DAY CONFERENCE
ALL HUMAN BEINGS ARE “BORN FREE AND EQUAL IN DIGNITY AND RIGHTS. THEY ARE ENDOWED WITH REASON AND CONSCIENCE AND SHOULD ACT TOWARDS ONE ANOTHER IN A SPIRIT OF BROTHERHOOD.
“
—Declaration of Human Rights 1948
THROUGHOUT HISTORY, IT HAS BEEN “ THE INACTION OF THOSE WHO COULD HAVE ACTED, THE INDIFFERENCE OF THOSE WHO SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER, THE SILENCE OF THE VOICE OF JUSTICE WHEN IT MATTERED MOST, THAT HAS MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR EVIL TO TRIUMPH.
“
—Haile Selassie
HUMAN RIGHTS IN ACTION Day Conference for CAPA Students The aim of this day conference is to explore topical issues and current debates in the field of Human Rights and the work of individuals and organizations that aim to promote and maintain Human Rights around the world. Human Rights are at the focus of many of the most pressing contemporary global challenges. The current refugee crisis, struggles over individual liberty and freedom of expression in a world of globalized security threats, and prominent cases of wrongful conviction and miscarriages of justice all indicate their continuing importance. The notion of universal Human Rights is relatively new. In response to the cataclysmic events of the first decades of the twentieth century, the United Nations issued the Declaration of Human Rights to assert that some values supersede national, cultural, religious or political practices to apply universally without qualification. The birth of the United Nations and the aftermath of World War II created an urgent legal and ethical agenda: Nazi war criminals were convicted of “crimes against humanity,” an idea that implied that legal standards had universal validity. The Commission on Human Rights set up by the UN led to the ratification of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) on December 10, 1948, which stated that the treatment of citizens was an area of concern for all nations: “Recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice, and peace in the world.” The idea that there is such a thing as the “human family” is a core concept which indicates
that what we have in common is as important as that which divides us. This day conference examines the historical development, theory and practices of Human Rights, their political complexity and the current challenges being faced by Human Rights organizations around the world. An initial discussion of key principles and controversies will be illustrated by examples from current global events. Participants will also hear first-hand insights from student interns and professionals actively working in various aspects of Human Rights, as well as those who have been directly affected by issues discussed, with a particular focus on wrongful conviction as a Human Rights issue. The day will include videos from former and current students, a screening of selected scenes from dramatizations of wrongful conviction, and a theatrical performance by CAPA students of scenes from The Oresteia, an ancient Greek play about justice and retribution which speaks powerfully to our times.
AGENDA 9:00am
Light Breakfast / Registration
9:30am
Welcome
Michael Woolf
9:40am
Keynote Address: What are Human Rights?
Lutz Oette (SOAS, University of London)
10:10am
Global Perspectives on Human Rights Chair: Anthony Gristwood David Edye: The European Union’s Willkommenskultur Under Strain? Gráinne O’Connell: From the “Age of AIDS” to the “Age of Xenophobia”: Geopolitics and Human Rights Discourses in Ireland and Europe
11:00am
Break
11:10am
Human Rights in Action
Chair: Craig Kench Claire House (Stonewall) Ellen Pettersson (Womankind Worldwide)
12:15pm
Lunch
1:00pm
Human Rights Spotlight: Wrongful Conviction Justin Brooks (California Innocence Project):
Wrongful Conviction as a Human Rights Issue
Selected excerpts from The Exonerated Sunny Jacobs and Peter Pringle (exonerees): Stories of Wrongful Conviction
2:10pm 2:20pm
Break What Can Be Done? The Innocence Project and the Sunny Center
Justin Brooks: Working for Human Rights The Innocence Project Sunny Jacobs and Peter Pringle: After Care as a Human Right and the Sunny Center
3:25pm
Break
3:35pm
Selected scenes from The Oresteia by Aeschylus Performed by CAPA / BFA Guthrie students
and interpreted and led by Mike Punter
4:15pm
Conclusion and Acknowledgements
Catherine Colon
