Fall 2020 Human Rights Newsletter: Upcoming events, human rights in Bolivia, and more
Fall 2020
In this edition:
Human Rights and the Bolivian Interim Govt.
Upcoming: Human Rights and Transition in Bolivia
Upcoming: Clean Air for All Symposium
The Case of Ayotzinapa Six Years Later
Human Rights and Bolivia’s Interim Government
Since the release of our most recent report, They Shot Us Like Animals, we have seen unprecedented interest in the current human rights situation in Bolivia. As Bolivia’s presidential elections approach, this advocacy is crucial to ensure a fair democratic vote and transition.
Just last week, Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) co-authored a letter to the US State Department calling for OAS accountability in ensuring fair and free elections in Bolivia. The letter was signed by over thirty lawmakers, including Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), and Maxine Waters (D-CA). Senator Sander’s letter directly cites our report in its reasoning.
In the last two months, University Network staff member Thomas Becker has also presented the findings of our report in various international fora, including: the Office of the Bolivia Ombudsperson; the UN General Assembly; the MERCOSUR Parliament, and NGOs including the Washington Office on Latin America.
As Bolivian elections approach, our report has also seen renewed coverage in international outlets, such as The Washington Post, The New York Times , The Guardian, and Vice News.
Upcoming Event: Panel Discussion on Human Rights and Transition in Bolivia
Next week, the University Network will be co-sponsoring a panel discussion with Stanford University’s Center for Latin American Studies and Harvard Law School’s Advocates for Human Rights.
The panel will feature Bolivian presidential candidate Luís Arce and Camila Baretto Maia from the Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales (CELS). The event will be moderated by Claret Vargas from the Center for Justice and Accountability. The panel will focus on human rights concerns in Bolivia leading into the October elections.
To register for the event, please use the following link: rb.gy/ohvj9o. The event will take place over Zoom on September 30th at 12pm EST.
Upcoming: Clean Air for All Symposium
The University Network is proud to partner with the American Lung Association and American University’s Centers for Environmental Policy and Environmental Filmmaking to amplify the voices of communities fighting for clean air across the United States.
These partners recently produced Unbreathable, a documentary that features the work of the Concerned Citizens of St. John Parish and the University Network. A few weeks after this premiere, Ruhan Nagra joined the ALA for a panel discussion on “Advocacy and Activism at Work,” where she discussed our ongoing efforts to fight environmental racism in Cancer Alley.
The University Network is proud to join these partners again to serve as a co-sponsor for the Clean Air for All Symposium.
To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Clean Air Act, American University’s Center for Environmental Policy and Center for Environmental Filmmaking, along with the American Lung Association, will hold a virtual event on Tuesday, September 29. The symposium will highlight the progress made, and the obstacles that remain, for ensuring healthy air for all Americans. Many communities across the US — predominately communities of color — are still fighting day after day for access to a safe, breathable atmosphere.
The symposium will include a series of panels featuring leading experts on environmental justice, science, and policy. The full agenda can be found here.
Register here to reserve your spot today!
The Case of Ayotzinapa at Six Years
September 26th marks the sixth year since 43 students from Ayotzinapa, Mexico were forcibly disappeared and, likely, massacred. University Network Director James Cavallaro has been extremely involved in the investigation of this case, first as Commissioner and President of the Inter-American Commission and now as an independent expert.
On September 24th, Cavallaro joined the Amnesty International Mexico office to commemorate the case of Ayotzinapa and to assess its ongoing investigation. That same day, he also discussed the case at length on a leading Mexican news broadcast. In August, Cavallaro was featured in Vice News, where he discussed the need for elected Mexican officials to address the country’s worrying pattern of forced disappearances.
