News

We are proud to share that our researcher Dr Maria Jose Luque Macias has represented the Human Rights in Context team in the Faculty of Law and Criminology Ghent University Research Day! 

She gave a presentation on the influence of amicus curiae briefs on IACtHR’s protection of environmental defenders. 

We want to thank Maria for her informative insights and all of the participants for joining us this year. 

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Time I Place 

15 November 2024 I 13:30 - 14:45

Faculty of Law & Criminology Ghent University

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The Human Rights in Context and IMPACTUM teams were excited to host our guest speaker Prof Dr Maylen Villamañan Alba for our second Human Rights in Context Talking Series this month!

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Maylen shared results from the international project called: "Violence stop: Developing protocols and guidelines for care and protecting women and children in Cuba". This project aims to find legal and civil solutions to protect vulnerable groups such as women and children and to resolve the problem of violence.

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Afterwards, Maylen also gave a lecture called "Talking on Qualitative Methodology". During this talk, she provided valuable insights into the alignment of research methods with research goals, alongside critical questions concerning the design of methodology proposals.

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We would like to thank her very much for giving these informative presentations!

​Speaker: Prof Dr Maylen Villamañan Alba

Chair: Prof Dr Clara Burbano Herrera

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Time I Place 

30 October 2024 I 12:30 - 13:30 and 14:30 - 16:30

Faculty Board Room, Faculty of Law & Criminology Ghent University

Our Postdoctoral researcher Dr Alessandra Cuppini completed a research stay of 2 months at the Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies at Leiden University.

She had the incredible opportunity to immerse herself in groundbreaking research and engage with esteemed colleagues in the field. Her stay primarily focused on exploring the critical role of victim narratives in shaping the legal and historical records within the framework of the International Criminal Court (ICC). 

Dr Cuppini is particularly grateful for the opportunity to present her work at the Grotius Dialogue, where the insightful feedback she received was invaluable in refining her research. Additionally, her visit to the International Criminal Court in The Hague was a significant highlight, allowing her to witness firsthand the mechanisms of justice and the vital role that victims' narratives play in international legal processes.

We extend our heartfelt appreciation for the support and collaboration cultivated at the Grotius Centre, which has profoundly enriched her academic journey. 

Human Rights in Context and IMPACTUM were excited to receive Prof Dr Diego Agulló for this month's Talking Series!

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Prof Dr Agulló's presentation explored an approach where investment arbitration panels integrate environmental and human rights laws into their decisions, as well as the challenges this approach may face.

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We want to thank Prof Dr Agulló for his insights and every participant for their interesting questions!

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Speaker: Prof Dr Diego Agulló

Chair: Prof Dr Yves Haeck

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Time I Place 

25 September 2024 I 11:30 - 13:30

Faculty Room, Faculty of Law & Criminology Ghent University

We would like to welcome our new visiting researcher Justina Pérez Platé!

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Justina holds a degree in International Studies from Torcuato Di Tella University (Argentina) and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Human Rights and Conflict Management at Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna in Pisa (Italy). Her academic path reflects a deep commitment to human rights, international law, and conflict resolution, with her work centring on the protection of human dignity and the advancement of global peace and justice. 

As part of an Erasmus internship, Justina is conducting research at the Programme for Studies on Human Rights in Context at Ghent University (Belgium), focusing on the intersection of human rights, security policies, and conflict resolution in Latin America. ​​

We are glad to share that Dr Alessandra Cuppini, a post-doctoral researcher from our Human Rights in Context team, recently presented her paper on "Integrating Victims’ Narratives in the Proceedings of the International Criminal Court" at the inaugural Nottingham International Criminal Justice Conference.

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This event, hosted by the University of Nottingham School of Law in partnership with the International Criminal Justice Unit of the University of Nottingham Human Rights Law Centre, was a hub of insightful discussions and innovative ideas. 

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Kudos to the organisers Prof Olympia Bekou, Natalie Hodgson, Hemi Mistry and participants for making this conference an enriching experience, packed with compelling presentations and invaluable networking opportunities!

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Time I Place 

8-9 July 2024

University of Nottingham School of Law

We would like to say goodbye to Mattea Klostermann, who has been an invaluable part of our team as a research intern. 

We want to thank Mattea for her hard work, her commitment to human rights, and the positive energy she brought to our team. We wish her all the best in her future endeavours and have no doubt that she will continue to achieve great things. 

Our Summer Course 'Human Rights and Persons Deprived of Liberty' has come to an end! 

Over the past four days, we have delved into the challenges surrounding persons deprived of liberty from various perspectives, including international human rights law, public health, criminology, and practice. 

We have been privileged to learn from world-renowned scholars, experts, and practitioners who have generously shared their knowledge and experiences. 

We extend our heartfelt thanks to our lecturers, organisers, and our participants for making this summer course a resounding success. 

We would like to especially thank Course Directors Prof Dr Clara Burbano-Herrera and Prof Dr Manfred Nowak, co-organisers Dr Alessandra Cuppini and Luna Negro, the Global Campus of Human Rights, IMPACTUM, the ERC and UGent.

We hope this was an informative experience for all and look forward to meeting again in the future!

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Time

18 June 2024 - 21 June 2024

Today, our team including our Directors Prof Dr Clara Burbano-Herrera and Prof Dr Yves Haeck and Ms Luna Negro attended the 'Country Day Colombia' organised by the CESAM platform! 

The Country Day aims to stimulate awareness and enhance capacity by introducing grant opportunities, fostering new academic collaborations, and showcasing the rich culture of Colombia. 

Prof Clara Burbano gave a presentation on 'Colombia and Human Rights at Ghent University', discussing the academic research that is currently being conducted at the UGent Faculty of Law and Criminology on human rights in Colombia. 

We would like to thank the CESAM Platform, the Embassy of Colombia, Prof Dr Peter Goethals, Ms Barbara Claeys, and all participants for this wonderful day! 

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Time I Place 

14 June 2024  I 10:00-14:00

Ghent University Museum and Botanical Garden

The Human Rights in Context team is delighted to share that our research member Mayra Nuñez Pastor successfully completed her PhD defense! 

Her doctoral thesis is titled ‘Voices across the Inter-American System of Human Rights on Reparations of economic, social and cultural rights in transitions: interpreting needs and demanding rights’. The dissertation seeks to assess whether the current dynamics within the Inter-American Human Rights System in cases related to political transitions result in an adequate response to the needs of the persons declared victims in its Petition and Case System. 

Her research was supervised by Prof Dr Clara Burbano-Herrera (Ghent University) and Prof Dr Felipe Gomez Isa (University of Deusto).

We are certain that this milestone is the beginning of an exciting new chapter filled with opportunities and accomplishments! 

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Time I Place 

22 May 2024  I 16:30-20:00

Faculty of Law

Deusto University I Ghent University 

Spain I Belgium

We are proud to announce that Fien Vandepitte's master thesis has been awarded the prize for the best Belgian thesis in international law of 2023!

The prize was awarded by the Jury of the Belgian Society of International Law, consisting of Professors Nicolas Angelet, Freya Baetens and Jan Wouters.

Fien's research was supervised by Prof Dr Yves Haeck and Prof Dr Clara Burbano-Herrera. The thesis focuses on the influential political factors that drive Germany's active prosecution of international crimes in Syria on the basis of universal jurisdiction.

Read Fien's contribution for our Human Rights in Context Blog here. 

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Time I Place 

May 2024  

Belgium

IMPACTUM, Human Rights in Context and the CESAM Platform were very happy to have organised the screening of the animation feature film ‘La Super’, by the Cuban Director Ernesto Piña on 30 April!

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The film was first shown in December 2022 at Havana’s New Latin American Cinema festival, and features an unforgettable feminist heroine, La Super, who empowers others to fight violence against women. According to the director, the story “can be understood anywhere in the world and doesn’t happen in a specific known place. It takes place in a city with an eclectic fusion of culture, architecture or behaviour of the people”.

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After the screening, Ernesto Piña joined us virtually for an engaging conversation on the film's exploration of societal awareness regarding violence against women, followed by an interactive Q&A session with the audience.

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A special thanks to Ernesto Piña, Prof Dr Maylen Villamañan Alba, Prof Dr Clara Burbano Herrera, and the CESAM Platform for organising this event and making this screening a success!

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Time I Place 

30 April 2024  I 15:30-17:30

Faculty of Law and Criminology

Ghent University

Belgium

IMPACTUM and Human Rights in Context were very excited to host Dr Adelaida Maria Ibarra Padilla today for our Human Rights in Context Talking Series!

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Adelaida is an Associate Lecturer at York Law School (UK). Her expertise is in the fields of Transitional Justice, Human Rights, International Criminal Law, Gender and Sustainable Development. She has lectured at several Colombian universities such as Universidad de Los Andes.

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She talked about the consequences of the Colombian armed conflict for the Colombian afro descendant population and how grassroots organisations shape the design and implementation of transitional justice systems, focusing on Afro Colombian women organisations.