A MESSAG E FR O M JOHN J. CHRISTIAN, P R ESIDE NT O F C A PA T HE G L OB A L ED U C AT ION N ETWO RK. Dear Students, Thank you for joining us today for what we believe will be a moving and important day of sharing, teaching and learning about one of the most important topics of the 21st century – Human Rights. In May 2015, CAPA launched the global education network or CGEN. Through the use of technology, CGEN allows us to connect faculty and students across CAPA’s centers thereby creating the opportunity for multi-center collaborative learning. This was an important next step in our mission to explore and analyze globalization, urban environments, social dynamics and diversity in a more meaningful and global way. Today’s conference is a perfect example of how this global connection enables us to involve multiple communities of CAPA students in some of our most important work, such as this Human Rights conference. As the President of CAPA, I have the pleasure and the responsibility of ensuring that Human Rights are at the forefront of what we do as an organization. This is not something we just talk about, it is at the core of what we do. It is my hope that by bringing in our esteemed speakers and connecting our sites today in an open and honest discussion about Human Rights, we will have the opportunity to have some impact. Let us broaden our perspective and understanding of this complex and fastmoving topic and explore the ways in which we can make a difference to the lives of those impacted. I am particularly pleased that you will have the opportunity to learn more about one of the organizations working to make such a difference: The Innocence Project. The Innocence Project is a national litigation and public policy organization dedicated to exonerating wrongfully convicted individuals through DNA testing and reforming the criminal justice system to prevent future injustice. I first encountered the Innocence Project at a study abroad conference a couple of years ago when CAPA highlighted their work in the Civil and Human Rights sector as part of our Human Rights awareness agenda. This is where I met my friend, Uriah Courtney. With the help of the California Innocence Project, Uriah was exonerated in 2013 after eight years in jail for a crime he did not commit. Take a moment to think about where you are right now. Consider your freedom and the excitement of your study abroad journey, and then imagine this never happened and you are instead in solitary confinement in prison with no natural light. Imagine waking up every day knowing you
were there for something you did not do. Uriah was your age when he was falsely accused, convicted and sent to prison for a crime he did not commit. Uriah’s story encouraged me to learn more and to become an active supporter of the Innocence Project. I also gained a new friend and teacher. I am continually struck by his courage and spirit to survive, forgive and live a full life on the outside, and he has become one of the most important and inspirational people in my life. Uriah’s story is also a reminder that Human Rights issues can affect us all. I hope that today’s conference will inform and inspire you to realize that you have the power to get involved in shaping the world in which you live. You can do this through human interaction on a daily basis as you meet people from diverse backgrounds. Sometimes just a smile makes someone feel included. You can do this through the gift of time by volunteering or interning with a Human Rights organization. You can do this by pursuing a career within the field of Human Rights like many of today’s presenters. You can do this by blogging about today’s event and sharing its importance to you with your friends and family. You can donate to those organizations working each day to protect the rights of people around the world and at home. You can do this by actively seeking further understanding of one or more dimensions of Human Rights and sharing your learning with others in order to increase awareness. It is a great honor for CAPA to host today’s conference and a true a privilege to have the opportunity to gain a greater understanding of this important topic through today’s speakers. I hope you will be as moved as I was when I first heard Uriah’s story and that you too will be inspired to make a difference.
PARTICIPANTS
MICHAEL WOOLF Introduction Welcome | 9:30am
LUTZ OETTE Keynote Lecture: What are Human Rights? | 9:40am
Michael Woolf is Deputy President for Strategic Development of CAPA The Global Education Network. He has held leadership roles in international education for many years and has written widely on international education and cultural studies. Mike’s undergraduate studies were in History and Politics. His MA and PhD work was largely focused on American literature and culture. Much of his career has been within an international context. He serves on a number of advisory boards and was a member of the Board of Directors of the Forum on Education Abroad from 2006 - 2012. He has worked with Anthony Gristwood and other colleagues to develop the global cities initiative at CAPA.
