Gravity FM

Extraction and Exploitation in the Global South under the Decarbonization Consensus and Theories and Praxis for a Just TransitionDiscussion with Professor Miriam Lang and Mary Ann Manahan on how current energy transition efforts are framed under a colonialist narrative that continues and entrenches extraction, exploitation and interference in the Global South. We discuss how the Global North is utilizing emergency framing to create sacrifice zones across the Global South, rife with environmental destruction, resource depletion, land grabbing and human rights violations. We also discuss how renewable energy infrastructure mega projects in the Global South impede local resources while failing to alleviate energy poverty, and the deception and detrimental impact of creative carbon offset accounting. Additionally, we look at the continued internalization of externalities in the Global South, saddled with odious debt and subject to the corrupt ISDS system, creating economic vulnerability and democratic deficits. We also discuss grassroots ecological movements and how we can move from green colonialism to create an equitable and ecological transition.For More Info: http://thegravity.fm/#/episode/65

How a Community on the Frontlines of the Climate Crisis Took its Story to the Screen and Forced a Land-Grabbing Corporation to Go Off ScriptDiscussion with writer and director Seán Devlin on his recent genre-busting films, which were made in partnership with typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) survivors, who participated and ad-libbed in his films. We discuss how art can be interventionist and serve a frontline community's needs, by allowing a community to direct the narrative. Additionally, we discuss how efforts to aid frontline communities, without buy-in or leadership from such communities can be exploitative and harmful. We also discuss climate change vulnerability, disaster capitalism, red-tagging and transgender rights in the Philippines.For More Info: http://thegravity.fm/#/episode/64

Perils to the Deep Sea From Bottom Trawling, Climate Change and Mining and the Need to Protect Its Stunning BiodiversityDiscussion with Matt Gianni from the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition on the critical importance of the deep sea to our air, climate, the marine food web, our food security and health. We discuss the biodiversity of the deep sea and our continual discovery of new extremophiles. We discuss the threat of bottom trawling, which indiscriminately catches a multitude of bycatch and disrupts nutrient flow. We discuss the looming threat of deep sea mining for critical minerals for the energy transition and the International Seabed Authority's conflicting mandate to establish the industry while protecting the deep sea. We also discuss how mining companies are exploiting Pacific Island nations, which are the most vulnerable to climate change. Additionally, we discuss the growing schism between climate mitigation and biodiversity protection and the need to view these as one problem that demands an integrated, holistic solution.For More Info: http://thegravity.fm/#/episode/63

American Resistance and Repression, Identity and Intersectionality and the LGBTQI+ Rights MovementDiscussion with Professor Timothy Patrick McCarthy on American radicalism and the need for multivocality rather than metanarratives in analyzing history. We discuss the construction and interpellation of identities, their historical contingencies and intersectionality. We discuss the power dynamics of identity construction, in entrenching the status quo and serving to cleave mass mobilization and conversely in empowering marginalized groups. We discuss the need for origin myths in the context of the Stonewall uprising and its significance to the LGBTQI+ rights movement. We also discuss the AIDS epidemic as a health and housing crisis, the callousness and myopia of the Reagan administration's lack of response and how the epidemic also led to solidarity and fostered community. Additionally, we discuss the movements for marriage equality and transgender rights. We also discuss polarization, disassociation, the need for active listening and brave communication. For More Info: http://thegravity.fm/#/episode/62

The History of Voting Rights in the United States, the Electoral College and the Value of the Vote Discussion with Professor Alex Keyssar on the origins of democracy and the history of the right to vote in the United States. We discuss the lack of an affirmative right to vote under the U.S. Constitution, amendments prohibiting abridgement and voter suppression. We also discuss the value of the vote in the context of gerrymandering, party mechanics, the impact of different voting systems and the influence of money in politics. Additionally, we discuss the history and distortive impact of the Electoral College in Presidential elections.For More Info: http://thegravity.fm/#/episode/61

Circular Economy, Community Buy-In and Compassionate LeadershipDiscussion with Hon. Maria Kamma-Aliferi, Mayor of Tilos and Jenny Giannopoulou on the need for and implementation of a circular economy. We also discuss renewable energy infrastructure, the Greek energy pricing system, sewerage infrastructure, freshwater conservation and navigating different levels of government bureaucracy. Additionally, we discuss the need for environmental literacy and community buy-in. We also discuss refugees, the need for compassionate leadership and how immigration can be a revitalization for the community.For More Info: http://thegravity.fm/#/episode/60

Exposing, Investigating and Inoculating Against HateDiscussion with Lisa Borden and Susan Corke from the Southern Poverty Law Center on hate and extremism groups throughout the United States. We discuss rising right radicalism, including religious and white nationalist groups and their means and methods. We also discuss "parental right groups" and their anti-inclusive stance and disruption of public school governance. Additionally, we discuss the school-to-prison pipeline, continuing systemic racism and disenfranchisement and how to help inoculate youth against radicalization. We also discuss the benefits of establishing a national human rights institution. For More Info: http://thegravity.fm/#/episode/59

A Celebration of Civics and Connection Amidst Crises and ConsternationDiscussion with Shannon A. Mullen on her recent book In Other Words, Leadership: How a Young Mother's Weekly Letters to Her Governor Helped Both Women Brave the First Pandemic Year which looks at agency, representative democracy, socioeconomic and environmental crises within a portrait of leadership. The book is based on the true story of Ashira Knapp's exchange of letters with Maine Governor Janet Mills during the pandemic. We discuss civics, representative democracy, leadership, reigniting our agency, reconnecting over polarity, what defines a crisis and media responsibility.For More Info: http://thegravity.fm/#/episode/58

How Grassroots Movements for Climate and Environmental Justice Are Critical to Surviving the Climate CrisisDiscussion with Vivek Maru on the importance of community paralegals in extending access to the law, enforcing rights and aiding in structural change. We discuss the Customary Land Rights Act in Sierra Leone, the Community Land Act in Kenya and environmental justice action in Myanmar. We also discuss environmental injustice within the United States, the need for cumulative impact in any environmental assessment and the importance of having both expert input on legislation as well as the lived experience of affected communities. Additionally, we discuss the importance of prior informed consent and moving from extractive to regenerative practices. We also discuss climate justice as an integral pathway toward climate mitigation and adaptation.For More Info: http://thegravity.fm/#/episode/57

Climate Change, Subterfuge and Building a Broad Climate CoalitionDiscussion with Dr. Michael Mann on the subterfuge tactics by the fossil industry to prevent systemic and structural decarbonization. We discuss how the fossil fuel industry promotes doomsday theories to engender apathy and deny agency. We also discuss how the fossil fuel industry fosters division between different social groups to prevent a climate alliance and needed structural change. Additionally, we discuss how the focus on individual accountability and hypocrisy shaming can impede and deflect from needed structural change. We also discuss pertinent issues in carbon offset accounting, the circular economy and what the paleoclimate record can tell us about the state of and projections for climate change. For More Info: http://thegravity.fm/#/episode/56

Cattle Ranching, Palm Oil Plantations and Other Agrobusiness Drivers of Deforestation, Fraud and Violence Against Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples, Bolsonaro's Crimes and the Need for Due Diligence and Accountability in Financing and Supply ChainsDiscussion with Gabriella Bianchini on the importance of the Amazonian biome to the local environment and our planet and the current threats to the rainforest. We discuss the history of deforestation in Brazil's Amazon, including the ecocide under Bolsonaro and the current agrobusiness drivers, with a focus on cattle ranching and palm oil plantations. We also discuss land grabbing and violence against local communities and indigenous peoples and threats to and murder of environmental defenders. Additionally, we discuss how companies and financial institutions in the Global North are trading with and financing Amazonian destruction and violent land grabbing and legislative efforts to require accountability for failing to undertake due diligence in supply chains and investment. For More Info:https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/environmental-activists/amazon-palm/https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/environmental-activists/violence-torture-and-threats-continue-allege-land-and-environmental-defenders-amazonian-brazil-palm-oil-regionefenders-amazonian-brazil-palm-oil-region/https://www.globalwitness.org/en/press-releases/open-letter-to-the-brazilian-minister-of-foreign-affairs-on-escazu-agreement/https://www.globalwitness.org/en/blog/defending-the-defenders-why-brazil-must-prioritize-ratification-of-the-escazu-agreement/https://www.globalwitness.org/en/blog/new-documentary-short-looks-at-a-communitys-struggle-for-land-in-the-brazilian-amazon/https://www.globalwitness.org/en/blog/big-beef-watch/https://www.globalwitness.org/en/press-releases/new-tracking-tool-launched-monitor-amazon-deforestation-meatpacker-supply-chain/https://www.globalwitness.org/en/blog/who-needs-climate-justice-in-brazil/https://www.hrw.org/report/2019/09/17/rainforest-mafias/how-violence-and-impunity-fuel-deforestation-brazils-amazonhttps://www.hrw.org/news/2019/09/17/brazil-criminal-networks-target-rainforest-defendershttps://theconversation.com/historic-amazon-rainforest-fires-threaten-climate-and-raise-risk-of-new-diseases-146720https://films.nationalgeographic.com/the-territoryhttp://climatecasechart.com/non-us-case/the-planet-v-bolsonaro/