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Speaker: Adelaida Maria Ibarra Padilla

Chair: Prof Dr Clara Burbano Herrera

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Time I Place 

24 April 2024  I 12:30-14:00

Faculty of Law and Criminology

Ghent University

Belgium

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Human Rights in Context, IMPACTUM and Catapa were very honored to host Wilder Antonio Aguilar Rodríguez  and Carolina Monje yesterday for our Human Rights in Context Talking Series!

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Wilder is a social leader and environmental defender in the neighborhood of Santa Filomena, municipality of Falan, Colombia. He fights for the right to say 'no' to extractivism and 'yes’ to a strong and resilient community. Carolina is a land and environmental defender from Falan, Colombia. She works to protect the common good and ensure environmental sustainability, but also advocates for the rights of communities.

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Wilder shared with us his experiences as an environmental defender, the assassination of his son, and explained how the “green” transition is impacting lives in his community and how degrowth might help their struggle.

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We would like to commend them for their work and perseverance as they continue to speak out against the violations of environmental rights that are happening in Colombia, as well as the many struggles which environmental rights defenders are facing every day.

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Speaker: Wilder Antonio Aguilar Rodríguez and Carolina Monje

Chair: Prof Dr Clara Burbano Herrera 

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Time I Place 

27 March 2024  I 10:30-11:30

Faculty of Law and Criminology

Ghent University

Belgium

We are happy to share that our Director Prof Dr Clara Burbano-Herrera participated in the 20th anniversary celebration of the Coloquio Iberoamericano, hosted by the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law!

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Several panels discussed issues of democracy, human rights, the rule of lawn, and vulnerable groups.

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Time I Place

25-26 February 2024 I 8:30 - 19:00

Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law

Heidelberg, Germany

Exciting News! Our Director Prof Dr Clara Burbano-Herrera was recently invited by the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law.

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During her visit, our Director delivered a captivating presentation on the symbolic impact of precautionary measures in order to protect at-risk detainees.

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We would like to thank Prof Dr Armin von Bogdandy (Director MPI), Dr Mariela Morales and the MPIL team for making this visit possible and creating a stimulating atmosphere!

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Time I Place

25-26 February 2024 I 8:30 - 19:00

Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law

Heidelberg, Germany

IMPACTUM and Rights in Context want to congratulate the editors and contributors for the publication of the highly anticipated and important new book "The Impact of the Inter-American Human Rights System: Transformations on the Ground” (Oxford University Press).

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Our Directors Prof Dr Clara Burbano-Herrera and Prof Dr Yves Haeck co-authored a chapter titled “The Use of Transformative Provisional Measures by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights: Toward a Tangible Impact”.

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This groundbreaking book is open access! (link) 

Our Human Rights in Context and IMPACTUM teams would like to welcome everyone to our next Human Rights in Context Talking Series! Genaro A. Manrique Giacomán will be joining us with a presentation on the topic "Velásquez Rodríguez v. Honduras: the starting point of the evidence regime of IACtHR".

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Genaro is a PhD researcher within the Human Rights Centre at Ghent University specialized on International Human Rights Law. His research focuses on the evidence regime of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, as part of the ERC-funded project “DISSECT: Evidence in International Human Rights Adjudication”.

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Chair: Prof Dr Clara Burbano Herrera

Time I Place

28 February - 2024 I 12:30 - 13:30

Ghent University, Faculty of Law Fairness Room - Belgium​ & online.

Our Human Rights in Context and IMPACTUM teams are excited to welcome Dr Nicolás Santamaría. Nicolás is a political scientist from the Universidad Javeriana (Colombia) and a doctor in law from Los Andes University (Colombia). His research interests focus on criminology and the use of quantitative and qualitative methods in socio-legal research.

His presentation is titled: From the neighbourhoods of Bogotá to the world: international thieves and the transmission of behaviours (De los barrios de Bogotá para el mundo: ladrones internacionales y transmisión de conductas).

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Chair: Prof Dr Clara Burbano Herrera

Time I Place

31 January - 2024 I 12:00 - 13:30

Ghent University, Faculty of Law Board Room - Belgium​ & online​

Directors Prof Dr Clara Burbano-Herrera and Prof Dr Yves Haeck, along with the Human Rights in Context and IMPACTUM teams, would like to wish everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous new year! 

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Our teams want to thank you for supporting us and participating in our academic events in the past year. We are looking forward to creating new, exciting experiences in 2024 and will continue to commit ourselves to strengthening respect for human rights.

Searching for something informative but fun to listen to during the holidays? Look no further, as our IMPACTUM and Human rights in Context teams have created a list of podcast recommendations about human rights and prisons!

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To find out more, click on this link to find a more detailed list of interesting podcasts. The list contains information about the host, where to find the podcast, and a short description.

Interested in keeping your mind active during the holidays? The IMPACTUM and Human rights in Context teams have made a list of recommendations with movies and documentaries you can watch this December about human rights in Latin American countries! 

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To find out more, click on this link to find a more detailed list of movies and this link to read our list of documentaries. 

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To make it easy for you, the list includes information about the country involved, the year of the films, and where you can watch them.

Our Human Rights in Context and IMPACTUM teams want to thank Dr Maria Jose Luque Macias for introducing her interesting project NGOsteerIACtHR in our latest Talking Series.

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Maria is a post-doctoral researcher at the Programme for Studies on Human Rights in Context of Ghent University. Her project examines the influence of NGO's agenda-setting power on the jurisprudence of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights concerning environmental issues. During her talk, she presented her research questions and methodological practicalities.

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Time I Place

29 November - 2023 I 12:30 - 14:00

Ghent University - Belgium​

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Chair: Prof Dr Clara Burbano Herrera

Exciting news! Our IMPACTUM_ERC team and the Programme for Studies on Human Rights in Context  made a contribution on behalf of the thematic report of the Special Rapporteur on Torture.
 
The contribution includes current issues and good practices in prison management while also providing recommendations to the Special Rapporteur.

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Check out our social media to learn more about our contribution.

We are glad to welcome Romain Marchant as an intern at our Human Rights in Context team!

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Romain is a master student in Philosophy at King's College London and International Law at the University of London (UK). He studied Philosophy at Université Libre de Bruxelles (Belgium) and KU Leuven (Belgium) and specialises in moral and political philosophy. He is interested in the moral emotions and the philosophy of human rights.

We are thrilled to have Dr Maria Jose Luque Macias joining our team as a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow! 

Under the supervision of Prof Dr Clara-Burbano Herrera, her project NGOsteertIACtHR will examine the influence of NGOs‘ agenda-setting power on the jurisprudence of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights relating to environmental matters. This includes contentious cases involving indigenous people, human rights defenders, the right to a healthy environment, as well as pertinent advisory opinions. 

Our IMPACTUM and Human Rights in Context teams were glad to receive Prof Dr Maylen Villamañan Alba for our Human Rights in Context Talking Series. 

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Maylen discussed two movies depicting Latin American slums called "Cidade de Deus" and "Elefante Blanco" from the human rights perspective.

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Thank you, Maylen for the interesting talk!

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Time I Place

27 September - 2023 I 12:30 - 14:00

Ghent University - Belgium

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Chair: Prof Dr Clara Burbano-Herrera

Director Prof Dr Clara Burbano-Herrera attended the International Conference on Implementation and Domestic impact of the decisions of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, hosted by the University of Pretoria. She gave a presentation about how to evaluate the impact and compliance of international human rights decisions.

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This Conference aimed to offer a platform for intellectual engagement between stakeholders and the ACHPR on improving the compliance and implementation of the ACHPR’s decisions.

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We wish to thank the organisers for creating a particularly rich learning experience and unique opportunity to discuss this important topic.

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Time I Place

13 - 15 September - 2023 

University of Pretoria - Pretoria 

IMPACTUM in CONTEXT Directors Prof Dr Clara Burbano-Herrera and Prof Yves Haeck presented findings of their research on precautionary measures adopted to protect human rights defenders deprived of their liberty in Latin America at AHRI Conference. 

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The Conference was hosted by the University of Deusto, and its main aim was to discuss the situation of human rights defenders under siege.

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We would like to thank the organisers of this international conference, and specially Prof Felipe Gomez Isa for letting our Directors to be actively part of this academic event.

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Time I Place

7 - 9  September - 2023 

University of Deusto - Bilbao 

IMPACTUM in CONTEXT Podcast hosted by Prof Dr Clara Burbano-Herrera and Kate Murphy has been released on 15 August 2023.

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This is a bilingual space dedicated to discussing and learning about human rights from a multidisciplinary, multicultural, and contextual perspective. 

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We are joined by academics, experts, and members of human rights organizations who discuss with us the most current human rights issues with a critical and constructive vision.

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Listen to our episodes on Spotify or here 

Denisse Rodriguez completed her stay at our team as a visiting researcher. She joined us for two months to work on trade and human rights issues. Thanks to the UGent Global Minds Fund. 