Lutz Oette is a senior lecturer in law at SOAS, University of London where he teaches the course on International Protection of Human Rights. In his work with Human Rights organizations, he has combined litigation, capacity building, advocacy and law reform initiatives with research on Human Rights, particularly the prohibition of torture and reparation. This includes a major project on criminal law reform in Sudan, resulting in a book edited by Dr. Oette, Criminal Law Reform and Transitional Justice: Human Rights Perspectives for Sudan, published by Ashgate in 2011. He is also the co-author of a textbook, Ilias Bantekas and Lutz Oette, International Human Rights Law and Practice, published by Cambridge University Press in 2013. Abstract: Human Rights, while finding echoes across history and cultures, are a distinctively modern notion. Since World War II, international Human Rights law has developed significantly. Yet, Human Rights remain contested and their promotion and protection face multiple challenges. This includes question of recognition, interpretation and effective implementation. The presentation takes stock of where Human Rights come from, what the current issues are, and what the future holds, focusing particularly on the role of key actors.
PARTICIPANTS
cont .
ANTHONY GRISTWOOD Global Perspectives on Human Rights | 10:10am
DAVID EDYE Global Perspectives on Human Rights | 10:10am
Anthony Gristwood is Faculty Chair and Principal Lecturer at CAPA London, where he teaches Analyzing and Exploring the Global City: London and Contemporary Issues Through Service-Learning. He has also taught at the Bader International Study Centre of Queen’s University (Canada), and the University of Connecticut in London. He holds an MA, PGCE, and PhD in geography from the University of Cambridge. Anthony’s current research and teaching interests include contemporary urban studies, global cities and modern London; politics, identity and culture in modern Europe, particularly Spain; public geographies and participatory approaches to teaching and learning, including the use of Web 2.0 technologies. He is also an editor of the CAPA Occasional Publications series.
David Edye has a background in Law and Politics. He has been published widely, having written two books and many articles and chapters in edited books. He is also very active in research and presents his papers at conferences on a regular basis in the UK, France and Spain. David was Senior Lecturer in the Department of Law, Governance and International Relations at London Metropolitan University until 2009. In addition to teaching at CAPA The Global Education Network, he is currently Senior Faculty at the Foundation for International Education and visiting lecturer at the Université Paul Valéry, Montpellier, France. He teaches in the areas of American, European and British Politics. Presentation: The European Union’s Willkommenskultur under strain? Abstract: The processes of European integration have evolved since the 1950s as more and more states have joined and the roots of common purpose and direction have deepened. But in times of crisis, as with the Iraq war in 2003 and Greece’s debts since 2008, and now the migrant crisis, divisions have arisen that lead many to wonder if the European project is heading for the rocks. This presentation will analyze the origins and current status of the EU’s asylum and refugee policy.
GRÁINNE O’CONNELL Global Perspectives on Human Rights | 10:10am
Gráinne O’Connell gained her BA in English and Linguistics from University College Dublin, Ireland and her MA in Postcolonial Literatures and Cultures and PhD in Cultural Studies and English from the University of Sussex, UK. Her PhD thesis focused on comparative approaches to Anglophone Caribbean and South African film and literature with a particular focus on the global history of HIV and AIDS and representations of sexuality, Black Atlantic and Indo-Caribbean histories. She also has been a postdoctoral fellow in Medical Humanities at Leeds University. She teaches The Global City: London at CAPA and has also taught at Humboldt University, Berlin, Sussex University and Ruskin College, Oxford. She is currently editing a special issue for the Journal of Medical Humanities entitled ‘‘’Post-AIDS’ and Global Health Discourses: Interdisciplinary Perspectives,” forthcoming in 2016. Presentation: “From the ‘Age of AIDS’ to the ‘Age of Xenophobia’: Geopolitics and Human Rights discourses in Ireland and Europe” Abstract: This presentation considers if the current refugee crisis in the Mediterranean is best understood via Achille Mbembe’s conception of the contemporary period as the “Age of Xenophobia.” Throughout, I foreground the ways in which the history of AIDS activism, especially in the US and South Africa, politicized access to health care as a human right and challenged national governments to engage with the demands of their populations. I focus on how this process occurred in tandem with the rise of neoliberalism and the immense ethical and political questions that this poses for what we consider to be Human Rights. I also consider the case of Ireland, the first country to legalize gay marriage by popular vote in May 2015, but which continues to be highly restrictive in allowing women’s access to abortion and in its immigration laws. Overall, I critique what power structures inform what we consider as Human Rights and argue that geopolitics underpins dominant Human Rights discourses. Craig Kench is the Director of International Internships at CAPA The Global Education Network. Craig was born in Gibraltar, raised in England and spent ten years studying and working in the USA. He holds a Master’s degree in Education and prior to joining CAPA, managed educational facilities around the London area and worked for local government in the UK. Craig has overall responsibility for the direction and implementation of CAPA’s internship program in the six international program locations.