Neocolonialism, Democratic Deficits and Regulatory Chill of the Investor State Dispute Settlement MechanismDiscussion with Lisa Sachs on the regulatory chill and democratic deficit of the Investor-State Dispute Settlement mechanism (ISDS). We discuss the structural issues of ISDS, including conflict of interest, lack of transparency and lack of accountability as well as its neocolonial origins and entrenchment. We also discuss the proliferation of bilateral and multilateral investment treaties, the expanding investor protections of international investment law, treaty shopping and how ISDS is distorting the investment climate in favor of fossil fuels. Additionally, we discuss the fragmentation of international law and the need to have holistic international jurisprudence and governance.For More Info:https://scholarship.law.columbia.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1070&context=sustainable_investment_staffpubshttps://ccsi.columbia.edu/content/primer-international-investment-treaties-and-investor-state-dispute-settlementhttps://ccsi.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/content/docs/publications/fJohnsonetal58-1.pdfhttps://ccsi.columbia.edu/content/investment-law-policyhttps://icsid.worldbank.org/sites/default/files/ICSID%20Convention%20English.pdfhttps://investmentpolicy.unctad.org/investment-dispute-settlementhttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14693062.2022.2153102?journalCode=tcpo20https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2697555https://www.oecd.org/daf/inv/investment-policy/4th-Annual-Conference-on-Investment-Treaties-agenda.pdfhttps://policyalternatives.ca/ontheoffensivehttps://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/diaepcbinf2019d3_en.pdfhttps://digitallibrary.un.org/record/803449?ln=enhttps://alexandra-arneri.medium.com/that-my-keen-knife-see-not-the-wound-it-makes-part-ii-why-loot-when-you-can-lend-the-violence-of-be65d7e16c9d

Palestinian Human Rights Defenders, SLAPP Suits, Anti-Boycott Laws and Human Rights Abuses in Israel and the OPTDiscussion with Maria LaHood on the curtailment and criminalization of advocacy on behalf of Palestinian human rights and criticism of Israeli government policies and their conflation with antisemitism. We discuss SLAPP suits, prevention of academic freedom and debate and anti-boycott laws and their effect on chilling speech. We also discuss the importance of the right to boycott for our democracy and the increasing criminalization of dissent in the U.S. Additionally, we discuss human rights abuses and war crimes in the OPT.For More Info:Click Here for more info.

Regulatory Capture, Lobbying, Astroturfing, Greenwashing and the Failure to Clean up LA's Toxic SecretDiscussion with Daniel Hirsch, Denise Duffield and Melissa Bumstead on the history and current contamination of the nuclear experiment and rocket testing site, Santa Susana Field Lab, above Ventura and Los Angeles Counties. We discuss how the responsible parties- NASA, the Department of Energy (DOE) and Boeing have failed to clean up the site, the tactics they have utilized to not do so and the current status of the cleanup. We discuss Boeing's litigation against cleaning up to background levels, Boeing's greenwashing campaign to limit its clean up by restricting the land use to a conservation zone and its astroturfing efforts to legitimize its greenwashing campaign. We also discuss the Department of Toxic Substances Control, its failure to hold polluters to account and the wider problems regulatory capture and lobbying present to our democracy. For More Info:https://parentsagainstssfl.com/summaryhttps://www.change.org/p/no-more-kids-with-cancer-clean-up-the-santa-susana-field-labhttps://www.committeetobridgethegap.org/https://www.psr-la.org/https://www.inthedarkofthevalley.com/https://www.etec.energy.gov/Library/Main/Doc._No._50_Hirsch_Senate_Statement_9-18-2008.pdfhttps://www.epa.gov/superfund/search-superfund-sites-where-you-livehttps://www.nationalgeographic.com/superfund/https://www.gao.gov/assets/680/672920.pdfhttps://www.nrdc.org/experts/caroline-reiser/questions-and-answers-about-santa-susana-field-labhttps://healthebay.org/calling-for-accountability-at-the-santa-susana-field-lab/https://www.committeetobridgethegap.org/the-santa-susana-field-laboratory/https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-pollution-conservation-easements/https://www.enviroreporter.com/draft-media-campaign-for-the-santa-susana-field-laboratory-by-make-over-earth-inchttps://www.dtsc-ssfl.com/files/lib_boeinglawsuit/legaldocs/64886_Issues_Material_Fact.pdfhttps://www.consumerwatchdog.org/resources/ssflstipulation.pdfStatement&gclid=Cj0KCQiAgribBhDkARIsAASA5bsowcY6IskP7JUrgpG9UwKxTugCEUl1oIObzbL4n_l_5LKdGmSR-uYaAlfxEALw_wcBhttps://www.enviroreporter.com/2012/12/toxic-department/all/1/https://www.boeing.com/principles/environment/santa-susana/site-tours.pagehttps://www.wildlifehc.org/membership/ourmembers/

The Nexus Between Environmental Health and Social JusticeDiscussion with Dr. Jimena Díaz Leiva on the health and environmental impact of fracking, forever chemicals, flame retardants and glyphosate. We discuss how trade secrets are being utilized to protect against disclosure of all toxic chemicals in fracking, the exemptions the industry obtained from environmental laws and how the First Amendment is being utilized against mandated government health warnings for glyphosate. We also discuss the tobacco and chemical industries' deception respecting flame retardants and how CEH worked to ban flame retardants in children's products, mattresses and upholstered furniture in CA. Additionally, we discuss the nexus between environmental health and social justice and the importance of fostering community partnerships and citizen science. For More Info:https://ceh.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Toxic-Dirty-Secrets-CEH-Fracking-Report.pdfhttps://ceh.org/latest/news-coverage/video-kids-near-fracking-sites-risk-permanent-brain-damage-study/https://concernedhealthny.org/compendium/https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/EHP11092https://www.courthousenews.com/ninth-circuit-orders-epa-to-reexamine-glyphosates-toxicity-to-humans-and-the-environment/https://www.docketalarm.com/cases/US_Court_of_Appeals_Ninth_Circuit/20-16758/NAWG_et_al_v._Xavier_Becerra_et_al/18/https://ceh.org/21780-2-air-pollution-data-paramount-ca-hex-chrome-metal-processing/https://ceh.org/product-testing/childrens-products/https://ceh.org/product-testing/food/https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-announces-new-drinking-water-health-advisories-pfas-chemicals-1-billion-bipartisanhttps://earthjustice.org/sites/default/files/files/phthalates_petition_2016.pdfhttps://earthjustice.org/news/press/2022/fda-allows-hormone-disrupting-phthalates-in-food-packaginghttps://ceh.org/latest/news-coverage/la-times-cehs-historic-aliso-canyon-settlement/https://ceh.org/latest/news-coverage/la-weekly-op-ed-flame-retardants-ineffective-toxic-bad-business/

Drafting and Establishing the 5th International Crime Against PeaceDiscussion with Darryl Robinson and Kate Mackintosh on the history of ecocide and the gravity and culpability elements necessary for it to be the fifth international crime against peace. We also discuss the process of establishing ecocide as an international crime, including the process of its adoption by the International Criminal Court. We discuss the differences between the definitions of the independent expert panel of international criminal and environmental jurists and the Promise Institute's expert working group, which advised the panel. We also discuss the problem of intersecting international criminal and environmental law. Additionally, we discuss salient issues of the ICC, including lack of jurisdiction over corporate actors, lack of dominant state parties and selectivity.For More Info:https://ecocidelaw.com/legal-definition-and-commentary-2021/http://opiniojuris.org/2021/07/16/your-guide-to-ecocide-part-1/http://opiniojuris.org/2021/07/16/your-guide-to-ecocide-part-2-the-hard-part/https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4074985https://law.ucla.edu/academics/centers/promise-institute-human-rights/ecocidehttps://ecocidelaw.com/promise-institute-working-group/https://www.stopecocide.earth/https://ecocidelaw.com/existing-ecocide-laws/https://ecocidelaw.com/publications/https://ecocidelaw.com/history/https://www.cfr.org/timeline/ecological-disastershttps://apnews.com/article/28a8bfe6019f673e318a40035940b2fbhttps://arabcenterdc.org/resource/mitigating-conflict-over-water-in-the-euphrates-tigris-basin/