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Denisse is a Lecturer at the Universidad Católica Boliviana San Pablo and is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Rural Development Sciences. She holds a Master's Degree in International Law and Economics from the Universities of Bern, Neuchâtel, and Fribourg, and a Master's Degree in International Economic Relations and Integration from the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés.

Recently, her research focused on concerns about human rights, sustainable development, and climate change.

We truly enjoyed her presence in our group and look forward to meeting again in the future!

Our Director Prof Clara Burbano Herrera held a formal meeting with Dr Maria Luisa Romero, member of the UN Sub-Committee for the Prevention of Torture. During the meeting, they shared their views about persons deprived of liberty in the Americas, and the role of the Sub Committee for the Prevention of Torture in protecting the human rights of this vulnerable group.

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Time I Place

July 2023 I Geneva -Switzerland 

Our team is very excited to start our Summer School Course ‘Human Rights & Persons Deprived of Liberty’ next Tuesday! We are looking forward to meeting our participants and anticipate hearing their unique perspectives during lectures, sparking interesting discussions on issues related to persons deprived of liberty.

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The first day will focus on the international human rights framework of persons deprived of liberty, with lectures given by experts in the field Prof Dr Manfred Nowak, Prof Dr Paulo Pinto de Albuquerque and Prof Dr Sofía Galván.

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Follow our social media accounts to stay tuned for daily updates on the progress of the Course.

Congratulations to our PhD Researcher Mario Andres Torres  who presented at #LSA2023 his paper "Measuring the impact of strategic litigation to solve the prison crisis in Colombia" ​​

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Time I Place

Tuesday, 6 June 2023 I San Juan - Puerto Rico​

Our team has been invited to participate in the Day of the Public General Discussion on the SPT draft General Comment on art. 4 of the OPCAT, which will take place on 8 June 2023, from 15:00 to 17:00 Geneva time. Prof Dr Clara Burbano Herrera and Germán Parra will attend the public meeting at the conference room of Palais Wilson in person. They will give a short presentation about the comments IMPACTUM and Human Rights in Context have developed together on this important text.

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Feel free to follow this exciting event live through the UN Web TV or through this weblink!

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Time

Thursday 8 June 2023  I  15:00h - 17:00h Geneva time

Photo Title: “Palais Wilson”

Author: UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferre

Source: Flickr UN Geneva

License: CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

We are thrilled to announce that Cristina Sanz Rutherford has joined our team at IMPACTUM and Human Rights in Context! 

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Cristina is a Spanish political scientist, who recently obtained her Master of Science degree in Conflict and Development Studies (Ghent University). She also gained previous research experiences as an intern at the Europe of the Peoples Institute. 

Cristina will join us for two months to work on issues related to persons deprived of liberty in the Americas.

We are delighted to share that the IMPACTUM research team made, together with Human Rights in Context, comments on the draft general comment of the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) on the article 4 of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT).

In June there will be a public general discussion on this draft!

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Click the following link to learn more about our contribution.

The Programme for Studies on Human Rights in Context is thrilled to have Luis Abel and Dr Rubén García Higuera joining our team as visiting researchers!

Luis Abel is a Ph.D. student in law at La Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (Colombia) who will be working under the supervision of Prof Dr Clara Burbano-Herrera thanks to the UGent Global Minds Fund. His Ph.D. research asks how the criminal systems of Argentina, Colombia, and Bolivia take into account the constitutional principles of ethnic cultural diversity and legal pluralism in the prosecution of criminal cases related to sexual violence of indigenous girls who are under 14 years old.

Dr Rubén García Higuera is a Postdoctoral researcher on the Margarita Salas programme, currently working on a project called "Freedom of Speech for Inclusive Democracies: An Analysis of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and European Court of Human Rights judgements". He will stay with us for two months to work on a comparative analysis of the social dimension of freedom of expression in Inter-American Court of Human Rights and European Court of Human Rights case-law.

Prof Yves Haeck and Prof Clara Burbano  Herrera were invited to teach about the European Human Rights system and the Inter-American Human Rights system from an African Human Rights Perspective at the Center for Human Rights, University of Pretoria.

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Many thanks go to Prof Frans Viljoen (Director Centre for Human Rights), to the students, and colleagues from the Centre for Human Rights for give us the opportunity to discuss important issues of human rights, and for the very interactive and engaging lectures.

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Photo:  Pretoria Centre for Human Rights

In our latest Human Rights in Context Talking Series, we had a special guest speaker, Frauke Decoodt, a journalist, anthropologist, and associate research fellow at IMPACTUM.  Frauke explained us how things are going in Nicaragua since the uprising in 2018. Furthermore, we were able to see pictures that she took back then.

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Chairs: Prof Clara Burbano Herrera and Mario Andres Torres

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Time I Place

Wednesday,  26 April 2023 I 12:30 - 14:00

Ghent - Belgium 

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Organisers: Human Rights in Context and IMPACTUM Team

Photo:  Mario Andres Torres

We are grateful to our dear colleague Mayra Nunez (PhD researcher) for having presented her views and reflexions regarding the design of interviews and the planning of field work with a special focus on the global south. 

Guest speaker: Mayra Nuñez  

Chair: Prof Clara Burbano Herrera

Organiser: Rights in Context Team & IMPACTUM

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Time I Place

Wednesday, 17 May 2023 I 12:30 -13:30

Ghent University - Belgium

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​Photo Mario Torres

We are happy that our book "Human Rights Behind Bars: Tracing Vulnerability in Prison Populations Across Continents from a Multidisciplinary Perspective" Clara Burbano Herrera and Yves Haeck, (eds)​ The Hague, Springer, 2022, 355p has been published. ​

We would like to express our gratitude to our excellent co-editors Yves Haeck and Clara Burbano Herrera and all the authors who shared their experiences and views regarding prisons. They are: Manfred Nowak, Flavia Piovesan, Yves Haeck, Tom Daems, Clara Burbano Herrera, Manu Krishan, Silvia Serrano, Kresimir Kamber, Christine Bicknell, Mariela Morales Antoniazzi, Bernice Elger, Pedro Villareal, Jörg Pont, Stefan Enggist, Heino Stöver, Hans Wolff, Katerina Sechidou, Aurélie Van Baelen, Alessandra Cuppini, Helene Seaward, Tenzin Wangmo, Bronwyn Naylor, Sharon Shalev, Par Engstrom, and Tom Pegram.  

Did you know that you can also follow us on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn? Join our community for an inside look into the cutting-edge research happening across the world on persons deprived of liberty. And when you talk about IMPACTUM the ERC team on Instagram and twitter, do tag us! 

The Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, American University (USA) has announced the Honour Jury for the Human Rights Essay Award 2023, including our Human Rights in Context Director Prof Clara Burbano-Herrera! The judges are in charge of selecting the winners and honorable mentions of the 2023 Edition. The topic 2023: Equality and Human Rights: Confronting Racial Discrimination. More information: here

Luna Negro and Alberte Hansen have joined our team! They will do research on topics related to the rule of law, prisons and human rights. We are glad to have you both among us! 

The Human Rights in Context team is organizing a new monthly talking series to discuss human rights in the Americas. Anyone interested in human rights issues, and who speaks Spanish, is very welcome. If you would like to join us, please send an e-mail to Mario Andrés Torres. Our talks take place in the Faculty of Law and Criminology (Ghent University). 

On the photo: Mario Torres (PhD Researcher), Frozan Akbaryaard (Research Assistant), Mayra Nunez (PhD Researcher), Nina Kolowratnik-Pointl (PhD researcher), Clara Burbano Herrera (Professor of Human Rights), Alessandra Cuppini (Postdoctoral Research Fellow), Genaro Manrique (PhD Researcher) and Gustavo Prieto (Postdoctoral Research Fellow).

On this ocassion Prof Dr Larissa Bombardi is our guest speaker. She will give a presentation entitled “Geography of Asymmetries and Chemical Colonialism - A Brazilian Woman Geographer and Human Rights Defender in Exile”, in which Larissa will shed light on where socio-legal and political context stands today with regard to double standards in pesticide exports and its impact on the right to health and human rights defenders. We would like to express our gratitude to the Central and South America Platform (CESAM) and Human Rights in Context team for the co-organisation! 

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Panelist: Prof Dr Larissa Bombardi

Chairs: Prof Dr Yves Haeck - Prof Dr Clara Burbano Herrera

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Time I Place

Tuesday, 21 February, 16:00-19:00

Auditorium E, Sint-Pieterniewstraat 41, T2 Technicum Blok 2 (Campus UFO)

We wish you a healthy and joyful holiday season. We look forward to seeing you in the New Year. 

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Warm regards, Abrazos,

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Human Rights in Context Team

Prof Clara Burbano Herrera presented her ERC Project 'IMPACTUM' at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law on 14 October 2022. We would like to thank Prof von Bogdandy (Director Max Planck Institute), Prof Dr Mariela Morales and all colleagues for the kind invitation and enriching discussions.

