News Archives
2010-2011
Summer 2011 Fellowships Announced
Rapoport Center Press Release
June 7, 2011
Eight UT law students have been selected by the Bernard and Audre Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice as Rapoport Center Summer Fellows.
Negative effects of border fence studied
The Brownsville Herald
March 20, 2011
The U.S.-Mexico federal border fence negatively affects minorities disproportionately, a study recently published by Brownsville university professors found. The Rapoport Center Working Group on Human Rights and the Border Wall contributed to the study.
Human rights, art come together in Chilean film
The Daily Texan
March 8, 2011
Art and human rights converged Monday night at a film screening featuring Chilean political prisoners of the Pinochet dictatorship who looked to the stars as a way to preserve their inner freedom. The screening is the first event by the newly-created Human Rights and the Arts Working Group.
Sex trafficking talk explores global policy
The Daily Texan
February 9, 2011
Local feminist groups filtered transnational sex trafficking through an economic lens at a Tuesday lecture, providing local, national and global frameworks for the issue. The Center for Women's and Gender Studies and the Rapoport Center Research Cluster on Women, Gender, and Human Rights hosted the lecture.
Karen Engle, director of the Rapoport Center, releases new book on indigenous rights and international law
UTLaw Magazine
October 2010
Read an interview with Engle, Cecil D. Redford Professor in Law and director of the Bernard and Audre Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice, about her new book, The Elusive Promise of Indigenous Development: Rights, Culture, Strategy. The book was published in fall 2010 by Duke University Press.
Professor takes expertise overseas with workshop, book
Inside Our Campus
October 2010
After a week of teaching a full load, hosting a guest speaker, and attending numerous meetings with faculty and administrators across campus, University of Texas law professor and Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice director Karen Engle met me at her office in casual clothes, saying she was in need of a "blue jeans" day.
Professor Karen Engle receives Fulbright Specialist Grant
UTLaw Magazine
August 18, 2010
The United States Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board have selected University of Texas School of Law Professor Engle to receive a Fulbright Specialist grant for a project proposed by the Universidad de Los Andes in Bogotá, Colombia.
2009-2010
Clinical law UT professor Ariel Dulitzky appointed to UN council
The Daily Texan
July 6, 2010
The University announced Monday that a UT clinical law professor has been nominated to join a United Nations group to help ascertain the whereabouts and futures of people unwillingly detained by foreign governments.
Professor Ariel Dulitzky appointed to the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances
UTLaw Magazine
July 5, 2010
The United Nations Human Rights Council has endorsed the nomination of Ariel Dulitzky, a clinical law professor at the University of Texas School of Law, to a five-person Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances.
Opinion: Chile earthquake could deepen inequalities
By Ariel Dulitzky, director of the Human Rights Clinic
The University of Texas: Know
March 4, 2010
Looking at the images of the devastating earthquake in Chile, several questions come to mind.
Law school symposium explores how border walls affect liberties
The Daily Texan
February 26, 2010
Multidisciplinary professors from across the U.S. and around the world joined professors at the UT School of Law in a symposium about the building of walls and their effect on human rights.
The Beginning of a Movement
The University of Texas Feature Story
February 22, 2010
Artists engage in a cross-cultural dialogue through dance in Colombia.
UT to spotlight border walls, human rights
The Statesman
February 18, 2010
Do border walls and other barriers create more conflict than the crises they are meant to contain? What happens when walls, once fortified and relied upon, are torn down? Do the walls around gated communities — from Johannesburg to Los Angeles — function like border walls?
Danzas de la U. de Texas
El Universal
December 19, 2009
A las 5 de esta tarde en la sede del Colegio del Cuerpo (eCdC), en Getsemaní (Calle Larga # 10 –27), se llevarán a cabo dos ensayos abiertos al público de la obra Canción del cuerpo.
New Report Finds that Ecuador Fails to Protect the Land Rights of Afro-Ecuadorian Communities
Rapoport Center Press Release
November 10, 2009
The Bernard and Audre Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice has released a report documenting Ecuador's failures to protect the land rights of rural Afro-Ecuadorians guaranteed by the Ecuadorian constitution and international human rights law.
Activist discusses Congo violence
The Daily Texan
October 28, 2009
Despite peace treaties ending the Second Congo War in 2003, violence and the recruitment of child soldiers for militant groups persist in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, said a Congolese human rights activist Monday.
Human Rights Clinic at UT Law releases Abra Pampa report
(Spanish version)
October 28, 2009
Residents of Abra Pampa, Argentina, a poor and largely indigenous mining community near the Bolivian border, suffer dire mining-related health and environmental consequences, says the University of Texas School of Law Human Rights Clinic.