Adam Hochschild's Ghosts of Rapacity and ResistanceDiscussion with Adam Hochschild on the historical movements and moments throughout Adam's books. We discuss the First World War, the Spanish Civil War, the turmoil and anti-immigrant and anti-labour purges in the United States during and after the First World War, apartheid, the Stalinist purges and the Russian people's attempt to reconcile with this rapacity, the British emancipation movement and King Leopold II's genocide in the Congo.For More Info:https://www.amazon.com/King-Leopolds-Ghost-Heroism-Colonial/https://www.amazon.com/Bury-Chains-Prophets-Rebels-Empires/https://www.amazon.com/End-All-Wars-Patriotism-Hochschild/https://www.amazon.com/Spain-Our-Hearts-Americans-1936-1939/https://www.amazon.com/Unquiet-Ghost-Russians-Remember-Stalin/https://www.amazon.com/Half-Way-Home-Memoir-Father/https://www.amazon.com/Rebel-Cinderella-Riches-Radical-Journey/https://www.amazon.com/Mirror-Midnight-South-African-Journey/https://www.amazon.com/Lessons-Dark-Time-Other-Essays/https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Trapdoor-Essays-Portraits-Travels/

The Noxious Nexus of Environmental Destruction, Corruption, Conflict and Human Rights AbuseDiscussion with Patrick Alley on the intersectionality of environmental destruction, human rights abuse, conflict and corruption. We discuss how our banks and institutional funds finance deforestation while concomitantly publicly rallying against it. We discuss greenwashing by the fossil fuels industry and its influence on COP26. We also discuss the intimidation, attacks and murder of frontline environmental defenders. Additionally, we discuss the environmental destruction, corruption and human rights abuses of the palm oil industry in Papa New Guinea.For More Info:https://www.globalwitness.org/en/https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/environmental-activists/last-line-defence/https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/forests/true-price-palm-oil/https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/forests/deforestation-dividends/https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/forests/money-to-burn-how-iconic-banks-and-investors-fund-the-destruction-of-the-worlds-largest-rainforests/https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/fossil-gas/chevron-faces-unprecedented-complaint-over-misleading-consumers-climate-action/https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/corruption-and-money-laundering/undermining-sanctions/https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/oil-gas-and-mining/not-for-sale-salonga/https://www.globalwitness.org/en/archive/drillers-mist-how-secret-payments-and-climate-violence-helped-uk-firm-open-african/https://www.globalwitness.org/en/archive/rough-trade/https://twitter.com/Global_Witness

Democratic Resistance in Hong KongDiscussion with Alex Yong-Kang Chow and Brian Leung on China's increasing control over Hong Kong and its breaches of the Sino-British Declaration. We discuss the student democratic protests in 2014 and 2019 and the arrest and trials of the protestors. We discuss the enactment and use of the National Security Law to target free speech and the free press. We discuss the ransacking and closure of the June 4th Museum and the prohibition of the Tiananmen Square vigil and attendant arrest of its organizers. We also discuss the Greater Bay Area initiative and the integration of Hong Kong into the mainland, the recent “elections” of the Legislative Council, the utility of Magnitsky sanctions and China's use of soft power.For More Info:https://hkdc.us/https://www.2021hkcharter.com/https://hongkongfp.com/2020-legislative-elections/https://hongkongfp.com/article-23/https://hongkongfp.com/qa-hkfp-and-the-national-security-law/https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2021/07/china-climate-change-democracy-human-rights.htmlhttps://hkcompendium-org.translate.goog/?_x_tr_sl=zh-TW&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=nui,schttps://www.amnesty.org/en/location/asia-and-the-pacific/east-asia/hong-kong/https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/10/1102882https://hongkongfp.com/press-freedom-censorship/https://hongkongfp.com/2021/09/29/1989-tiananmen-massacre-online-museum-blocked-in-hong-kong-three-weeks-after-police-raid-physical-site/https://hongkongfp.com/greater-bay-area/https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm1088https://freetibet.org/

Abandoned Australians, Cultural Restitution and Human Rights AccountabilityDiscussion with Geoffrey Robertson QC on how Australia's COVID response, including its border closure to citizens abroad, has violated human rights and Geoffrey's petition on behalf of abandoned Australians before the Human Rights Committee. We also discuss the lack of constitutional rights in Australia and the need for a bill of rights. Additionally, we discuss the secret, political trial of barrister Bernard Collaery. We also discuss cultural restitution and the case of the British Museum's refusal to return the Parthenon sculptures to Greece. Additionally, we discuss the importance of social and economic rights, corporate accountability for human rights, the Magnitsky Act and its adoption by numerous states as a way to target human rights violators.For More Info:https://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/ccpr.aspxhttps://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/crc.aspxhttps://covid19.dfat.gov.au/citizeninformation/s/https://strandedaussies.com/get-informed#gs.8she2phttps://strandedaussies.com/#gs.8shy75https://freeandopenaustralia.org/http://www.helleniccouncil.org.au/docs/The%20Case%20for%20the%20Return%20of%20the%20Parthenon%20Sculptures.pdfhttps://removethecap.com/https://inmyblooditruns.com/https://www.hrlc.org.au/news/2019/11/29/stop-putting-kids-in-prison-australian-governments-toldhttps://eresources.hcourt.gov.au/downloadPdf/2020/HCA/48https://eresources.hcourt.gov.au/downloadPdf/2021/HCA/5https://www.vgso.vic.gov.au/implied-constitutional-freedom-political-communicationhttps://eresources.hcourt.gov.au/showCase/2019/HCA/23https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/legal/submission/inquiry-australian-security-intelligence-organisation-amendment-bill-2020https://eresources.hcourt.gov.au/downloadPdf/2019/HCA/23https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/indefinite-detention-australia-refugee-law/https://decisions.scc-csc.ca/scc-csc/scc-csc/en/item/18169/index.dohttps://www.hrlc.org.au/news/2021/5/17/collaery-charges-must-be-dropped-and-undemocratic-secrecy-orders-must-end

Cobalt, Chocolate, Blood and Corporate ImpunityDiscussion with Terry Collingsworth on forced child labor in cobalt mines in the DRC and his Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) case against American tech companies which knowingly benefit from the cheap cobalt mined by children. We discuss the legal issues in the case as well as the facts on the ground in the DRC, including the environmental impact of cobalt mining and the maiming and killing of child miners that are lured to extremely hazardous and toxic work in the mines. We also follow from our 2017 episode with Terry, “Chained to Chocolate”, to discuss Terry's continuing case against Nestlé and other confectionary companies for the knowing use of child slave labor on their cocoa farms in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana. We discuss Terry's TVPRA case and the increase in child enslavement since the filing of the Alien Tort Statute (ATS) case against Nestlé et. al. as well as the pending ATS decision before the United States Supreme Court. We also discuss whether the decision will gut the ATS by exempting corporations from liability under it and the future of ATS claims.For More Info:http://www.iradvocates.org/http://www.iradvocates.org/case//cobalt-drc-casehttp://www.iradvocates.org/press-release/nestle/press-release-child-slaves-who-were-trafficked-and-forced-harvest-cocoa-cote-dhttps://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/AFR6231832016ENGLISH.PDFhttps://www.worldbank.org/en/country/drc/overviewhttps://twitter.com/savethecongo?lang=enhttps://wid.world/country/dr-congo/https://www.globalwitness.org/en/press-releases/global-witness-welcomes-reversal-us-sanctions-reprieve-granted-mining-magnate-dan-gertler/https://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/nestle-usa-inc-v-john-doe-i/https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2020/19-416https://goodweave.org/https://www.slavefreechocolate.org/ethical-chocolate-companies