We are delighted to announce that the book ‘The Participation of Victims in International Criminal Proceedings: An Expressivist Justice Model’ by our postdoc researcher Alessandra Cuppini is finally out!  This book contributes to the debate on the role afforded to victims before international criminal courts by providing an in-depth discussion on issues related to victims’ participatory rights from the perspective of expressivist foundation of international criminal justice, international human rights law and victimology. 

Available at: http://routledge.com/9781032104553

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Use code FLE22 to receive 20% off your purchase!

​The Human Rights Committee organised on 19 July a closed meeting with the drafters of The Nijmegen Principles and Guidelines on Interim Measures for the Protection of Human Rights, including Profs Burbano Herrera and Haeck. 

We trust this important meeting will contribute to the real protection of persons in danger around the world.

A big thank you goes out to all professors who presented thought-provoking lectures on highly topical issues concerning persons deprived of liberty. Thank you also to our participants, and our co-directors Profs Manfred Nowak & Clara Burbano-Herrera for organising this summer course. Last but not least thanks to Alessandra Cuppini and Aurélie Van Baelen for the amazing support.

We are very proud of Evelyn Merckx who defended her PhD on Child-friendly justice in child custody and contact cases after parental separation. The public defense took place on 14 November at the Faculty of Law and Criminology of Ghent University. 

About the dissertation: Parental separation leads to many changes in children's family life. Despite these changes, the perspective of children can be neglected during child custody and contact proceedings and amicable negotiations. Professionals wish to protect and shelter children from the court and shield them from the parental conflict. However, neglecting the child's perspective can harm the child's well-being. Therefore, this research investigates how child-friendly justice can be achieved in child custody and contact cases, by taking into account the child's best interests, the child's right to be heard, the child's right to maintain contact with both parents and the child's psychosocial well-being. The research incorporates interdisciplinary research, the perspective of family judges and children and offers recommendations to policy-makers and family judges.

The Human Rights in Context team warmly congratulates our Director Prof Clara Burbano Herrera for this academic achievement. We are proud that the European Research Council (ERC) has recognised Dr Burbano Herrera’s academic work, through awarding her research and innovation funding aimed at advancing scientific knowledge.

With the ambitious research project IMPACTUM, Prof Burbano Herrera aims to assess from an interdisciplinary perspective the impact of urgent measures in protecting at-risk persons. Previous studies on urgent measures have focused on the procedural legal aspects. But what about the practical, financial and political constraints that hinder the implementation of urgent measures?

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By studying the full context in which urgent measures are applied, the project aims to develop a 'critical normative impact framework' useful to provide a deeper theoretical analysis, as well as insight into how to formulate urgent measures to maximise their practical protective effects.

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We are convinced that the project “Assessing the impact of urgent measures in protecting at-risk detainees in Latin-America” (IMPACTUM) will uncover and present new knowledge on emerging issues with urgent measures that are currently unaddressed in academia and in practice.

Human Rights in Context team was invited to participate in the "Expert Panel Discussion: International Dialogue of Experiences and Best Practices for the Construction of a National System for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists in Mexico". Our Director Prof Clara Burbano Herrera talked about the importance of the Inter-American Human Rights System in protecting journalists and human rights defenders in the Americas. The event was organised by UNESCO and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico on 7 June 2022. The event was live-streamed.

Join us! Panel Discussion: 'Best Practices in the Regional Protection of Human Rights'.

Moderator Prof Killander, Research Director, University of Pretoria.

Panelists: Prof Frans Viljoen, Director Human Rights Centre, University of Pretoria, Prof Yves Haeck, Director, Human Rights in Context Ghent University, Dr Nkatha Murungi, Vice-Director Human Rights Centre, University of Pretoria, Prof Clara Burbano Herrera, Director Human Rights in Context, Ghent University. 

The event will take place on Friday 8 April 2022, Pretoria, South Africa.

Join us to our first Expert Workshop of 2022 entitled 'Captured by the Past: Monuments - Conflicts - Law'.

Over the centuries, totalitarian regimes removed monuments they did not agree with. Should democracies follow this path? 

Convenors:

Dr Alina Cherviatsova, Prof Yves Haeck, Prof Clara Burbano Herrera, and Prof Eva Brems

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• Day:   Friday 21 January

• Time: From 10:00h until 18:00

• Virtually via zoom

• Registration: https://webappsx.ugent.be/eventManager/events/Monuments

As the year ends, we at Human Rights in Context would like to thank you for making 2021 an exceptional year for us. We truly  appreciate your participation in our academic events, as we strive to organize relevant and timely activities on the most pressing issues facing the world. We wish you a warm and happy holiday season. Our team looks forward to another academic year working towards a more inclusive and equitable world.

Our Director Prof Clara Burbano Herrera together with Alicia Homs Ginel (Member of the European Parliament) participated in the event "The Situation of Human Rights Defenders in Latin-America: The Effects of the Pandemic and the EU strategy". Prof Burbano discussed the current situation of danger of human rights defenders in Latin-America, and how their work is essential for the advancement of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. The event took place on Wednesday 30 June @ 17h. You can watch the event on this Link

Dear Colleagues, It is with extreme sadness that we inform you that our former colleague Dr Oswaldo Ruiz-Chiriboga (°1977), professor of human rights at the Central European University (Vienna), whom we had the pleasure to supervise while doing his PhD at Ghent University, has suddenly passed away on 20 November. We extend our deepest condolences to Oswaldo Ruiz Chiriboga’s wife and family, and to the entire Central European University community.

Kind regards,

Yves Haeck and Clara Burbano Herrera

When the past is contested, the monuments are the first to fall. The memorial fever that started in Europe at the end of 1980s with the dismantling of communist symbols continues with the removal of monuments of historical figures tied to racial discrimination, slavery, and colonialism. Although these symbols all have different political contexts and belong to different historical epochs, the heated debates over them reflect a tectonic shift in historical narratives which released memories that were hitherto frozen. In some cases, profound disagreements about the monuments and the memorial policy behind them can cause a confrontation not only within one society but also between states (the so-called, ‘memory wars’).

The workshop ‘CAPTURED BY THE PAST: MONUMENTS. CONFLICTS. LAW’ aims to map the controversies around such monuments, as well as the memory conflicts and ‘memory wars’ of which these monuments are the symbols. Over the centuries, totalitarian regimes removed monuments they did not agree with. Should democracies then follow this path?

The organizers welcome research papers on any of the following topics:

• Monuments as cultural heritage and human rights perspectives: is there a right to destroy?

• Monuments as government speech: what are the limits?

• Monuments and the rule of law: what are the legal standards for memory policies and public commemorative practices in a democracy?

How to Apply

Scholars are invited to submit paper proposals (500–800 words) by 25 September 2021 to Alina.Cherviatsova@UGent.be Each proposal must include a short bio (max 200 words). Successful applicants will be notified by 30 September 2021. The deadline for submitting drafts of papers (8.000-10.000 words) to be discussed during the workshop is 15 January 2022. Final papers are due 15 March 2022.

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Convenors

Dr Alina Cherviatsova, Senior Researcher and Marie Sklodowska-Curie Individual Fellow, Programme for Studies on Human Rights in Context, Human Rights Centre, Ghent University

Prof Dr Yves Haeck, Professor of International Human Rights Law and Director of the Programme for Studies on Human Rights in Context, Human Rights Centre, Ghent University

Prof Dr Clara Burbano-Herrera, Professor of International Human Rights Law and Director of the Programme for Studies on Human Rights in Context, Human Rights Centre, Ghent University

Prof Dr Eva Brems, Professor of Human Rights Law and Head of the Human Rights Centre, Ghent University

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The workshop is organized within the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research project ‘To Destroy or to Preserve? Monuments, Law and Democracy in Europe’ (MELoDYE*) fund from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 101032010

A Ghent University team composed of Delphine Camerier, Thibaut Lesseliers (oralists), Sharon Braekman, Sofie De Mulder and Sehrish Raja, under the supervision of Prof Yves Haeck and coaches Hanne Ollevier, Aurélie Van Baelen and Martijn Vermeersch, and following a master class of Prof Clara Burbano Herrera, is participating for the tenth year in the prestigious Inter-American Human Rights Moot Court Competition against teams representing universities worldwide. This year, the Competition, which due to the current circumstances is taking place virtually, addresses the highly topical issue of ‘Human Rights and States of Emergency: Unexpected Crisis and New Challenges’.