CRAIG KENCH Human Rights in Action | 11:10am
PARTICIPANTS
cont .
CLAIRE HOUSE
Claire House works as part of Stonewall’s growing international team as International Officer. She recently completed a PhD in Political Anthropology, focused on LGBT rights activism in Latin America. She has also worked in various campaigning roles, including as Head of Communications for the International IDAHO Committee. She has been involved in grassroots LGBT and Human Rights activism for the best part of a decade in Liverpool, Rio de Janeiro and London.
Human Rights in Action | 11:10am
ELLEN PETTERSSON Human Rights in Action | 11:10am
Ellen Pettersson is Programme Officer at Womankind Worldwide. After graduating from UCL in 2012 with a Master’s degree in Development Administration and Planning, Ellen started volunteering at Womankind Worldwide. The volunteer position turned into a short-term contract organizing a learning event for Womankind’s partner organizations in Africa and Asia on women’s political participation. After Womankind, Ellen joined an international research project investigating the need and viability of alumni networks in state funded schools at Future First Global. In December 2013, Ellen returned to Womankind as a Programme Officer where she now supports the work of Women’s Rights activists in Africa, Asia and Latin America on three thematic areas: Ending Violence Against Women, Women’s Political Participation and Women’s Economic Empowerment. Womankind works in partnership with 28 women’s rights organizations in Africa, Asia and Latin America and as a Programme Officer, Ellen supports the organization on project planning, reporting and monitoring and evaluation.
JUSTIN BROOKS Human Rights Spotlight: Wrongful Conviction | 1:00pm What Can Be Done? The Innocence Project and the Sunny Center | 2:20pm
SONIA “SUNNY” JACOBS
Justin Brooks is the Director and Founder of the California Innocence Project and a Professor of Law at California Western School of Law in San Diego, CA. He has practiced as a criminal defense attorney for more than 25 years in Washington DC, Michigan, Illinois, and California. During that time, he has served as counsel on several high profile criminal cases, including NFL player Brian Banks, and has been successful in exonerating many wrongfully convicted clients. Professor Brooks has also been deeply involved in reforming justice systems in Latin America throughout his career. He regularly trains Latin American prosecutors, defense attorneys, and judges on trial skills and criminal forensics and has assisted in the founding of innocence projects throughout the region. He has published extensively in the areas of criminal law, clinical education, and habeas litigation, and he is the author of the only legal casebook devoted to the topic of wrongful convictions. Professor Brooks has been recognized several times by the Los Angeles Daily Journal as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in California. In 2010 and 2012, California Lawyer Magazine awarded him the prestigious “Lawyer of the Year” award. Sonia “Sunny” Jacobs was sentenced to death at the age of 28 for the murder of two police officers in Florida. When she was imprisoned, her two young children were cast into the foster care system. Nearly 17 years after her arrest, Sunny’s conviction was overturned on appeal. Her story, along with those of five other wrongfully convicted death row inmates, became The Exonerated, a play put on by the nonprofit theater, The Culture Project, and then turned into a film for Court TV with Susan Sarandon in the role of Sunny. Sunny is the author of Stolen Time: One Woman’s Inspiring Story as an Innocent Condemned to Death.