Expanding the Rights Rubric: Adding Rights and Rights Holders for a Good SocietyDiscussion with Sushma Raman on The Coming Good Society: Why New Realities Demand New Rights, her book with William F. Schulz. We discuss the need for specific rights to redress the needs of LGBTQIA+ communities and why adding new rights reinforces rather than dilutes traditional human rights. We also discuss the risks posed to our rights by technological advancement, including algorithmic decision-making and CRISPR and how to address these from a rights perspective. Additionally, we discuss the need to view corruption as a human rights violation per se. We also discuss the need to ascribe rights to non-humans, including the environment, AI and a tiered approach to animal rights.For More Info:https://www.openglobalrights.org/the-coming-good-society-why-new-realities-demand-new-rights/https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674977082Twitter: @sushmaramanhttps://harvardpress.typepad.com/hup_publicity/2020/09/qa-with-william-f-schulz-and-sushma-raman-authors-of-the-coming-good-society.html

Chevron’s Carious Crusade Against Steven Donziger, SLAPP Suits and the Defense of Climate NecessityDiscussion with Lauren Regan on corporate SLAPP suits and in particular the oil and gas industry’s utilization of RICO against grassroots environmental activists. We also discuss the miscarriages of justice in Chevron’s RICO action against attorney Steven Donziger and the criminal contempt case against Steven, whom Lauren is defending on the criminal contempt charge. Additionally, we discuss Lauren’s defense of the “Valve Turners”, their reasoning behind civil disobedience and Lauren’s establishment in Washington and Minnesota of the climate necessity defense. Finally, we discuss police misconduct and crowd control by private security firms, including at Standing Rock and the way forward for attorneys in supporting and advocating for grassroots activists.For More Info:https://cldc.org/https://cldc.org/climate-necessity-defense/https://cldc.org/standing-rock/https://cldc.org/organizing-resources/activist-webinars/https://www.donzigerlaw.com/https://nlginternational.org/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Mirer-Kaplan-Complaint.pdfhttps://thebulletin.org/doomsday-clock/current-time/

The Need for a Unified, Holistic Approach to Environmental, Animal and Human HealthDiscussion with Professor Dr. Christine Kreuder Johnson on anthropogenic ecosystem drivers of disease emergence in wildlife and spillover into the human population. We discuss how habitat destruction, including from changing land use patterns and industrial and agricultural intensification and effects of climate change have contributed to epidemics of zoonotic infections. We also discuss how biodiversity loss leads to disease emergence and transmission of zoonotic viruses. Additionally, we discuss the importance of providing access to better living conditions and healthcare for people at the frontlines of zoonotic infection for proper disease detection and prevention of pandemics. Finally, we discuss the imperative for a unified approach to environmental, animal and human health policies in order to avoid future pandemics.For More Info:UC Davis One Health InstituteEpiCenter for Disease DynamicsGlobal Shifts in Mammalian Populations Reveal Key Predictors of Viral Spillover (link to publication)Global Shifts in Mammalian Populations Reveal Key Predictors of Viral Spillover (link to Fact Sheet)One Health Institute TwitterDr. Christine Kreuder Johnson TwitterOne Health Institute Latest Newshttps://www.ecohealthalliance.org/2018/03/nipahhttps://theecologist.org/2014/oct/29/oil-palm-explosion-driving-west-africas-ebola-outbreakhttps://www.who.int/environmental_health_emergencies/disease_outbreaks/communicable_diseases/en/https://news.emory.edu/stories/2020/02/esc_disease_spread_species_gillespie/campus.html

Regulatory Gaps and Conflicts in the Fertility IndustryDiscussion on regulatory gaps and issues in the fertility industry with Professors Naomi Cahn and June Carbone. We discuss the marketing of egg freezing, brokerage of egg donation and surrogacy and issues surrounding informed consent, vulnerability and inequality in the fertility industry. Additionally, we discuss clinic mislabeling mishaps and mistaken implantation, the legal recognition of parental rights and the ownership of embryos when there is conflict over termination and/or implantation. We also discuss disclosure with respect to donors and how to balance the privacy rights of donors and intended parents with the rights of children to know their genealogy.For More Info:https://www.forbes.com/sites/naomicahn/2019/11/08/is-egg-freezing-all-its-cracked-up-to-be/#36180001d784.https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/eastern-and-western-perspectives-on-surrogacy/united-states-of-america/7B912769A7D7D19489470C328C72DA42https://www.law.gwu.edu/cahn-naomi-rhttps://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3123361https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2772064https://corethics.org/wp-content/uploads/Human-Eggs-Laws.pdfhttps://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-women-surrogacy-factbox/fatcbox-which-countries-allow-commercial-surrogacy-idUSKBN1530FPhttps://www.reprotechtruths.org/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-09/ivf-industry-criticised-over-misleading-claims/7152508http://www.bu.edu/articles/2015/regulate-the-fertility-industryhttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10253866.2018.1512239?journalCode=gcmc20

The Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, Little Gitmo and Corporate SLAPP SuitsDiscussion on the terrorization of activists and the criminalization of dissent with Rachel Meeropol. We discuss the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, how it may operate to violate the First Amendment and its chilling effect on activism. We also discuss corporate SLAPP suits including Energy Transfer Partner’s suit to bring a RICO claim against environmental activists at Standing Rock and the entire EarthFirst! environmental movement. Additionally, we discuss Communication Management Units, their clandestine opening in violation of the Administrative Procedures Act, their draconian communication limitations and their use as political prisons. We also discuss the federal government’s detention and egregious treatment of immigrants with minor infractions suspected and later cleared of terrorism charges based solely on racial and religious profiling. Finally, we discuss the Jailhouse Lawyers Handbook and the impact of the recent Supreme Court decision in Ziglar v. Abbasi which denied personal liability for federal officials for constitutional violations and the need for remedial legislation.For More Info:https://www.protecttheprotest.org/category/resource-categories/help-us-end-slapp/https://anti-slapp.org/your-states-free-speech-protection#scorecardhttps://ccrjustice.org/sites/default/files/attach/2017/06/2017-06-19_ZiglarvAbbasi_SCOTUSdecision.pdfhttps://ccrjustice.org/sites/default/files/assets/Turkmen_3rdAmendedComplaint_09_04.pdfhttps://ccrjustice.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/10/Aref%20Appeal%20brief%2010.28.2015.pdfhttps://ccrjustice.org/sites/default/files/assets/Blum%201st%20circuit%20decision.pdfhttps://ccrjustice.org/sites/default/files/assets/Appellants'%20Opening%20Brief_0.pdfhttps://ccrjustice.org/sites/default/files/attach/2017/11/US%20v%20Johnson%20Appellate%20Decision.pdfhttps://ccrjustice.org/sites/default/files/attach/2016/05/Appeal%20Brief%20and%20Appendix%205.9.16.pdfhttps://ccrjustice.org/sites/default/files/assets/ALDF%20v.%20Otter%20CCR%20amicus%20brief.pdfhttps://ccrjustice.org/sites/default/files/attach/2017/07/ALDF%20v%20Herbert%20%28Utah%20ag%20gag%29%20Order-Granting-Pls-SJ.pdfhttps://ccrjustice.org/sites/default/files/attach/2019/02/135%20Order%202019.02.14.pdfhttps://ccrjustice.org/sites/default/files/attach/2018/04/80%20Earth%20First%20Journal%27s%20Response%20to%20the%20Court%27s%20Order%20of%20March%2022%2C%202018.pdfhttps://ccrjustice.org/sites/default/files/attach/2017/12/1%20complaint.pdf

Ag-Gag Laws and the First Amendment, Carious CAFOS and the Endangerment of the Endangered Species ActDiscussion with Cristina Stella on the advent and continuance of Ag-gag laws that criminalize undercover reporting at animal enterprises and their violation of First and Fourteenth Amendment rights. We also discuss the First Amendment violation of “food censorship” laws that prohibit meat and milk alternatives from using “milk” and “meat” in the name of their products. We discuss humane washing cases and the conditions of animals in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). Additionally, we discuss the impact CAFOs have on our public health, the environment and the quality of life of surrounding populations. We also discuss the exemptions CAFOs have obtained from environmental regulations and the current roll-backs to the Endangered Species Act and the pending litigation challenging these.For More Info:li>https://aldf.org/issue/ag-gag/https://aldf.org/case/challenging-iowas-ag-gag-2-0-law/https://aldf.org/article/lawsuit-challenges-constitutionality-of-arkansas-ag-gag-law/https://aldf.org/article/federal-rule-allowing-cruel-high-speed-pig-slaughter-violates-federal-law/https://aldf.org/article/animal-legal-defense-fund-sues-tillamook-for-deceptive-advertising/https://aldf.org/article/tofurky-mounts-free-speech-challenge-against-arkansas-meat-label-law/https://aldf.org/case/challenging-fsas-medium-sized-cafo-exemptions/https://aldf.org/article/the-edge-of-extinction-hundreds-of-vulnerable-animal-species-in-danger-under-endangered-species-act-rollbacks/https://www.noaa.gov/media-release/gulf-of-mexico-dead-zone-is-largest-ever-measuredhttps://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/animal_drug_es_10_26_77814.pdfhttps://aldf.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/CAFOs-Plaguing-North-Carolina-Communities-of-Color.pdfhttps://aldf.org/case/challenging-factory-farms-exemption-from-pollution-reporting-requirements/https://www.humanesociety.org/sites/default/files/docs/public-impacts-factory-farms-on-communities.pdf