Human Rights in Context together with the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law, and  the Peruvian Constitutional Court  organised the international conference  'Persons Deprived of Liberty'. On this ocassion, 'Dialogues ICCAL in CONTEXT' met judges of the Constitutional Tribunal of Peru and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and had a discussion regarding problems and challenges in prisons from the perspective of international human rights standards in the Americas and Europe. The event took place on Monday 21 June 2021. You can watch the event on this link

Team member Dr. Alina Cherviatsova, Marie Sklodowska-Curie, project: “To Destroy or To Preserve: Monuments, Law and Democracy in Europe”, participated in the webinar  ‘Memory Politics Through National Lenses’ which explores how the 20th century’s past is (re)interpreted by different countries. The event took place on 22 October. More info here and here

Human Rights in Context together with the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law (Heidelberg, Germany), organised an expert meeting within the framework of our collaborative work entitled 'Dialogues ICCAL in CONTEXT'. The expert meeting with the Ecuadorian Constitutional Court aimed to grasp, directly from the judges, how the constitutional adjudication worked in a society characterised by deep-rooted social exclusion and inequality. In this regard, one of the most salient features of the Ecuadorian Constitutional jurisprudence is the proactive and creative methods - including the integration of Inter-American Human Rights standards - to keep the Executive accountable during the COVID-19 Pandemic. You can watch the event on this link.

The Human Rights in Context and IMPACTUM teams were thrilled to welcome our guest speaker Prof Dr Maylen Villamañan Alba again to our Human Rights in Context Talking Series!

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In this presentation, Maylen explored Latin American societies and their social representations in film. Latin American cinema portrays these societies, gives visibility to vulnerable groups, and reveals invisible crimes. Beyond the screen, these representations can have an impact that transcends academia, influencing audiences and, therefore, shaping public opinion on these issues.​

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We greatly appreciate her for sharing her valuable insights!

​Speaker: Prof Dr Maylen Villamañan Alba

Chair: Prof Dr Clara Burbano Herrera

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Time I Place 

8 November 2024 I 16:00 - 17:00

Rule of Law Room, Faculty of Law & Criminology Ghent University

The Human Rights in Context and IMPACTUM teams were very glad to receive our guest speaker Prof Dr Serges Frédéric Mboumegne for this month's Human Rights in Context Talking Series!

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Serges gave a presentation about the  African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights and its Léon Mugesera v Rwanda judgment, in which the Court found that the utterance of death threats against prisoners by prison officials, deprivation of adequate food, limited access to doctors and medicines, and difficulties in establishing contact with family and counsel led to the demoralization and deterioration of their physical and mental condition.

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We would like to thank Prof Serges Frédéric Mboumegne very much for shedding light on this interesting case.

​Speaker: Prof Serges Frédéric Mboumegne

Chair: Prof Dr Clara Burbano Herrera

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Time I Place 

16 October 2024 I 12:30 - 13:30

Rule of Law Room, Faculty of Law & Criminology Ghent University

Passionate about human rights in Latin America? Human Rights in Context is seeking research interns for a three-month term to assist with our activities and social media output.

Previous social media experience is a plus, but not required. You also need to be affiliated to/sent by a research organisation, such as a University.

Interested? Please send us an email with your CV and cover letter:

HumanRightsinContext@UGent.be

We are excited to share that our Human Rights in Context and IMPACTUM teams had the privilege of participating in the Association of Human Rights Institutes (AHRI) Conference titled 'Human Rights in a Polarized World – Realizing Human Rights in the Green and Just Transition'! 

Dr Maria Jose Luque Macias gave a presentation on the influence exercised by non-governmental organizations on the Inter-American Court of Human Rights' delineation of environmental defenders´ right to freedom of expression. 

Researchers Dr Alessandra Cuppini, Kate Murphy, Charlotte Vercammen and Germán Parra Gallego presented their papers as part of the panel titled: 'Human Rights Challenges for Vulnerable Groups: Perspectives from Latin America, Europe, Africa and the International Criminal Court'. 

We would like to thank the organisers of this important conference and all participants for creating such an inspiring platform for thought-provoking discussions! 

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Time I Place 

13 -14 September 2024

Lund, Sweden

We are excited to share that our students from the Moot Court Course, led by Director Prof Dr Yves Haeck, recently participated in the Inter-American Human Rights Moot Court Competition in Washington, D.C.! 

The topic of the case was 'Protection and Guarantee of Human Rights in the Digital Environment'. We are thrilled to announce that Lisa Frans and Pauline Van Bogaert received awards for Best and Second Best Oralist for the Victims in English, respectively. Additionally, their memorial was honored with the award for Best Memorial for the Victims in English. 

We want to thank the Academy On Human Rights of the American University Washington College of Law and co-Directors Claudia Martin and Diego Rodriguez-Pinzon for organising this stimulating competition, as well as Delphine Camerier and Aurélie Van Baelen for their extensive support throughout the process. Congratulations to our outstanding team! 

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Time I Place 

May - June 2024

Washington D.C., USA

Our Human Rights in Context and IMPACTUM teams were honored to receive Prof Diana Milena Murcia Riaño and Dr Antoine Perret for this month's Talking Series!

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Diana and Antoine gave a presentation on the regulation of security companies and expectations regarding the forthcoming advisory opinion on Climate Emergency and Human Rights of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. 

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We want to thank them for the interesting insights.

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Speaker: Diana Milena Murcia Riaño and Dr Antoine Perret

Chair: Prof Dr Clara Burbano Herrera

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Time I Place 

3 July 2024 I 14:30 - 15:30

Rule of Law Room, Faculty of Law & Criminology Ghent University

Our PhD student Mario Andres Torres, from the Human Rights in Context team, has just returned to Ghent after conducting research in Brazil between March and May 2024.

His fieldwork aimed to conduct interviews and gather information on the impact of strategic litigation on human rights in prisons in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. Mario interviewed judges, NGO members, prison survivor groups and state authorities. The work also allowed for the development of academic networks with the Gertulio Vargas University and the National Law School of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. 

The Human Rights in Context team gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Global Minds Fund. 

Last week, our Director Prof Dr Clara Burbano-Herrera was invited to speak at the Conference on Implementation and Domestic Impact of Decisions of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights! 

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She gave a presentation on the impact of urgent measures in contexts where the rule of law is under attack and also had the privilege of visiting the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

We are thankful to the African Court on Human and Peoples'​ Rights and the Centre for Human Rights (University of Pretoria) for inviting us to this incredible event. 

We would like to especially thank Profs Dr Rachel Murray, Cristiano d'Orsi, Frans Viljoen, Foluso Adegalu, Nkatha Murungi, and Lloyd Kuveya,  whose contributions made the event truly enriching!

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Time I Place 

21 June 2024 - 22 June 2024

Arusha, Tanzania

IMPACTUM, Human Rights in Context, and the Global Campus of Human Rights are pleased to invite motivated students, researchers, members of civil society organisations and policymakers to the 3rd Edition of the Summer School ‘Human Rights & Persons Deprived of Liberty’! 

The Summer Course is curated by Prof Dr Clara Burbano-Herrera and Prof Dr Manfred Nowak.

Participants will receive the opportunity to develop an in-depth understanding of the structural problems around prisons through the lens of international human rights law, public health, criminal law, and practice from world-leading academics from Europe, Africa and North & South America. 

The Summer School will take place on the Teams platform from Tuesday 18 June to Friday 21 June 2024.

Interested?  You can find more information by  clicking the following link.

Our visiting researcher Prof Dr Maylen Villamañan Alba has completed her research stay  at the Programme for Studies on Human Rights in Context. 

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Her research focuses on the perspective of popular criminology, particularly on social representations and violence. She was supervised by Prof Dr Yves Haeck and Prof Dr Clara Burbano Herrera during her visit.

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We would like to thank Maylen for sharing her expertise with us, as well as the CESAM platform for its financial support.

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Time I Place 

April - May 2024  

Programme for Studies on Human Rights in Context I Faculty of Law and Criminology

Ghent University

Belgium

IMPACTUM, Human Rights in Context and the CESAM Platform were very glad to receive Prof Dr Maylen Villamañan Alba this afternoon for our Talking Series!

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Maylen talked about Latin American fictional films and the truth of the image. She further spoke about the gender challenges faced by women filmmakers in the profession and the societal significance of film representations of violence against indigenous women. 

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Speaker: Prof Dr Maylen Villamañan Alba

Chair: Prof Dr Clara Burbano Herrera

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Time I Place 

08 May 2024  I 15:30-16:30

Faculty of Law and Criminology

Ghent University

Belgium

Human Rights in Context attended the opening of the film Gabo at the CineMás Film Festival on 25th April. This event marks the tenth anniversary of the passing of Gabriel García Márquez. The event was organised to honour the literary contributions of the renowned Colombian Nobel Prize laureate.

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Mr Jorge Rojas Rodriguez  (Colombian Ambassador to Belgium) introduced the film. The documentary, directed by Justin Webster, offers an in-depth exploration of García Márquez's journey from a humble village to literary icon. Through unique testimony and archival footage, the film provides insight into how García Márquez's words have captivated millions, including influential figures such as Fidel Castro and Bill Clinton.

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The screening was preceded by a meeting with Mr Jorge Rojas Rodriguez (Colombian Ambassador to Belgium and Luxemburg), representatives of the Colombian Embassy, Our Directors Prof Dr Yves Haeck and Prof Dr Clara Burbano Herrera (Human Rights in Context, Faculty of Law and Criminology), Prof Dr Ilse Logie and Dr Jasper Vervaeke (Faculty of Arts and Literature), Prof Dr Peter Goethals (Faculty of Biosciences Engineering), Mr Steven Schoofs (Global Minds) and Barbara Claeys (CESAM Platform). Various topics relevant to Ghent University and Colombian universities were addressed.

