Syria: If Not Now When?

By Alejandro Baer

"If I am not for myself, then who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, then what am I? And if not now, when?" Said Rabbi Hillel, one of the most influential sages and scholars in Jewish history.

It is unlikely that Barak Obama had this phrase of the Talmud in mind last week during the Moscow's G20 summit. However, he seems to have performed a political interpretation of this often quoted Jewish aphorism when he tried to convince his fellow world leaders of the necessity of joint military action against the criminal Assad regime in Syria.

The figures of the Syrian tragedy are well known. 100,000 people killed in two years, two million refugees living in bordering countries, four million displaced within the country and, only a few weeks ago, a lethal chemical weapons attack against the civilian population, in a clear violation of international law. No other government has dared to cross the line of chemical weapons use since the 1980s. The situation has reached a tipping point and it requires a meaningful response by the international community. But what sort of action should be taken?

It seems we are always fighting the previous genocide. Violence unfolding before our eyes usually lacks the unambiguous quality of retrospective moral outrage, naming and condemnation. It is entangled in a complex constellation of forces and unpredictable developments that lead to the fact that the realpolitik, immediate interests and geopolitical concerns are weighted against human rights ideals.

What will be the consequences of military action in Syria? Have all other measures and means of pressure been exhausted? Will the envisioned bombing raids serve to protect civilians?

On September 11 the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies and the Human Rights Program will host a panel discussion in which Syrian community members, experts and scholars will discuss ways to take action without vast and devastating consequences.

Whitney Taylor and Katie Menke Receive Human Rights Awards

The Human Rights Program and the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies congratulate Whitney Taylor and Katie Menke as the recipients of the 3rd annual human rights awards.

Taylor is the recipient of the Sullivan Ballou award, and Menke received the Inna Meiman Award. These two exemplary students have demonstrated incredible aptitude, commitment, and passion in their service of others throughout their time at the University of Minnesota.

An awards luncheon will take place on Friday, May 3 at 12:00 p.m. 280 Ferguson Hall.

Whitney Taylor is a dedicated and emerging human rights activist and scholar, who exhibits incredible energy and intellect inspiring and mobilizing all of those around her.
Taylor has contributed expertise in editing and assisting various human rights research projects and publications and has conducted some of her own human rights research.
Whitney has also contributed to the promotion of human rights through her travels to South Africa during the summer of 2011, where she worked to empower individuals as a research intern for the Southern African Media and Gender Institute. While in Cape Town, Whitney worked to bring meaningful change and to give a voice to those who might otherwise not have been heard through facilitating empowerment workshops in women's prisons.

As an employee at the Human Rights Program, Whitney has assisted in successfully carrying out countless human rights events, which have served to raise awareness on many different critical human rights issues.

Katie Menke, is a devoted human rights activist and scholar whose summa thesis examines the work of the Salvadorian organization, Pro-Busqueda, which reunites families with children who were kidnapped during the country's civil war. In addition to her academic attention to issues of human rights and social justice, Katie has given freely and extensively of herself to advocating on behalf of human rights, particularly in relation to youth, homelessness and inequality. This past winter, Katie took the initiative to spread information about resources for the homeless in Minneapolis, including a program established by St. Stephen's Outreach. During the fall/winter of 2010-11, Katie volunteered with the Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en Lucha (CTUL), working throughout the Twin Cities specifically on their retail cleaning campaign, which focused on bringing attention the poor working conditions of retail cleaners.




The Inna Meiman Award is given in recognition of the friendship between Inna Meiman, a Soviet era Jewish refusenik who was repeatedly denied a visa to seek medical treatment and Lisa Paul a graduate of the University of Minnesota, who fought tirelessly on her behalf, including a 25-day hunger strike that galvanized a movement for Inna's freedom. The friendship between Paul and Meiman is memorialized in the book, Swimming in the Daylight: An American Student, a Soviet-Jewish Dissident, and the Gift of Hope.
The Sullivan Ballou Award is named after Major Sullivan Ballou, an Army soldier killed at the First Battle of Bull Run in 1861. Ballou became the inspiration for this award because of the heartfelt commitment he expressed in a letter to his wife before the battle. The award carries on Ballou's spirit by honoring a student who acts from the heart and devotes heartfelt energy to those around them.
The celebration is hosted by the Human Rights Program in the Institute for Global Studies and the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at the University of Minnesota.

Now Accepting Nominations for 3rd Annual Inna Meiman Human Rights Award

The Human Rights Program and the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies
are pleased to announce The 3rd Annual Inna Meiman Human Rights Award.

Recognizing undergraduate students at the University of Minnesota who have made significant personal contributions in the promotion and protection of human rights.

This award will be given in recognition of the friendship between Inna Meiman, a Soviet era Jewish refusnik who was repeatedly denied a visa to seek medical treatment, and Lisa Paul, a graduate of the University of Minnesota who fought tirelessly on her behalf, including a 25-day hunger strike that galvanized a movement for Inna's freedom. The friendship between Lisa Paul and Inna Meiman is memorialized in the book, Swimming in the Daylight: An American Student, a Soviet-Jewish Dissident, and the Gift of Hope.