Democratizing the Colonial Space of International LawDiscussion with Rachel López on the colonial development of international law and its continuing hierarchical structure. We also discuss the duty to refrain from assisting states in committing grave crimes and its interrelation with the responsibility to protect people from grave crimes under international law. Additionally, we discuss the concept of “gravity” as the counterweight to sovereignty, its development under international law and its ability to be manipulated with its continued malleable counters. We also discuss the problems of humanitarian intervention, both in terms of its selective enforcement, its ability to be used for the opportunistic aims of great powers and its unintended consequences. Finally, we discuss how to democratize the current hierarchical structure of international law and how international law can both support and be supported by grassroots social justice movements.For More Info:https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3246362https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2923745https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/role-archives-transitional-justice/rachel-lopezhttps://www.americasquarterly.org/content/how-tv-star-triggered-slow-motion-constitutional-crisishttps://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/proceedings-of-the-asil-annual-meeting/article/div-classtitlebeyond-gravity-for-a-politics-of-international-criminal-prosecutionsdiv/2F90D384ED7F377EED5DA38AF151884Chttps://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/leiden-journal-of-international-law/article/inescapable-dyads-why-the-international-criminal-court-cannot-win/E6A8911B22AB3850E4BDE3B662349549

U.S. and European Complicity in the Yemeni ConflictDiscussion with Radhya Al-Mutawakel on the war crimes committed in Yemen by all parties, including the indiscriminate bombing and shelling of civilian sites and civilians and the destruction of religious and cultural heritage. We discuss U.S., U.K. and other Western countries’ participation in the conflict through arm sales to the Saudi and Emirati coalition and logistical support. Additionally, we discuss the plague of landmines, the economic blockades and the public health crisis in Yemen, including from starvation and epidemics of cholera and diphtheria. We discuss arbitrary detention, forced disappearances, the recruitment of children into the war and the war’s impact upon women.  We also discuss U.S. drone strikes, the civilian deaths and injuries they cause and their futility in serving counter-terrorism.For More Info:The-Degradation-of-History-English.pdfYemen-report-draft_3.5_PDF-w-cover.pdfPress-report-En.pdfIn-houthi-controlled-yemen-silence-exile-or-detent.phpConcealed-Killer-Report-En.pdfStrategies-of-Coalition-in-Yemen-War-Final-20181005-1.pdfhttps://yemendataproject.org/

Incarceration Rates and Sentencing Policies Throughout the United StatesDiscussion with Nazgol Ghandnoosh on the high rates of incarceration and state differentials of incarceration throughout the United States and their causes, including the “war on drugs”. We discuss racial disparity in arrests and sentences, private prisons and legislative and executive encroachment on the judicial function by the imposition of mandatory sentences. We also discuss the impact of prosecutorial power and plea bargains. Additionally, we discuss the collateral effects of convictions, including disenfranchisement, denial of housing and other benefits and discrimination in employment. We also discuss alternatives to incarceration, including LEAD programs and restorative justice and the need for a criminal justice system focused on rehabilitation rather than retribution.For More Info:https://www.sentencingproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Trends-in-US-Corrections.pdfhttps://www.sentencingproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Facts-About-Prisons.pdfCan We Wait 75 Years to Cut the Prison Population in Half?Report to the United Nations on Racial Disparities in the U.S. Criminal Justice Systemhttps://www.sentencingproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Black-Lives-Matter.pdfhttps://www.sentencingproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Race-and-Punishment.pdfhttps://www.sentencingproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Delaying-a-Second-Chance.pdfhttps://www.sentencingproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Private-Prisons-in-the-United-States.pdfhttps://www.sentencingproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Still-Life.pdfhttps://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-mauer/88-years-mass-incarceration_b_4474132.html

Loss of Biodiversity, Pollution, Climate Change and Human Rights Abuses from DeforestationDiscussion with Etelle Higonnet on the state of deforestation around the world with a particular focus on commodity agriculture and soy and palm oil in particular. We discuss the contribution to climate change and the loss of biodiversity from clearing wild forests for monoculture plantations. We also discuss the public health impact from polluted water and air for surrounding populations, in particular the haze from Indonesian forest clearing, as well as the egregious labor rights violations of the deforestation industry. We also discuss “paper tigers”, lack of political will and the effectiveness of public campaigns and pro-active and informed public and consumer choices.For More Info:http://www.mightyearth.orghttp://www.mightyearth.org/2015-haze-death-toll/http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/11/9/094023http://climate.org/deforestation-and-climate-change/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/deforestation/https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2015/04/tires-your-car-threaten-asian-biodiversityhttps://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0159668https://www.theicct.org/sites/default/files/publications/Indonesia-palm-oil-expansion_ICCT_july2016.pdfhttps://tropicalconservationscience.mongabay.com/content/v8/tcs_v8i1_95-113_Bitty.pdfhttp://humanityunited.org/pdfs/Modern_Slavery_in_the_Palm_Oil_Industry.pdfhttp://www.laborrights.org/publications/empty-assurances-human-cost-palm-oilhttp://www.ran.org/klk_case_study_2014http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-07-18/indonesias-palm-oil-industry-rife-with-human-rights-abuseshttp://www.verite.org/vision/march2014/bottomofthesupplychainhttp://www.verite.org/sites/default/files/images/Palm_White_Paper_May_2013_Final_Draft_0.pdfhttps://www.seafoodwatch.org/-/m/sfw/pdf/guides/mba-seafoodwatch-national-guide.pdf

Family Separation, Mandatory Detention and DenaturalizationDiscussion with Paromita Shah on the effective criminalization of immigration and the right to asylum through mandatory detention and unlawful entry and unlawful re-entry prosecutions. We discuss family detainment and separation at the border and the deportation of undocumented parents of US citizen minors. Additionally, we discuss the recent Supreme Court decision of Dimaya, due process in immigration court and Attorney General Sessions’s use of self-referral to make radical changes in our immigration jurisprudence. We also discuss Operation Janus, the De-naturalization Task Force and the intersection of immigration and criminal law.For More Info:http://www.nationalimmigrationproject.org/pract_advisories/gen/2018_19Jun_activists.htmlhttp://www.nationalimmigrationproject.org/pract_advisories/gen/2018_05Jul_Pereira.htmlhttp://www.nationalimmigrationproject.org/PDFs/practitioners/practice_advisories/crim/2018_26Apr_sessions-v-dimaya.pdfhttps://cgrs.uchastings.edu/a-b-backgrounderhttps://uchastings.app.box.com/s/57k2hk6rpyjh7bbmebld4195r2wsdzt0https://www.dropbox.com/s/lplnnufjbwci0xn/CBP%20Report%20ACLU_IHRC%205.23%20FINAL.pdf?dl=0https://theintercept.com/2018/02/14/ice-denaturalization-naturalized-citizen-immigration/https://news.vice.com/article/the-us-keeps-mistakenly-deporting-its-own-citizenshttps://www.politico.com/interactives/2018/immigration-zero-tolerance-children-families-limbo/https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/06/trumps-child-separation-policy-has-grievously-harmed-parents-deported-without-their-children.html