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We are thankful to the organisers and especially to the CESAM platform, Professor Ilse Logie and Dr Jasper Vervaeke for the realisation of this splendid event.

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Time I Place 

25 April 2024  I 17:00-22:30

Ghent I Belgium

Yesterday, our Human Rights in Context and IMPACTUM teams welcomed Dr María Noel Rodríguez Tochetti for our Human Rights in Context Talking Series!

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María is Prison Systems Adviser of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Since 2018, she has worked for the ICRC as an expert on women deprived of liberty in Mexico, Central America, Colombia and Venezuela.

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She gave a presentation on women deprived of liberty in Latin America, the many issues they encounter while in prison, and how they can be resolved through governmental policies.

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Thank you, María for shedding light on this extremely interesting topic and sharing your valuable insights!

Speaker: María Noel Rodríguez Tochetti

Chair: Prof Dr Clara Burbano Herrera

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Time I Place 

27 March 2024  I 12:30-14:00

Faculty of Law and Criminology

This week, Ghent University’s Legal Skills Human Rights course directed by Prof Dr Yves Haeck had the privilege to welcome Mr Johan Heymans, as he gave a guest lecture on “Human Rights in Practice”! 

Johan Heymans is a Partner at Van Steenbrugge Advocates (VSA) and, together with Prof Johan Vande Lanotte, among others successfully litigated the case of Yüksel Yalçinkaya v Turkey (2023) before the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights. Mr Heymans is an expert on criminal law and procedure and human rights.

We wish to thank Mr Heymans for sharing his invaluable insights and experiences as a human rights lawyer, which have definitely improved our students’ understanding of how human rights principles are put into action before international adjudicators. 

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Speaker: Mr Johan Heymans 

Chair: Prof Dr Yves Haeck 

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Time I Place

15 March 2024 

Faculty of Law and Criminology

Ghent University

Belgium

The IMPACTUM and Rights in Context teams are back from their visit to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, where they presented their contribution on the right of care and its intersection with persons deprived of liberty. 

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Prof Dr Clara Burbano Herrera also gave a lecture at the University of Costa Rica (Faculty of Law) on the problems and challenges of persons deprived of liberty in the Americas.

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During her stay, Prof Burbano-Herrera conducted interviews to the staff ot the IACtHR on various topics, including the role of the Inter-American Court in protecting human rights in the Americas,  the impact of provisional measures, and the challenges of the Inter-American Human Rights system. These interviews will soon be available online on our Podcast on Spotify and our website.

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We would like to thank the Inter-American Court, the University of Costa Rica, and the members of our research teams for their work and support during this process.

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📺 Watch our presentation here (from 2:55 min)
 

Participants: Prof Dr Clara Burbano Herrera and Germán Parra Gallego. 

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Time I Place

12-15 March 2024 I 8:30 - 19:00

IACtHR headquarters and University of Costa Rica

San José, Costa Rica 

We are pleased to share that IMPACTUM and Rights in Context research teams have been invited by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights to a public hearing on the request by the Republic of Argentina for an advisory opinion (OC-31) on the content and scope of the right to care and its interrelation with other rights. 

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In this consultative process, IMPACTUM and Rights in Context made a written submission in which it addressed the impacts of deprivation of liberty in caregiving activities inside and outside of prison and jail systems. Our goal is to raise awareness on the effects of deprivation of liberty not only on detainees but also to their families and communities, and stress the additional burdens imposed to women and girls.

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Participants: Prof Dr Clara Burbano Herrera and Germán Parra Gallego. 

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Time I Place

12-15 March 2024 I 8:30 - 19:00

IACtHR headquarters in San José, Costa Rica 

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Photo source: CorteIDH

We are honored that the written contribution of IMPACTUM has been referred in the report on current issues and good practices in prison management by the UN Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment!

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The report has been sent to the Human Rights Council for its 55th session which will be held from 26 February to 5 April 2024. It provides an analysis of some of the most significant issues relating to prison management worldwide.

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The report mentions IMPACTUM on page 11 (footnote 85), which refers to the good practice by the judiciary in Colombia regarding economic reparations to women who were deprived of liberty in an overcrowded prison. 

We are happy to announce that Mattea Klostermann has joined our team at IMPACTUM and Human Rights in Context! ​

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Mattea completed a Bachelor of Science in Public Governance across Borders at the University of Münster (Germany) and the University of Twente (NL), and is currently taking the European Master in Global Studies (EMGS) at Ghent University.

Mattea will stay with us for four months to work on issues related to persons deprived of liberty in the Americas.

Human Rights in Context director Prof Dr Clara Burbano-Herrera went on a Ghent University mission to Colombia together with the UGent Cesam Platform and UGent Alumni. 

We are looking forward to the opportunities that this mission will bring for the future, such as joint academic activities between UGent and Colombian universities, participation in research projects and exchanges of students and academic staff.

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Time I Place

10 - 17 December 2024 

Bogota I  Cartagena I Barranquilla

Colombia

Today, Romain Marchant has succesfully completed his internship with our team. Romain is a Belgian master student in Philosophy and International Law who mainly helped our team with creating social media content. He also wrote a blog post about shame and shaming in international human rights advocacy for our Human Rights in Context Blog.

From the start, Romain brought an abundance of positivity, kindness, friendliness, and intelligence to our team. We are very grateful for his support over the past months and we are confident that his future will be filled with success. Merci pour tout et bonne chance à vous, Romain!

Nothing to read near the fire place on colder days? For the third week of December, our IMPACTUM and Human rights in Context teams have made a list of book recommendations about human rights and prisons!

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To find out more, click on this link to find a more detailed list of interesting books. The list includes information about the country involved, the year of publication, and a short description.

The Human Rights in Context, International Network for Human Rights Europe (RIDHE)  and IMPACTUM teams were very glad to receive activist leader Edgar Blanco, who extensively explained the current state of the educational crisis in Nicaragua after the protests in April 2018.

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Edgar is a defender of the right to education as a human right, member of the Higher Education Student Federation of the University of Costa Rica, and president of the youth organization Acción Universitaria.

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We want to thank Edgar for bringing awareness to this critical topic!

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Time I Place

1 December - 2023 I 13:00 - 14:30

Ghent University - Belgium​

We are happy to share that episode 4 of our IMPACTUM in CONTEXT podcast will be released on Wednesday 15 November!

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In this episode, we discuss some of the biggest challenges and new threats to human rights in the American region with Prof Sofia Galvan, who is a true expert on the Inter-American system.

We also touch on how we can work towards changing mentalities that prisons and increasing penalties do not lower the incidence of crime.

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You can find the podcast on our website and on Spotify!

We are excited to share that our IMPACTUM_ERC research team made a contribution on the 'Right to Care' at the request of the advisory opinion before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. 

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In this contribution, we call for paying special attention to detainees in need of support or special care. We argue that policies should take into account the impacts of detention on the right to care, to be cared for, and to self-care.

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Interested to know more about our contribution? Click the link to learn more about our contribution.

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Our Human Rights in Context and IMPACTUM teams held our latest Talking Series on “Academic Freedom and the Right to Education in Nicaragua”, organised together with the International Network for Human Rights Europe (RIDHE).

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We would like to thank our speakers Mr Roger Lara Hernández (exiled Nicaraguan leader), Mr Edgar Blanco López (exiled Nicaraguan leader), Mr Adrianus Koetsenruijter (Presidente RIDHE) and Prof Dr Clara Burbano Herrera (co-Director Human Rights in Context) for sharing their insights on this important issue. They discussed the current state of the educational crisis in Nicaragua after the protests in April 2018.

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Time I Place

25 October - 2023 I 15:00-16:30

Ghent University - Belgium​

We are happy to announce that Dimitra Fragkou will join our Human Rights in Context team for three months! She will work under the supervision of Prof Dr Yves Haeck.

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Dimitra is a PhD Candidate in Public International Law at NOVA University Lisbon in Portugal. Her research focuses on human rights, torture and refugee law.

The IMPACTUM team wants to thank the International Advisory Board for the engaging and enriching meeting organised by our Principal investigator Prof Dr Clara Burbano-Herrera! 

Our researchers received valuable guidance from the Board, consisting of a group of experts in the field of human rights. The Board is comprised of Prof Dr Manfred Nowak, Prof Dr Yves Haeck, Prof Dr Paulo Pinto de Albuquerque, Prof Dr Hélène Tigroudja, Prof Dr Johan Vande Lanotte, Prof Dr Par Engstrom, Prof Dr Frans Viljoen and Prof Dr Gentian Zyberi. 

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Our ethics advisor Dr Ron Iphofen also gave a presentation on conducting ethical research and vulnerability.

We are looking forward to organising the next one!