The award is intended to recognize a University of Minnesota student who embodies a commitment to human rights. The Awardee will receive a $1,000 scholarship.

Nominations will be accepted through Friday, April 12, 2013 at 5:00 p.m.


Nomination Information
Eligibility:
The awards are open to all full-time undergraduate students at the University of Minnesota.
Criteria:
The student has demonstrated a personal commitment to the promotion and protection of international human rights through significant work on a human rights cause during their time as an undergraduate.
Through their efforts, the student has raised the visibility of a particular human rights issue among the University community or the broader public.
The student has made a positive difference in the life of others, and has given voice to those who might otherwise not be heard.
Nominations:
Nominators should submit a letter of 750 words or less describing the human rights activities undertaken by the nominee during his or her time as a student at the University of Minnesota and a CV of the student being nominated.
Students may be nominated by faculty, staff or other students at the University of Minnesota.
Self nominations must be accompanied by a letter of recommendation from faculty, staff, and students who can attest to the achievements.
Address and Deadline:
Letters should be submitted by email to the Human Rights Program, hrp@umn.edu, or delivered to the Human Rights
The nomination deadline is Friday, April 12, 2013 at 5:00 p.m.
Ceremony:
The Sullivan Ballou and Inna Meiman Award winners will be recognized publically at an event on May 3, 2013.

Summer Institute on Human Rights

Institute on Human Rights Education and Advocacy
July 18 - July 22, 2011
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Twin Cities,West Bank
Cost: $75

The Human Rights Program of the University of Minnesota is holding the institute to introduce participants to the theory and practice of international human rights in the world today.


This institute is available to K-12 educators, community college faculty, educational administrators, and individuals seeking training in human rights advocacy. Advance registration is required.
This institute is designed to introduce participants to the theory and practice of international human rights in the world today. The course will first provide an overview of the international laws that define human rights and the mechanisms designed to enforce human rights, and will analyze some contemporary issues in human rights. During the second part of the institute, participants will engage directly in applying human rights concepts and strategies to their work as advocates or as educators. These advocacy sessions will use tactical mapping to visualize the systemic causes of human rights violations and then design strategic approaches to prevent violations.
Additional instructors include Professor Karina Ansolabere, Academic Secretary of the Faculty of Social Sciences in Mexico, and Nancy Pearson, Program Director of New Tactics, a project of the Center for Victims of Torture.
All programs will be held on the West Bank of the University of Minnesota. Information regarding the location, parking, and materials will be mailed to registered participants two weeks prior to the start of the institute.
Teachers from outside the Minneapolis-St Paul metro area are eligible to stay in on-campus housing. Each institute has a limited number of housing scholarship available to teachers on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact Molly McCoy at mccoy019@umn.edu for application.

Calling for Nominations for Inna Meiman Human Rights Award!

The Human Rights Program and the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies
are pleased to announce

The Inna Meiman Human Rights Award
Recognizing students at the University of Minnesota who have made significant personal contributions in the promotion and protection of human rights

This award will be given in recognition of the friendship between Inna Meiman, a Soviet era Jewish refusnik who was repeatedly denied a visa to seek medical treatment, and Lisa Paul, a graduate of the University of Minnesota who fought tirelessly on her behalf, including a 25-day hunger strike that galvanized a movement for Inna's freedom. The friendship between Lisa Paul and Inna Meiman is memorialized in the book, Swimming in the Daylight: An American Student, a Soviet-Jewish Dissident, and the Gift of Hope.The award is intended to recognize a University of Minnesota student who embodies a commitment to human rights. The Awardee will receive a $1000 scholarship.

Nominations will be accepted through Friday, March 4, 2011 at 5:00 p.m.


Inna Meiman Award Criteria
Eligibility
The awards are open to all full-time undergraduate students at the University of Minnesota.
Criteria
The student has demonstrated a personal commitment to the promotion and protection of international human rights through significant work on a human rights cause during their time as an undergraduate;
Through their efforts, the student has raised the visibility of a particular human rights issue among the University community or the broader public;
The student has made a positive difference in the life of others, and has given voice to those who might otherwise not be heard.
Nominations
Nominators should submit a letter of 500 words or less describing the human rights activities undertaken by the nominee during his or her time as a student at the University of Minnesota.
Students may be nominated by faculty, staff or other students at the University of Minnesota.
Self nominations must be accompanied by a letter of recommendation from faculty, staff, and students who can attest to the achievements.
Address and Deadline
Letters should be submitted by email to the Human Rights Program, hrp@umn.edu, or delivered to the Human Rights Program, 214 Social Sciences Building, 267 19th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55455.
The nomination deadline is Friday, March 4 at 5:00 p.m.
Judging
The judging committee will consist of the staffs of the Human Rights Program, the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies and author, Lisa Paul.
Ceremony
The Inna Meiman Award winner will be recognized at an event featuring Lisa Paul, on Friday, March 10, 2011 from noon till 2:00 p.m. in 609 Social Sciences Building. The Award winner will be notified ahead of time.