Religious and Racial Discrimination in the American South and the Escalation of Immigration DetentionDiscussion with Azadeh Shahshahani on the work of Project South, which cultivates strong social movements in the Southern United States and supports social justice movements in the Global South. We discuss religious and racial discrimination as well as police collaboration with ICE and the denial of utilities to undocumented persons as well as lawful residents without social security numbers in the southern United States. We also discuss the escalation of immigration detention and a recent report, by a coalition of organizations including Project South, detailing the deplorable conditions at detention centres in Georgia. Additionally, we discuss shadow prisons, the effective criminalization of immigration infractions and attendant forced labour and corporate profit.For More Info:https://projectsouth.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Imprisoned_Justice_Report-1.pdfhttps://projectsouth.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Complaint-Barrientos-v.-Core-Civic.pdfhttps://projectsouth.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/UN-Communication-Re-Detention-Conditions-in-GA-Facilities.pdfhttps://www.detentionwatchnetwork.org/sites/default/files/reports/IceLies_NIJC_DWN.pdfhttps://cis.org/Arthur/Get-Minors-Out-Immigration-Courthttps://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/17pdf/15-1204_f29g.pdfhttps://www.salon.com/2018/04/24/do-immigrants-in-ice-detention-centers-have-any-human-rights-at-all/https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/opinion-shahshahani-muslim-ban_us_5ae71bf4e4b055fd7fce13e1http://law.emory.edu/eilr/content/volume-31/issue-4/article/water-critique-localities-denial-undocumented-immigrants.html

The U.S. Visit by the Special Rapporteur for Extreme Poverty and Human RightsDiscussion with Professor Philip Alston, the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, on the observations and conclusions from his country visit to the United States in December 2017.  We discuss the political nature of poverty, its inextricable link to rising inequality in the United States and the overt and covert disenfranchisement of the extremely poor. We also discuss punitive policies towards the poor, including Jane Crow laws and the criminalization of homelessness and the prevalence of caricatured, pejorative narratives of the poor that perpetuate inequality. Additionally, we discuss the effective denial of constitutional rights to those in poverty, including through the criminal justice system.For More Info:http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=22533http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Poverty/Pages/SRExtremePovertyIndex.aspxhttp://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Poverty/Pages/CountryVisits.aspxhttp://hdr.undp.org/en/content/assessing-multidimensional-poverty-%E2%80%93-one-index-global-levelhttps://inequality.stanford.edu/https://inequality.stanford.edu/publications/20-facts-about-us-inequality-everyone-should-knowhttps://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/opa/press-releases/attachments/2015/03/04/ferguson_police_department_report.pdfhttp://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/CESCR.aspxhttp://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/ccpr.aspx

The Prevalence of Human Trafficking in the United States and the Legal Framework for Bringing Justice to Human Trafficking Survivors.Discussion with Martina Vandenberg on the work of the Human Trafficking Legal Center and the prevalence and characteristics of human trafficking in the United States. We discuss the international and legal framework, whether the United States is meeting its international obligations and consider particular issues relating to diplomatic immunity when human trafficking is committed by diplomats in the United States. We also discuss prosecutions under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act and the application of its mandatory restitution provisions. Additionally, we discuss U.S. government awareness programs such as the Blue Campaign and their effectiveness and the best legislative and litigation strategies for eliminating this egregious crime.For More Info:http://www.htlegalcenter.org/https://scholarship.law.duke.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?http://law.slu.edu/sites/default/files/Journals/alexandra_levy-martina_vandenberg-article.pdfhttp://www.htlegalcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/FF_SL_AW02_WEB.pdfhttp://www.ilo.org/global/topics/forced-labour/lang--en/index.htmhttps://www.dol.gov/ilab/reports/child-labor/list-of-goods/https://www.americanbar.org/groups/domestic_violence/survivor-reentry-project.htmlhttp://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/ProtocolTraffickingInPersons.aspxhttps://www.globalslaveryindex.org/https://www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign/awareness-traininghttps://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/blue-campaignhttps://www.state.gov/j/tip/https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/s2308

How Israel Exploits Palestinian Land and Expels the Palestinian PopulationDiscussion with Amit Gilutz on the human rights work of B’Tselem, the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, including its citizenship journalism project. We discuss the human rights impact of the separation barrier and the demarcation of the Palestinian peoples into separate Occupied Territories. We also discuss the Israeli manufactured water and sewerage crisis in the Gaza Strip and the continued exploitation of resources and expulsion of Palestinian communities in the West Bank. In addition, we discuss the dual system of law in the West Bank, the application of military law to Palestinians, the continued use of administrative detention and collective punishment and the lack of accountability for Israel as an occupying power. Additionally, we discuss the need for international pressure upon Israel to end the occupation. For More Info:http://www.btselem.org/http://www.btselem.org/publications http://www.btselem.org/topic/accountabilityhttp://www.btselem.org/routine_founded_on_violencehttp://www.btselem.org/topic/freedom_of_movementhttp://www.btselem.org/communities_facing_expulsionhttps://www.un.org/press/en/2016/sc12657.doc.htmhttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/downloads/201703_UN_ESCWA-israeli-practices-palestinian-people-apartheid-occupation-english.pdf

LGBTI Rights and Freedom of Expression in SerbiaDiscussion with Goran Miletić on LGBTI rights in Serbia. We discuss the most recent Pride Parade in Serbia, its previous unconstitutional ban by the government and security issues. We also discuss recent anti-discrimination and hate speech legislation and their weak implementation in the context of a homophobic Balkan culture. We additionally discuss how recent restrictions on freedom of expression impact the LGBTI community and the need for international solidarity.For More Info:http://www.rs.undp.org/content/dam/serbia/docs/Our%20Projects/SocialInclusion/UNDP_SRB_USAID%20SOW%20Being%20LGBT%20in%20Eastern%20Europe%20Final%20.pdfhttps://www.rferl.org/a/first-gay-pride-information-center-opens-belgrade-serb/28704450.htmlhttp://www.equaldex.com/region/serbiahttp://www.lgbti-era.org/content/serbiahttps://www.civilrightsdefenders.org/http://www.civilrightsdefenders.org/region/serbia/

The Roma, Cultural Relativism, Autonomy and Community EmpowermentDiscussion with Danilo Ćurčić on the discrimination and segregation faced by the Roma in Serbia, in particular with respect to employment and housing, including forced evictions from informal Roma settlements. We discuss the need to move away from the discourse of providing humanitarian assistance to the enforcement of human and constitutional rights. We also discuss the conflict in addressing human rights violations within the Roma community while respecting the community’s autonomy and explore issues with the discourse of cultural relativism. Additionally, we discuss the need for community empowerment for the Roma across Europe.For More Info:https://www.praxis.org.rs/index.php/en/praxis-in-action/discrimination/item/426-discrimination-against-roma-living-in-container-settlements-formed-after-forced-evictionshttp://www.unhcr.rs/media/UNHCR_Roma_IDPs_Needs_Assessment.pdfhttp://www.osce.org/mission-to-serbia/309536http://www.amnesty.eu/content/assets/Doc2011/Serbia_Roma_Report_070411(2).pdfhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDJ-YtLi2NAhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TsxCxft_h8https://www.praxis.org.rs/images/praxis_downloads/Child_Early_and_Forced_Marriages_are_Not_a_Private_Family_Matter.pdfhttps://www.praxis.org.rs/images/praxis_downloads/Protecting_Roma_Against_Discrimination.pdfhttps://www.praxis.org.rs/images/praxis_downloads/Report_right_to_adequate_housing.pdfhttps://www.praxis.org.rs/images/praxis_downloads/praxis-persons-at-risk-of-statelessness-in-serbia.pdfhttps://rs.boell.org/en/2016/11/30/moving-out-poverty-waste-picking-sustainable-mobility

Asylum, Criminal Justice and Media FreedomDiscussion with Nikola Kovačević on the right of asylum in Serbia, the limited acceptance rate and the “ping-pong” currently being played by European countries with refugees. We also discuss criminal justice issues, including the right to counsel, pre-trial detention, the independence of the judiciary and overcrowding and other problems of prison conditions. Additionally, we discuss the impact of recent media privatization and the government’s increasing hostility towards critical investigative journalism. Finally, we discuss government criticism of human rights activists and instilling a vibrant civic culture respecting civil and political rights during prolonged economic turmoil.For More Info:http://www.bgcentar.org.rs/bgcentar/eng-lat/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Human-Rights-in-Serbia-2016.pdfhttp://www.bgcentar.org.rs/bgcentar/eng-lat/right-asylum-republic-serbia-2016/http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CCPR/Shared%20Documents/SRB/INT_CCPR_CSS_SRB_26659_E.pdfhttp://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-%2f%2fEP%2f%2fTEXT%2bREPORT%2bA8-2017-0063%2b0%2bDOC%2bXML%2bV0%2f%2fEN&language=ENhttp://en.yucom.org.rs/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/YUCOM-2015-Annual-Report.pdfhttp://www.prisonstudies.org/country/serbiahttps://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-press/2017/serbiahttps://serbia.mom-rsf.org/en/findings/inidicators/#!9fed61067e34232006ff7dcd0ed479d0http://www.nybooks.com/daily/2017/02/06/the-age-of-total-lies/