Human Rights Spotlight: Wrongful Conviction | 1:00pm What Can Be Done? The Innocence Project and the Sunny Center | 2:20pm
PETER PRINGLE
Peter Pringle was accused of being one of three men who had murdered two police officers following a bank robbery in Ireland. After his conviction, he had been sentenced to be hanged. Just days before a noose was tied around his neck, Pringle learned that Ireland’s president had commuted his sentence to 40 years without parole. Pringle then immersed himself into legal books and effectively became a “jailhouse lawyer.” Serving as his own counsel, Pringle successfully pleaded his case, leading the Court of Criminal Appeal to quash his conviction. He is a Human Rights and anti-death penalty activist.
Human Rights Spotlight: Wrongful Conviction | 1:00pm What Can Be Done? The Innocence Project and the Sunny Center | 2:20pm
PARTICIPANTS
cont .
MICHAEL PUNTER Selected scenes from The Oresteia | 3:35pm
CATHERINE COLON Conclusion and Acknowledgements | 4:15pm
CAPA students who graciously agreed to share their stories via video technology:
Michael Punter is Director of Theater Education at CAPA The Global Education Network, London. For ten years, he was Lecturer in Playwriting at Royal Holloway, University of London and has also taught at Central School of Speech and Drama and for Colgate University, Hamilton, NY. He is a published and produced playwright and his works include The Wolves (Faber) and Darker Shores (Methuen). His research interests include magic and illusion in the Victorian period and the career of the actor Henry Irving. He holds a PhD from the University of London.
The cast of CAPA/BFA Guthrie Program students performing in The Oresteia:
APOLLO: Christopher Smith ATHENE: Olivia Wilusz ORESTES: Ryan Maltz CHORUS: Victoria Smith, Meredith Casey, and Jennifer Waweru
Catherine Colon is the Vice President of Corporate Administration, Development and Assessment at CAPA The Global Education Network. Catherine is originally from California and began her career with CAPA in 1995. Catherine’s passion for study abroad developed as an undergraduate at Santa Clara University when she spent her third year studying at Durham University. After completing her BS, she returned to the UK and earned an MA in Sociology and Social Policy also at Durham University. Following a few years working in the US, including at the Museum of Tolerance in West Los Angeles and CAPA’s former California office, Catherine returned to the UK in 1999 and is based at the CAPA London Center.
Nina Mitukiewicz, CAPA London Program Spring 2014 Zoe Vallas, CAPA London Program Spring 2014 Shannen Danahey, CAPA Dublin Program Fall 2014 Margaret (Maggie) Craig, CAPA London Program Fall 2015 Rachel Morrell, CAPA London Program Fall 2015
MORE ABOUT THE
HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS… STONEWALL Stonewall is Britain’s leading charity for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans equality, working to create a world where every single person can be accepted without exception. Stonewall was founded in 1989 by a small group of people who had been active in the struggle against Section 28 of the Local Government Act - an offensive piece of legislation designed to prevent the so-called “promotion” of homosexuality in schools; as well as stigmatizing lesbian, gay and bi people, it galvanized the LGBT community in the UK. The aim from the outset was to create a professional lobbying group that would prevent such attacks on lesbians, gay and bi people from ever occurring again. Stonewall has subsequently put the case for equality on the mainstream political agenda by winning support within all the main political parties and now has offices in England, Scotland and Wales. Stonewall is renowned for its campaigning and lobbying. Some major successes include helping achieve the equalization of the age of consent, lifting the ban on LGB people serving in the military, securing legislation which allowed same-sex couples to adopt and the repeal of Section 28. More recently, Stonewall has helped secure civil partnerships and then same-sex marriage, and ensured that the recent Equality Act protected lesbian, gay and bi people in terms of goods and services. For more information, visit: www.stonewall.org.uk
WOMANKIND WORLDWIDE Womankind Worldwide is an international Women’s Rights charity working to support women and girls to improve their lives and communities in Africa, Asia and Latin America. They partner with Women’s Rights organizations on the ground that are working to tackle the issues that affect women’s lives. Womankind Worldwide have been committed to supporting women and girls to claim their rights since they were founded on International Women’s Day in 1989. They currently work in partnership with 31 Women’s Rights organizations to challenge discrimination, end violence and improve the rights and choices of women and girls. With their partners, they are reaching women and girls in 13 countries – from Afghanistan to Bolivia to Zimbabwe. Together they support women directly – from providing refuges and counseling for survivors of violence, to leadership and business skills training. They also support women, their families and communities indirectly – by raising awareness of Women’s Rights and working to change legislation, policies and practice. In 2013-2014, Womankind and their partners directly supported 119,878 women and girls, and provided indirect support to 5.9 million women, girls, men and boys. Their vision: A fair world where being a woman does not limit choices, opportunities or rights. Their mission: Womankind works in partnership with Women’s Rights organizations to support women in Africa, Asia and Latin America to transform their lives and communities. They also work collectively to influence the policies and practices of government and non-governmental organizations by sharing their knowledge and experience. Their aims: 1. An end to violence against women and girls 2. To increase women’s civil and political participation 3. Equal access to and control over economic resources For more information, visit: www.womankind.org.uk/about
