ Refugee Crisis
Rossina Ruano. Refugee Law Initiative, School of Advanced Study, University of London, November 11, 2022.
The United States is facing a migrant and refugee crisis. The US government attempts to navigate this issue and find practical solutions to aid these individuals. Keeping control of the influx of migrants entering the country through the US/Mexico border has been demanding. However, the political divide in the country and strong opinions have resulted in certain governors attempting to take the situation into their own hands. In September 2022, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis transported around 50 migrants located in San Antonio, Texas to Martha’s Vineyard (an island south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts). DeSantis is now facing a criminal investigation and an investigation from the Federal Treasury Department regarding the misuse of coronavirus relief funds to transport the migrants. In this blog post I lay out the legal issues and the human rights violations involved in this context.
Losing Citizenship: A Comparative Study on the Legal Issues of Returning ISIS Affiliates
Yining Li. Georgetown University Undergraduate Law Review, Vol. VI, Issue 1 (Spring 2020), pp. 23–30.
Abstract
As coalition forces have taken back the territory occupied by ISIS militants, former ISIS participants and affiliates have encountered a new problem. While several countries have decided to readmit them as citizens, other countries have stripped them of their citizenship. According to Article 15 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, no person may be denied their nationality. This paper analyzes the legality of those countries' measures and discusses ISIS affiliates' human rights. It summarizes the background of ISIS and examines citizenship as a fundamental human right for ISIS affiliates. This paper categorizes those countries into two groups according to whether they are willing to repatriate the participants or not. With regard to countries rejecting the citizenship of ISIS participants, this paper evaluates four such countries' laws and argues that ISIS affiliates have the right to keep their citizenship and face a fair trial. Countries should openly accept them because their crimes cannot supersede the human rights of ISIS affiliates.
A Call to Action: Pass the Afghan Adjustment Act
Steven Blum. Refugee Research Online, University of Melbourne, Melbourne Social Equity Institute, January 30, 2023.
For all the sacrifices Afghans have made for themselves and the U.S., they must be afforded the opportunity to build their own future free from persecution. This is not an argument whether the U.S. had a duty to remain in Afghanistan, but rather a duty to uplift those who fought for their own freedom and democracy. Congress enacted similar legislation for Cuban, Vietnamese, and Iraqi refugees after past U.S. military interventions and today these communities thrive across the country. Having a sense of security gives refugees hope for the future, “a therapeutic quality that can facilitate refugees overcoming challenges”. In the absence of an Afghan Adjustment Act, Afghans living in America wake up every day uncertain of what their future holds, yet still go to work and school in hopes of building a successful new life. It is impossible for Afghan refugees to have their fundamental human rights fulfilled: the right to life, the right to work, and the right to an education, if there is no permanent structure in place that protects these rights.