Exonerating the innocent in northern CaliforniaDiscussion with Northern California Innocence Project's (NCIP) Linda Starr and Todd Fries on the causes of wrongful conviction in California, including but not limited to problems with eyewitness testimony, preservation of evidence, coerced confessions, paid informants, ineffective assistance of counsel and prosecutorial and police misconduct and mistakes. We discuss policy reform to ameliorate and eradicate the main causes of wrongful convictions. We also discuss the death penalty, parole and compensation for wrongful convictions. Additionally, we discuss the case work and policy advocacy of NCIP and its transformative justice retreats.For More Info:http://law.scu.edu/ncip/causes-of-wrongful-conviction/http://law.scu.edu/ncip/policy/http://law.scu.edu/ncip/exonerations/http://innocencenetwork.org/https://www.youtube.com/user/NorCalInnocenceProjhttps://www.instagram.com/norcalinnocence/https://twitter.com/NorCalInnocence

The Refugee Situation in Serbia Following Border Closures on the Balkan Route, the Work of Refugee Aid Serbia and Disrupting Hostile Discourse on Displaced PersonsDiscussion with Felix Thomson on the refugee situation in Serbia and how it has changed since border closures along the Balkan route severely restricted access to Northern and Western Europe. We discuss the treatment of refugees in Serbia, the issue of unaccompanied children, sexual exploitation, smuggling and current legal avenues still available to enter countries in Northern and Western Europe. We also discuss the contemporary hostile discourse concerning displaced persons in Europe and the need to foster engagement between the local and refugee populations. Additionally, we discuss the humanitarian and educational work of Refugee Aid Serbia and its social engagement work, including the Routes Festivals and its upcoming documentary, The Odyssey Project, that seeks to disrupt the current hostile discourse towards displaced persons and produce a more emphatic, welcoming approach.For More Info:http://reliefweb.int/report/serbia/unhcr-serbia-update-22-28-may-2017http://azil.rs/en/refugee-situation-in-serbia-in-june-2017/https://refugeeaidserbia.org/https://odysseyvanproject.com/https://www.youcaring.com/refugeeappeal-853380https://twitter.com/odysseyvanprohttps://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/crd0510_brochure_low_0.pdf

The Double Standard in U.S. Labor Laws That Fails to Protect Children Working in AgricultureDiscussion with Zama Neff on the double standard in U.S. Federal and State labor laws which allows for children at younger ages to work in agriculture and provides them less protections in their working conditions. We discuss the type of agricultural work children are employed in, the effects of the long and strenuous work on their education and the potential for chronic injury resulting from their use of dangerous machinery and pesticide exposure. We also discuss the particular hazard faced by children employed in tobacco farming. Additionally, we discuss the demographic of child laborers and the problems undocumented migrant workers may face with enforcement of current labor laws. We further discuss American agricultural exceptionalism and the failure to close the gap for children working in agriculture and provide them equal protections. Finally, we discuss how we can close the gap legally as well as practically by affecting company behavior through consumer action.For More Info:https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/crd0510_brochure_low_0.pdfhttps://www.hrw.org/report/2015/12/09/teens-tobacco-fields/child-labor-united-states-tobacco-farminghttps://www.dol.gov/whd/state/agriemp2.htmhttps://www.congress.gov/bill/112th-congress/house-bill/2234/cosponsorshttps://campaignforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2011/06/CAREAct.pdfhttps://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/974https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/1848http://afop.org/cif/#tab-id-2https://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/whd/WHD20111250.htmhttp://www.floc.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/A-Smokescreen-for-Slavery-Human-Rights-Abuses-in-the-Supply-Chains-of-UK-Tobacco-Companies.pdf

Holding the IFC Accountable for Aiding and Abetting Murder and Terrorization of Honduran Farmers and Financing the Pollution of the Kutch Coast in IndiaDiscussion with Marco Simons on Doe v. IFC in which the IFC is alleged to have knowingly profited from financing the murder and terrorization of Honduran farmers by Dinant, a land grabbing palm corporation. We also discuss Jam v. IFC and the IFC's alleged negligence and failure to abide by its own internal procedures in financing a coal power plant in Gujarat, India, that has resulted in dire environmental consequences and impeded the local community's traditional way of life. Additionally, we look at the structure and mandate of the IFC and its lack of accountability. We also discuss the legal and policy issues concerning the IFC's claim of immunity in these matters and the importance of holding our international organizations accountable.For More Info:http://www.courthousenews.com/ifc_tata_mundra_complaint.pdfhttps://www.earthrights.org/node/2686https://www.earthrights.org/media/honduran-farmers-sue-world-bank-group-human-rights-violationshttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/honduran-farmers-to-the-world-bank-group-see-youhttps://www.earthrights.org/blog/north-east-south-west-palm-oil-kills-around-globehttp://www.brettonwoodsproject.org/2014/01/ifc-fails-act-human-rights-abuses-honduras/http://www.worldbank.org/en/about/leadership/votingpowershttps://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2017/mar/08/farmers-sue-world-bank-lending-arm-ifc-over-alleged-violence-in-hondurashttp://lta.reuters.com/http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Honduran-Campesinos-Take-World-Bank-to-Court-for-Financing-Murder-and-Terrorfollow #exposeIFC thread on Twitter

Selection Bias, Confirmation Bias and the Feedback Loop of Predictive Policing Algorithms, the Black Box Problem of Proprietary Algorithms and Lack of AccountabilityDiscussion with Kristian Lum and William Isaac on how machine learning algorithms work and how seemingly neutral police data can perpetuate systemic and institutional prejudices and produce predictive systems that predict police enforcement rather than future crime. We explore the creation and conclusions of their Oakland case study on the bias of police data sets and how selection bias can produce confirmation bias and a feedback loop, leading to over-policing of communities already overexposed to police activity. We also discuss the lack of transparency and accountability of the current proprietary predictive models and best practices for input data and implementation of predictive systems into future police work.For More Info:https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/policing/spotlight/2016/12/02/predictive-policing-violates-more-than-protects-column/94569912http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1740-9713.2016.00960.x/fullhttps://www.teamupturn.com/reports/2016/stuck-in-a-patternhttps://www.nij.gov/topics/law-enforcement/strategies/predictive-policing/Pages/welcome.aspxhttp://directives.chicagopolice.org/directives/data/a7a57bf0-1456faf9-bfa14-570a-a2deebf33c56ae59.htmlhttp://www.law.nyu.edu/bernstein-institute/conference-2016https://mathbabe.orghttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/predictive-policing-reform_us_57c6ffe0e4b0e60d31dc9120http://www.theverge.com/2014/2/19/5419854/the-minority-report-this-computer-predicts-crime-but-is-it-racist

Jailing Children for Failure to Pay Administrative Fees and Costs, Life without Parole, Solitary Confinement, Juvenile Sex Offender Registration, Expungement of Juvenile Records and the "Kids for Cash" TragedyDiscussion with Marsha Levick on the various administrative fees and costs imposed by the juvenile justice system and the practice of incarcerating impecunious youth. We discuss the institutional racism of the juvenile criminal justice system with youth of colour more likely to be convicted and more likely to be sentenced to detention than their white peers. We also discuss the reprehensible practices of sentencing juveniles to life without parole and the use of solitary confinement. We further discuss hurdles associated with the expungement of juvenile records, transfers to the adult criminal justice system and issues associated with the registration of juvenile sex offenders. Additionally, we discuss the tragedy in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania of the bribery of judicial officials by the owner of a private detention facility to increase the number of children being sent there and the length of their stay.For More Info:http://www.expungephiladelphia.com/America’s Juvenile Injustice System | Marsha Levick | TEDxhttp://debtorsprison.jlc.org/documents/JLC-Debtors-Prison.pdfhttp://www.sentencingproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Racial-Disparities-in-Youth-Commitments-and-Arrests.pdfhttp://jlc.org/luzerne-county-kids-cash-scandalhttps://chronicleofsocialchange.org/news-2/california-bill-to-end-crippling-administrative-fees-for-juveniles-in-the-justice-system/25522https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB190http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/kalief-browder-1993-2015http://www.takepart.com/feature/2014/05/09/skip-school-go-to-jail