THE INNOCENCE PROJECT The Innocence Project is a multi-national organization dedicated to exonerating wrongfully convicted people. It was founded at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University in 1992 and became an independent non-profit organization in 2004. Since the organization’s founding, 330 people have been exonerated through DNA testing in the United States, including 20 who were at one time sentenced to death. These people served an average of 14 years in prison before exoneration and release. The Innocence Project was involved in 176 of the 330 DNA exonerations. Others were helped by Innocence Network organizations. The Innocence Project’s ground-breaking use of DNA technology to free innocent people has provided irrefutable proof that wrongful convictions are not isolated or rare events but instead arise from systemic defects. The Innocence Project’s mission is nothing less than to free the staggering numbers of innocent people who remain incarcerated and to bring substantive reform to the system responsible for their unjust imprisonment. The California Innocence Project is a law school clinic, founded in 1999 at California Western School of Law, dedicated to freeing the innocent, training law students, and changing laws and policies in the state of California. The California Innocence Project has freed many innocent people from prison, trained hundreds of outstanding law students who have gone on to become excellent attorneys, and changed multiple California laws to improve the justice system. They are a founding member of The Innocence Network and have helped launch organizations throughout Latin America. The Irish Innocence Project at Griffith College, Dublin was launched in September 2009 by David
Langwallner, Dean of Law at Griffith College and barrister, who serves as founding director. The Irish Innocence Project investigates and seeks to overturn cases in which people claim to be factually innocent of the crimes for which they have been convicted by finding new or newly discovered evidence proving a miscarriage of justice under the mandate of the Criminal Procedure Act 1993 and/or the posthumous pardon procedure. It is one of 68 projects recognized globally by the Innocence Network and one of two such projects that has both law and journalism students working cooperatively on cases. The Irish Innocence Project currently has 21 students from Griffith College, Trinity College and Dublin City University working on about 30 cases under the supervision of nine pro bono lawyers. CAPA Dublin students have interned with the Irish Innocence Project. For more information, visit: www.innocenceproject.org
THE SUNNY CENTER The Sunny Center was founded in Connemara by Sonia “Sunny” Jacobs and Peter Pringle who each served years on death row for murders they did not commit. Jacobs was incarcerated for 17 years in the United States and Pringle for 15 years in Ireland. Both were exonerated after their convictions were finally overturned. They attribute much of their strength and survival to the yoga and meditation practices they developed in prison. They met at an Amnesty International meeting while both publicly campaigning against the death penalty and soon fell in love. Their wedding in late 2011 was perhaps the first of its kind: the union of two exonerated death row inmates. Perched on a hillside overlooking a lake, the Sunny Center welcomes other wrongfully convicted people from around the world as they try to readjust to life on the outside. “It’s really for respite and recovery from, not only the ordeal of being wrongfully convicted and locked up, and losing your whole life and everything, but trying to get it back,” explains Sunny. “Most, but not all of the guests, will come from America, although we’re open to anyone who’s suffered that sort of injustice from anywhere in the world. They let you out and you don’t get anything. It’s very, very difficult. For the large majority, there’s no compensation whatsoever, so they come out, they’ve lost contact with family, there’s nowhere to go, no way to make a living so often they end up homeless or taking drugs and alcohol for solace. If we can get them away from their original environment and let them adjust and heal a bit, and figure out who they want to be, they have a better chance at success when they go back, and for a happy, new life.” (Irish Independent, June 16th, 2015) For more information, visit: www.sunnyandpeter.com
LEARN
The 30 Articles of Human Rights www.youtube.com/watch?v=36CUlaqmFi4
The Story of Human Rights – Educational/mixed graphics video, traces history of Human Rights www.youtube.com/watch?v=oh3BbLk5UIQ (United for Human Rights Website, www.humanrights.com/#/home)
ONLINE TALKS/SEMINARS/VIDEOS
LEARN MORE AT capa.org/global-seminar-dublin
AFTER INNOCENCE – This documentary, produced by a former Innocence Project clinic student, focuses on the DNA exonerations of seven wrongfully convicted men. It received the 2005 Sundance Film Festival Special Jury Prize.