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Time I Place

26 September - 2023 

Ghent University - Belgium

We are very thrilled to announce that Foluso Adegalu is joining our team! 

Foluso is a Doctoral Researcher at the Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria (South Africa). He is also a Legal Consultant, Policy Advocate, Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

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His research interests primarily focus on the domestic impact of the international human rights system, particularly on the United Nations and African human rights systems.

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Welcome, Foluso!

The IMPACTUM research team organised another general meeting at the UGent Faculty of Law and Criminology. PhD Fellows Kate Murphy, German Parra, and Charlotte Vercammen received feedback from Prof Dr Clara Burbano Herrera of their research progress concerning urgent measures granted to protect persons deprived of liberty at risk in Latin America. The team also discussed the latest and upcoming activities with academic and societal impact.

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We want to thank everyone who contributed to this warm, productive and stimulating meeting!

Time I Place

Friday, 1 September 2023 I 08:00 – 10:00

Ghent University - Belgium

After four intensive days of learning, our Summer Course unfortunately has come to an end. We want to express our gratitude to all professors who presented thought-provoking lectures on a range of important issues concerning persons deprived of liberty.

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We would like to thank our participants for actively showing their interest in the different topics and joining in on the discussions. We are also very thankful to our co-directors Prof Dr Clara Burbano-Herrera and Prof Dr Manfred Nowak for organising this course.

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Finally, we want to acknowledge the efforts made by Dr Alessandra Cuppini, and our IMPACTUM and Human Rights in Context teams, who were instrumental in the successful completion of the Course.  

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Check out our social media accounts to learn more about the specific lectures given in the past days.

We are very happy to have had Cristina Sanz on our team for the past two months. We thank Cristina for her dedication, enthusiasm, and support of our research team. Muchas Gracias!

In the latest Talking Series: 'Human Rights in Context', we had the pleasure to listen Ms Rodriguez (Global Minds Visiting Research Fellow), who spoke about the 'Newest Trade Initiatives of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in relation to natural environment and its intersection with Human Rights'. The team would like to thank Denisse for the interesting presentation. 

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Guest speaker: Ms Denisse Rodríguez 

Chair: Prof Clara Burbano Herrera

Organiser: Rights in Context Team

Time I Place

Wednesday, 5 July 2023 I 12:30 - 13:30

Ghent University - Belgium

The book entitled "Comentario al Procedimiento ante el Sistema Interamericano de Derechos Humanos" has been published. Our directors Prof Haeck and Prof Burbano Herrera wrote the chapter on provisional measures adopted by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. 

We would like to thank the editors​ Dr Marie-Christine Fuchts, Hartmut Rank and Miguel Ángel Barboza López, and the Konrad Edenauer Stiftung for having invited us to be part of this wonderful contribution.

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Click the following link to download the entire book 

Yesterday, Prof Dr Clara Burbano Herrera and Germán Parra successfully presented our team’s comments on the draft General Comment on Article 4 of the OPCAT.

In their presentation, they praised the General Comment using a broad concept of 'place of deprivation of liberty' and viewed this document as a unique opportunity to underline that all persons deprived of their liberty in public or private institutions have the right to be protected.

They recommended four elements which the General Comment should stress, including the adoption of interim measures by the UNCAT when SPT or NPMs have obstacles to access places of deprivation of liberty.​

Rewatch their presentation through this weblink to learn more.

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Thursday 8 June 2023  I  15:00h 

IMPACTUM  PI, Prof Clara Burbano Herrera, PhD Fellows, Charlotte Vercammen, Kate Murphy, and German Parra, and Researchers Luna Negro and Alberte Hansen, presented their research on Urgent Measures granted  to protect detainees at risk in Latin America. We had also the opportunity to discuss our activities and events with academic and societal impact.

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Thank you to everyone who contributed to thought-interesting meeting on Friday!

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Time I Place

Friday, 25 May 2023 I 15:00 -18:30

Ghent University - Belgium​​

It was a great pleasure to attend the lecture of Dr Ruben Garcia Higuera on Social Dimension of Freedom of Expression in the Inter-American Human Rights System. Thanks to Ruben and also  to all participants.

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Time I Place

Wednesday, 31 May 2023 I 12:30 -14:00

Ghent University - Belgium​​

Successful candidates were informed on Monday 15 May. The Summer Course will be held on the Zoom/Teams platform from the 27 to the 30 of June 2023.

More details: Summer School Program

We are glad to have participated in the Expert Panel 'Regionalisation of Childrens' organised by The Centre for Childrens' Rights Studies. ​We would like to thank the students for the very engaging discussion.

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Moderator: Mr Simon Nehme

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Panelists: Prof Yves Haeck, and Prof Clara Burbano Herrera.  

Organiser: University of Geneva 

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Time I Place

Wednesday, 10 May 2023 I 15:00 -18:00h

Geneva- Switzerland

​Photo Simon Nehme

We are pleased to collaborate with the University of Pretoria’s Centre for Human Rights on MOOC 2023! We would like to thank the Centre for Human Rights and Africa Rights Talk for creating this interesting and insightful opportunity. Prof Dr Clara Burbano Herrera and Prof Dr Yves Haeck will discuss the use of provisional measures in the African Human Rights regime, providing their insights into the subject. Prof Dr Yves Haeck will also talk about the European Human Rights system from a comparative perspective on the Africa Rights Talk podcast.

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Click the following link to learn more about Prof Dr Yves Haeck.

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Click the following link to learn more about Prof Dr Clara Burbano Herrera.

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The ERC-IMPACTUM team, the Programme for Studies on Human Rights in Context, the Human Rights Centre, Ghent University, and the Global Campus on Human Rights are pleased to invite highly motivated students that are achieving their degree in law, political sciences, public health, or criminology, or postgraduate students (masters, LLM, PhD or postdoc) as well as staff of civil society organisations and policymakers to the 2nd  Edition of the Summer School ‘Human Rights & Persons Deprived of Liberty’.  

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This summer course will be held on the Zoom/Teams platform from the 27 to the 30 of June 2023. 

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Curated by Prof Dr Clara Burbano Herrera (IMPACTUM the ERC, Ghent University) and Prof Dr Manfred Nowak (Global Campus of Human Rights), the course aims to provide participants with suitable expertise on structural problems around prisons from the perspective of international human rights law, public health, criminal law, and practice as well as contribute to the improvement of human rights of persons deprived of liberty in their homeland and around the world. 

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Participants will have the opportunity to interact with world-leading academics from Europe, Africa and North & South America working in this field, gaining awareness of complex issues related to the human rights of persons deprived of liberty nation-wide and world-wide.

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Applications are open until Tuesday 2 May 2023. 

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Apply now: Summer School online application platform. 

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More details: Download the Summer School Program

We are honored to have participated in the Expert Panel, ''Best Practices in the Regional Protection of Human Rights".

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We would like to thank the public, the students, and the wonderful organisers, our brilliant colleagues from the Centre for Human Rights (University of Pretoria) for a  very interesting discussion.

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Moderator: Prof Magnus Killander

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Panelists: Prof Frans Viljoen, Prof Nkatha Murungi, Prof Yves Haeck, and Prof Clara Burbano Herrera.  
 

Organiser Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria

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Time I Place

Friday,  21 April 2023

Pretoria - South Africa

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Photo:  Pretoria Centre for Human Rights

We are glad to introduce the Interdisciplinary International Advisory Board of the IMPACTUM ERC project. Click here for a full introduction. 

In March, we celebrated Ghent University’s 100th ERC grantee. We would like to thank the EU-team, our rector Prof Rik Van de Walle, vice-rector Prof Mieke Van Herreweghe, and our wonderful ERC colleagues for a memorable evening, and last but certainly not least we congratulate Prof Clara Burbano who is an ERC Consolidator Grantee!

Photo: Nic Vermeulen

We are delighted that Prof Dr Clara Burbano Herrera participated in the Expert Panel, 'Perspectives on Transitional Justice and Restorative Justice for Peace-building: Colombia's experience towards the achievement of total peace'. We would very much like to thank the organisers, the community attendees, and the wonderful moderator our Prof Dr Burbano Herrera for a lively discussion and packed house!  

Speakers: Judge Roberto Vidal Lopez (President of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace in Colombia), Dr Peter Wagner, (Director FPI European Commission), Dr Sergio Jaramillo, Senior Advisor (European Institute of Peace)

Moderator: Prof Dr Clara Burbano Herrera

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Organisers: Embassy of Colombia to Belgium, Luxemburg, NATO and the EU, and the European Institute of Peace

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Time I Place

Wednesday,  29 March 2023

Brussels - Belgium

Photo: Javier Macias

We are excited to have Charlotte Vercammen joining the IMPACTUM & Human Rights in Context teams! Together with other 4 researchers and under the supervision of Prof Clara Burbano Herrera, Charlotte will spend the next few years studying the impact of Urgent Measures in protecting at-risk detainees in Latin-America. 