Canadian Aboriginal and Treaty Rights and the Duty to Consult, Environmental Deregulation and the Environmental and Human Rights Footprint of the Tar SandsDiscussion with Robert Janes and Karey Brooks on the environmental, climate and human rights footprint on the Alberta tar sands, in particular its impact on indigenous rights. We discuss the Beaver Lake Cree First Nation’s claims against the Alberta and Canadian governments for infringement of their treaty rights as a result of the cumulative development of the tar sands and ancillary projects. We further discuss the rise in treaty rights and aboriginal title cases in Canada and their impact on environmental law in Canada, including discussing the Mikisew First Nation’s claims against the Canadian government for deregulating various environmental laws without consulting First Nations. We also discuss the successful legal claims by the Gixtaala against the Northern Gateway Pipeline, the potential impact of the Kinder-Morgan and Keystone Pipelines and the importance and utility of grassroots action outside of the court room.For More Info:https://raventrust.com/tar-sands-trial/http://www.beaverlakecreenation.ca/upload/documents/statementofclaim.pdfhttp://visibleearth.nasa.gov/view.php?id=76559https://www.desmogblog.com/top-10-facts-canada-alberta-oil-sands-informatiohttp://www.nationalobserver.com/2016/02/04/news/scientists-trace-cancer-linked-pollutant-oil-sands-stockpilehttps://www.nrdc.org/stories/dirty-fight-over-canadian-tar-sands-oihttps://www.desmogblog.com/2016/12/21/justin-trudeau-donald-trump-keystone-xl-exxon-tar-sandhttp://wcel.org/sites/default/files/publications/Legal%20comment%20on%20Save%20the%20Fraser%20Declaration.pdhttps://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2014/06/26/supreme_court_grants_land_title_to_bc_first_nation_in_landmark_case.htmlhttp://www.canlii.org/en/ca/fct/doc/2014/2014fc1244/2014fc1244.html

John Doe et. al. v Nestle et. al., Forced Child Labour in the Cacao Industry, the Alien Tort Claims Act, Koibel and Corporate Accountability for Human Rights AbusesDiscussion with Terry Collingsworth on John Doe et. al. v Nestle et. al, the prevalence of child slavery in the cacao industry in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire and the assistance provided to farms that enslave children by confectionary conglomerates. We also discuss the history and jurisprudence of the Alien Tort Claims Act (or Alien Tort Statute/ATS), its potential to hold corporations accountable for human rights violations and the impact of the Supreme Court’s decision in Koibel on the future of ATS litigation against corporate human rights abuses. Additionally, we discuss corporate accountability under international human rights law and the feasibility of establishing an international instrument for corporate accountability in the current political climate. We also look at the feasibility of consumer class actions as an avenue of human rights litigation and the effectiveness of public campaigns and consumer boycotts against corporate human right abusers.For More Info:Nestle Class Action Lawsuitiradvocates.orgtruthinadvertising.org/McCoy-v-Nestle-complaint.pdfhttp://childlaborcocoa.org/https://www.dol.gov/ilab/issues/child-labor/cocoa/http://childlaborcocoa.org/images/https://www.youtube.comhttps://www.truthinadvertising.orghttp://www.rugmarkindia.org/rugmark/index.htm

Cultural Genocide, Water Protectors and OilDiscussion with Martin Wagner on the human rights violations associated with the Dakota Access Pipeline and the Standing Rock Sioux, Cheyenne River Sioux and the Yankton Sioux’s petition to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. We discuss the environmental impact of the construction of the pipeline and potential oil spills as well as the cultural impact on the Sioux tribes, including the destruction of spiritual and sacred sites. We further discuss U.S. legal obligations under international human rights law as well as relief under domestic law. We also discuss the water protectors at Sacred Stones’ Camp, police violence and media intimidation and the future of the pipeline under the impending Trump administration.For More Info:Standing Rock - Cheyenne River - Yankton Sioux Tribes - Request for Precautionary Measureshttp://www.ohchr.org/http://earthjustice.org/http://earthjustice.org/http://earthjustice.org/https://www.democracynow.org/breaking_riot_charges_against_amy_goodmanhttp://standwithstandingrock.net/sioux-tribal-chairman-responds-governors-executive-order/https://indiancountrymedianetwork.com/http://www.commondreams.org/

State Hacking, Cyber Surveillance and Targeted Killings Within the Digital PanopticonDiscussion with Scott Gilmore regarding the human rights implications of technology, including cyber surveillance of human rights activists and journalists and state authorized hacks. We discuss the legal and policy issues respecting Western companies selling technology to states that are known as pervasive human rights abusers and holding foreign states accountable for cyber surveillance and hacking of their dissidents on U.S. soil through the tort exception to the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act. Additionally, we discuss Syria’s Electronic Army, its avowed crusade against the media, both foreign and domestic and Scott’s current suit against Syria under the terrorism exception to the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act for the targeted killing of war correspondent Marie Colvin in 2012. We also discuss the benefits of technology for social activism and human rights investigations and prosecutions.For More Info:http://hrlr.law.columbia.eduhttps://www.justsecurity.org/https://www.law.cornell.eduhttp://surveillance.rsf.orghttps://citizenlab.orghttp://www.thewire.comhttp://www.thewire.com/http://www.theatlantic.com/http://www.alternet.org/http://www.slate.com/https://www.eff.org/https://www.eff.org/http://motherboard.vice.com/http://www.humanrightsfirst.org

Art, Activism, Water Shut Offs, School Closures, Detroit's Restructuring, Urban Redevelopment as Code for Racial Discrimination, Community Cooperation and Urban FarmingDiscussion with artist and activist Antonio Cosme concerning his prosecution by the recently established Detroit Graffiti Task Force for writing “Free the Water” on a decommissioned water tower to protest the continuing water shut offs occurring in his neighborhood. We discuss the water shut offs and school closures and their impact on the community as well as the overall impact and reasons for Detroit’s restructuring, which has disproportionality affected the city’s black population. Additionally, we discuss the city’s diversion of overstretched resources to fund policing of water shut offs and prevent political graffiti and other protest. We also discuss the revitalization of the community and urban space through urban farming and the production of local, organic produce.For More Info:http://freethewater313.org/https://vimeo.com/132829920http://ncac.org/blog/detroit-artists-face-felony-charges-for-protest-graffiti https://soundcloud.com/soufy313/pay-to-be-poisoned-ft-zebra-octobra-lisa-brunk-prod-by-native-keyzhttp://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2016/06/29/judge-tosses-case-against-street-artist-shepard-fairey-city-appeal/86523206/http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=15188http://www.naacpldf.org/files/case_issue/LYDA,%20et%20al.%20v.%20Detroit-Brief%20in%20Support%20of%20Plaintiffs'%20Motion%20for%20Temporary%20Restraining%20Order.pdfhttp://www.mchr.org/2015/03/congressional-briefing-on-water-in-detroit-and-us-stories-of-shutoffs-and-possible-solutions/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/special-features/2014/08/140822-detroit-michigan-water-shutoffs-great-lakes/http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-detroit-fees-idUSBRE9AK01S20131121http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/detroit-bankruptcy/2014/11/12/duggan-bankruptcy-fees/18889949/

The U.N.'s Egregious Negligence in Causing the Cholera Epidemic in Haiti and its Refusal to Accept Responsibility and Provide Redress and the Legal and Political Issues Surrounding the U.N.'s Assertion of Diplomatic ImmunityDiscussion with Brian Concannon Jr. on the U.N.'s actions in causing, covering up and refusing to accept responsibility for the cholera epidemic in Haiti. We discuss the legal and policy issues behind the U.N.'s diplomatic immunity, including the Second Circuit's decision in Georges et. al. v. the U.N., the U.N. Charter, the 1946 Convention of the Privileges and Immunities of the U.N. and the Status of Forces Agreement with Haiti. We also discuss the U.N.'s obligations under the Convention and the Status of Forces Agreement and its refusal to perform its obligations of providing redress in Haiti and throughout its other peacekeeping missions. Additionally, we look at the application of customary international law and international human rights law to the U.N.'s actions, the problems of limiting standing to member states dependent on the U.N. for the U.N.'s violations as well as issues respecting the accountability of foreign N.G.O.s on the ground in Haiti and best practices for the future. Brian Concannon, Jr., is a human rights attorney and represents the plaintiffs in Georges et. al. v the U.N. He has represented numerous plaintiffs in front of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights as well as aided the prosecution of the Raboteau massacre. Brian is currently the Executive Director of the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti (IJDH). Before founding IJDH, Brian co-managed the Bureau des Avocats Internationaux (BAI) and worked for the United Nations as a Human Rights Officer. He is a member of the Editorial Board of Health and Human Rights.