THE EXONERATED – Court-TV’s 2005 film version of the award-winning Off-Broadway play features the stories of six people who were exonerated after being sentenced to death. The cast includes Susan Sarandon, Danny Glover and Aidan Quinn.
RECOMMENDED FILM LIST – WRONGFUL CONVICTION
RYAN FERGUSON: LIFE AFTER TEN - 48 HOURS – RYAN W. FERGUSON – Tells the story of Ryan Ferguson who spent nearly 10 years in prison after being wrongfully convicted of a 2001 murder in his hometown of Columbia, Missouri. At the time of the murder, Ferguson was a 17-year-old high school junior. cbsnews.com/videos/ryan-ferguson-lifeafterten/
THE WRONGED MAN – Lifetime Movie Network’s 2010 original movie about Calvin Willis, who was released from Louisiana State Penitentiary after more than 21 years of wrongful incarceration. The film focuses on Willis’ relationship with his long-time advocate, Janet Gregory, a single mom and paralegal, and her critical role in his exoneration.
Take advantage of the opportunity to learn more about this important topic through CAPA’s intensive 3-week summer program in Dublin.
LEARN MORE & GET INVOLVED
Freedom House, watchdog organisation www.freedomhouse.org/about-us
World Pulse, Connecting Women’s Voices to Transform Our World - www.worldpulse.com/en
The Guardian – weekly world news, Human rights articles - www.theguardian.com/law/human-rights
Amnesty International - www.amnesty.org/en/
WEBSITES
For all TED Human Rights online talks: www.ted.com/search?cat=talks&per_page=12&q= human+rights
Auret van Heerden: Making global labor fair www.ted.com/talks/auret_van_heerden_making_global_ labor_fair#t-236389
Bryan Stevenson: We need to talk about an injustice – www.ted.com/talks/bryan_stevenson_we_need_to_talk_ about_an_injustice?language=en#t-656998
TED Talk: Jimmy Carter: Why I believe the mistreatment of women is the number one Human Rights abuse www.ted.com/talks/jimmy_carter_why_i_believe_the_ mistreatment_of_women_is_the_number_one_human_ rights_abuse?language=en#t-982362
THE HURRICANE – The story of Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, a boxer wrongly imprisoned for murder, and the people who aided in his fight to prove his innocence. Stars: Denzel Washington, Vicellous Reon Shannon, Deborah Kara Unger.
IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER – This Oscar-nominated film tells the true story of a Gerry Conlon’s coerced confession to an IRA bombing he didn’t do; and a British lawyer’s fight to free Conlon and his father. Starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Pete Postlethwaite.
CENTRAL PARK FIVE – In 1989, five black and Latino teenagers were arrested and charged with brutally attacking and raping a white female jogger in Central Park. News media swarmed the case, calling them a “wolfpack.” The five would spend years in prison for a crime they didn’t commit before the truth about what really happened became clear.
CONVICTION – Directed by Tony Goldwyn and starring Hilary Swank and Sam Rockwell, Conviction (2010) tells the true story of a woman’s fight to prove her brother’s innocence. See: innocenceproject.org/about-innocence-project/conviction for more information and an interview with the woman featured in the film.