Our Directors Prof Yves Haeck and Prof Clara Burbano Herrera participated in the international Conference 'Rule of Law from Below', organised by Utrecht University. The event took place on 29-30 October 2020.

Our sincere congratulation to Prof Clara Burbano Herrera for this nomination, which is a recognition of her important academic work on human rights. Well deserved!  

We are seeking to fill 3 full-time PhD positions and 1 Researcher (15%) as part of the large-scale research project 'IMPACTUM' Assessing the Impact of Urgent Measures in Protecting At Risk-Detainees in Latin-American led by Prof Clara Burbano Herrera. IMPACTUM is funded by the European Research Council (ERC) and hosted at Ghent University (Belgium). Apply before 5 October. If you hold a degree in law and/or criminology find more info here. If you hold a degree in political science here and here

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We are also seeking to fill 1 full-time Academic Assistant in Human Rights. You will be able to assist Prof Yves Haeck and to do your PhD under his supervision. Apply until 16 August. More info here

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Our team together with the International Network for Human Rights Europe (RIDHE) co-organised the seminar: 'Human Rights in Nicaragua'. We were able to exchange and debate on the situation of human rights in Nicaragua, the rule of law, democracy and prisons.
 

Panelists: Elthon Rivera Cruz, Thomas Aubineau, Marta Castillo, and Prof Dr Clara Burbano Herrera 
 

Time I Place 

Thursday, 9 February, 12:00 - 14:00

Faculty of Law and Criminology

Ghent University 

Yves Haeck's UGent Moot Court Team, consisting of Mariam Vandenberghe, Wout Platteau, Nel De Backer and Iris Vanheule, coached by the brilliant Hanne Ollevier, Aurélie Van Baelen and Martijn Vermeersch, for reaching the semi-finals on the Inter-American HRs Moot Court Competition, thereby also winning the Prize for the Best memorial and the Best oralists for the victims in English!

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Our warmest congratulations to Dr Alessandra Cuppini and Dr Gustavo Prieto for having obtained a Postdoctoral scholarship grant from the FWO. We are happy to have both of you on our Human Rights in Context team.

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The Programme for Studies on Human Rights in Context, Human Rights Centre, Ghent University, and the Global Campus on Human Rights are pleased to invite highly motivated students and researchers to the Summer School ‘Human Rights & Persons Deprived of Liberty’.

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This Summer Course will be held on the Zoom platform from Tuesday 5 to Friday 8 of July 2022.

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Curated by Prof Dr Clara Burbano Herrera (Ghent University) and Prof Dr Manfred Nowak (Former UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment, Professor University of Vienna), the Summer Course aims to provide participants with suitable understanding on structural problems around prisons from the perspective of international human rights law, public health, criminal law, and practice.

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Participants will have the opportunity to interact with world-leading academics from Europe, Africa and North & South America working in this field.

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See you in July! 

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Apply now: Summer School on line application platform

We are delighted to announce our forthcoming book "Human Rights Behind Bars: tracing vulnerability in prison populations from a multidisciplinary perspective", Clara Burbano Herrera and Yves Haeck (eds), Springer, 2022

 Our students of the Ghent University pleaded before a jury of diplomats at UNESCO in Paris, in preparation for their participation in the Inter-American Human Rights Moot Court Competition. The bench, which consisted of three esteemed ad hoc-judges, challenged our students with excellent, critical questions.

Many thanks to the Permanent Delegation of Belgium to UNESCO for this unforgettable experience. A personal thanks to Belgian diplomat Andy Van Pachtenbeke and Prof Dr Yves Haeck (Director Human Rights in Context) for organising this session. Many thanks to Juan Pablo Paniego, Asoid García-Márquez and Andy Van Pachtenbeke, for agreeing to be the ad hoc judges. Thank you as well to the team's coaches Martijn Vermeersch, Hanne Ollevier and Aurélie Van Baelen. Last but not least, thank you Dr Santiago Villalpando, for dedicating your time to introduce our students to the world of international law at UNESCO. The event took place on 11 May 2022 in Paris.

 In commemoration of International Women’s Day three blog posts have been published. Thanks to our wonderful colleagues Alejandra Vicente and Julie Bardeche from REDRESS, Valentina Montoya from the University de Los Andes, and Ineke Boerefijn from the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights for their relevant insights. Read the blog posts here

Our team welcomes new Doctoral Researcher Mayra Nunez Pastor. Her research area is transitional justice, focused on reparations on economic, social and cultural rights. Mayra will work under the supervision of Prof Burbano Herrera (UGent) and Prof Gomez Isa (Deusto University). We are happy you have joined our team!

Join us to the Workshop ‘Russia’s War Against Ukraine and the World’, which is  organised by the Programme for Studies on Human Rights in Context, the Human Rights Centre (Ghent University), and Kule Institute for Advanced Study, University of Alberta.

Date 17 March 2022, 17:00-19:00 (CET).

Registration: here (online)

We are welcoming a new researcher fellow Kauan Juliano Cangussu. Kauan will work on issues related to indigenous' human rights in Brazil. We are glad to have you among us!

Prof Dr Yves Haeck (Rapporteur), Prof Dr Clara Burbano Herrera (Registrar), Prof Em Johan Vande Lanotte (Initiator), and Prof Dr Rik Van de Walle (Rector of Ghent University) play an active role in the Turkey Tribunal.

In recent years, human rights violations have increasingly been reported in Turkey, a Council of Europe member state, following the coup attempt. Various international human rights bodies have confirmed this, sometimes even in very sharp terms. That is why the Turkey Tribunal, a “people’s tribunal”, was created. 

Victims, witnesses, and experts were heard by the Tribunal in Geneva from 20 until 24 September 2021. Following an intensive week, the Tribunal, composed of Prof Em Dr Françoise Tulkens (President), Prof Angelita Baeyens, Prof Dr Ledi Biancu, Prof Em Dr Giorgio Malinverni, Prof Dr John Pace, and Justice Prof Dr Johann Van Der Westhuizen, delivered its Opinion, establishing that Turkey has committed serious human rights violations. 

While the Tribunal is not a body that issues legally binding decisions, its ruling has high moral authority. All documents, the testimonials, and the opinion of the judges have been published. In this way, the Tribunal has informed and raised awareness towards the issue among the international community. 

Profs Burbano Herrera and Haeck (Human Rights Centre, Ghent University) said: “We feel honoured to have been part of this important event for the human rights community, and for having helped to bring a kind of justice to the victims and their families (…). We would also like to express our gratitude to everyone who has contributed to the Turkey Tribunal for their commitment and hard work”.

More on the Turkey Tribunal: https://turkeytribunal.com

On the photo the Judges and Registrars of The historical Turkey Tribunal, including Prof Dr Clara Burbano Herrera. The Tribunal was created in 2020 to investigate the increasing number of allegations of human rights abuses committed by the Turkish government in recent years. Video 

During the past years and following a conference co-organised by Radboud University, Ghent University and Università Napoli 2 in Nijmegen in 2015, our Directors Prof Clara Burbano Herrera and Prof Yves Haeck were part of a group of experts in drafting the “Nijmegen Principles and Guidelines on Interim Measures for the Protection of Human Rights”. We are proud to share these Principles and Guidelines with you and we hope they will contribute to the effective protection of persons currently in extreme and imminent danger around the world! You can read the Guidelines on this link

Desmond Tutu died today (26 December) aged 90. Tutu has always been an inspiration for our academic work. Our deepest condolences to his loved ones and the entire human rights network.

We are glad to communicate that Prof Dr Clara Burbano Herrera has been  appointed Registrar of the Turkey Tribunal. The Turkey Tribunal was created in 2020 to investigate the increasing number of allegations of human rights abuses committed by the Turkish government in recent years. Video

The members of the Programme for Studies on Human Rights in Context are deeply affected by the sudden passing of professor Christof Heyns. His work will be remembered for his many achievements in the advancement of human rights. We extend our deepest condolences to Prof Heyns’ family and the entire Pretoria human rights community.

During the past years our Directors Prof Clara Burbano Herrera and Prof Yves Haeck are part of a group of experts in drafting the “Nijmegen Principles and Guidelines on Interim Measures for the Protection of Human Rights”. The third Expert Meeting, 'Urgent Measures' Principles and Guidelines' had the participation of Prof C. Burbano-Herrera, Human Rights in Context; Prof Y. Haeck, Human Rights in Context; Prof C. Flinterman, Maastricht University, former member UN Human Rights Committee (HRCtee) and Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW); Ms B. Griffey, Amnesty International; Prof J. Harrington, University of Alberta; Prof P. Leach, Middlesex University, European Human Rights Advocacy Centre (EHRAC); Dr R. Möhrlein, University of Amsterdam; Ms R. Pillay, International Commission of Jurists; and Prof E. Rieter, Radboud University Nijmegen. The event took place on 26 May 2021.

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Our Directors Prof Yves Haeck and Prof Clara Burbano Herrera participated in the international Conference 'Rule of Law from Below', organised by Utrecht University. The event took place on 29-30 October 2020.