GIVE UP TOMORROW – This riveting documentary looks at the controversial trial of Paco Larrañaga, who was convicted of murdering two women in the Philippines in 1997.
THE THIN BLUE LINE – Errol Morris’ award-winning 1988 documentary presents compelling evidence that Randall Adams was wrongfully convicted of killing a police officer in Dallas, Texas.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thanks to all of those who played a role in making this conference a reality. Firstly, thanks to the organizers of the Irish Innocence Project International Conference and Wrongful Conviction Film Festival with took place at Griffith College, Dublin in June of this year. It was while attending that conference that the seeds of an idea were sown for the development of this conference, specifically for CAPA students, highlighting an issue that is very close to the hearts of many of us at CAPA. Particular thanks go to Anne Driscoll for supporting the CAPA students in Dublin who interned for the Innocence Project and contributed to the organization of that conference. Thank you to the London conference organizing committee who dedicated an extraordinary amount of their time and energy to bring this conference together: Catherine Colon, Claire Kibblewhite, Craig Kench, Anthony Gristwood and Michael Woolf. Your enthusiasm, tenaciousness and team spirit has been remarkable and truly appreciated. Thank you also to our colleagues in CAPA Dublin and CAPA Florence for their contributions to the conference and for helping to make this a global conversation: Susanne Bach, Hayley NĂ Bhriain, Darren Kelly, Lorenzo Ciccarelli, Vittoria Chesi. A very big thank you to the students who helped in so many different areas, from promotion, to setting up, to video editing, to photography and beyond. In London: James Wise, Allison Adams, Maria Luisa Escobar Pardo, Jaclina Rush, Rachel Morrell, Jessica Merritt, Lydia Johnson, Jeanne Robinson, Abigail Kittredge, Katherine Gubish, Allyson Moellenhoff, Austen Fisher. In Dublin: Darby Vance and Sydney Smith. In Florence: Hershey Millner and Bailey Crumpton. The conference would not have been possible without your professionalism and passion; your contributions have been truly impressive! Thank you to Michael Punter and CAPA students for your performance of The Oresteia which has showcased your talents and offered insight into the ways in which ideas and practices of Human Rights have developed since ancient times. Thank you to all the internship sites which provide CAPA students with such remarkable opportunities to learn beyond the classroom, to gain international
experience and exposure to their areas of interest, and to develop personal and professional skills that will serve them well as they look to build their careers and interact in an increasingly globally-connected world. Further acknowledgements to Lorena Leonard, Jaclyn Cimino and Steph Sadler for their support with conference materials, videography and the design of the conference program. Also to Ciaran Reidy, Adam Hobart, David Walker and Lumi Ladele for assistance with our global classroom technology, and to Jo Salisbury, Daniel Walker, Esra Celik, Carla Infurnari, Emily Davies, Anna Shoemaker and Katie Lander for additional contributions and support. Thank you to John Christian, CAPA’s President, for your support and inspiration. This conference would not have happened without your commitment to Human Rights issues and support of the Innocence Project in particular. Enormous thanks and gratitude is extended to all speakers at this conference for sharing their knowledge and expertise and donating their valuable time. Particular thanks to those who traveled across the Irish Sea or the Atlantic to take part! Thank you very much for illuminating the field of Human Rights so vividly and highlighting the specific areas in which you work. Your words are certain to inspire and motivate others to pursue the goals of fairness, justice and rights for all. Finally, thank you to all who attended the conference. Students, you all have very busy schedules and much to fit in during your time abroad so the effort you put in to attending is much appreciated. We hope that you will have gained something valuable from the experience and found it to be a special day.
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CAPA The Global Education Network is committed to academic excellence, integrity and innovation in learning abroad. Our mission is to provide meaningful experiences that challenge and inspire students to analyze and explore complex political, cultural and social landscapes within urban environments. Through our commitment to personalized learning, collaborative learning communities and global connections via technology, we prepare students to live and work in a globally interdependent and diverse world.
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