Kristine Huskey on Guantanamo
UT Law News and Events
October 19, 2009
UT law professor and Strauss fellow, Kristine A Huskey, will discuss her book--a memoir about her experiences representing Guantanamo detainees and her unconventional journey to finding her passion for human rights--and the future of Guantanamo and preventative detention. Audio
Sherief Gaber Awarded 2009 Audre Rapoport Prize
Rapoport Center Press Release
October 19, 2009
Sherief Gaber won the 5th Annual Audre Rapoport Prize for Scholarship on the Human Rights of Women, and $1,000, for his article, Verbal Abuse: Anti-Trafficking Rhetoric and Violence Against Women.
Rapoport Center Announces 2009–2010 Human Rights Scholars
Rapoport Center Press Release
October 8, 2009
Students Matthew Dunlap, Melvin Huang, Maka Hutson, and Brandon Hunter were selected by a committee of international law faculty on the basis of their academic credentials, leadership skills, and dedication to human rights work.
Rapoport Center Announces 3rd World AIDS Day Conference
Rapoport Center Press Release
October 6, 2009
This year's conference, entitled "HIV/AIDS: Human Rights, Archives, and Memory," will explore aspects of the global HIV/AIDS pandemic that concern issues of public memory, human rights, documentation, and representation.
2008-2009
- UT Law News and Events, April 13, 2009
Delegation returns from fact-finding trip on the human rights of Afro-Ecuadorians
Following intensive study of Afro-Ecuadorian history and contemporary political and economic struggles, the group conducted a week-long fact-finding trip from March 13, 2009, to March 22, 2009, in which the delegation traveled to Quito, Esmeraldas, and the Valle del Chota to meet with communities, non-governmental organizations, and government officials. - UT Law News and Events, April 9, 2009
UT Law launches Human Rights Clinic
The University of Texas School of Law has launched a new legal clinic, the Human Rights Clinic, to undertake cases and projects that illustrate the breadth of human rights practice, including fact finding, reporting, and press and other public advocacy.
- Rapoport Center Press Release, April 8, 2009
Rapoport Center Announces 9 Summer Fellowships
Students head to destinations as diverse as Beijing, Phnom Penh, Washington D.C. and Brasilia to work toward the enfranchisement of marginalized individuals and groups.
- Rapoport Center Press Release, April 7, 2009
UT Delegation Investigates Human Rights of Afro-Ecuadorians
The Bernard and Audre Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice recently sponsored a human rights delegation to Ecuador to investigate the present situation of rural Afro-Ecuadorian communities and their struggle to secure rights to land tenure, property and development. - The Daily Texan, March 30, 2009
Panelists highlight human-rights issues' future at conference
Five human rights leaders shared their experiences with University students and professors at the Texas Union’s Santa Rita Room on Sunday.
- Austin-American Statesman, March 29, 2009
Texas-Mexico border fence will hurt poor on both sides, UT panelists say
Some indigenous groups' way of life also will be threatened, researchers fear.
- The Daily Texan, March 27, 2009
Human rights conference tackles community issues
Organizers ask students to submit suggestions for fifth annual forum.
- UT Law News and Events, March 13, 2009
Rapoport Center announces fifth annual human rights conference
The Bernard and Audre Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice at the University of Texas School of Law will present its fifth annual conference, “Human Rights at UT: A Dialogue at the Intersection of Academics and Advocacy,” March 26 at Mezes Hall and March 27–28 at the Texas Union on the University of Texas campus.
- Public Citizen News Release, March 11, 2009
Federal Agencies Have Stymied Access To Records Showing Impact of Texas-Mexico Border Wall
Public Citizen Argues That Delays and Denials Violate Freedom of Information Act.
- UT Law News and Events, February 25, 2009
Human Rights Happy Hour: Susan Benesch to speak on “Song as Crime: the Prosecution of a Pop Star, and other New Cases on Incitement to Genocide”
Susan Benesch is Visiting Professor at the University of Baltimore School of Law, Dean's Visiting Scholar at Georgetown University Law Center, and Senior Legal Advisor at the Center for Justice and Accountability.
- UT Law News and Events, February 18, 2009
Rapoport Center forum, “Bringing Human Rights Home”
On February 21, veteran activists, international and criminal law attorneys, community leaders, and academics will come together at the University of Texas School of Law for an important conversation about the relevance of human rights as a tool for racial justice for African-Americans.
- UT Law News and Events, November 14, 2008
Human Rights Happy Hour: Philippe Sands to speak on “The Torture Team: International Criminal Liability for Lawyers?”
Philippe Sands is Professor of Law at the University College London, where he teaches public international law, the settlement of international disputes, and environmental and natural resources law. He is also the Director of the University's Center on International Courts and Tribunals, a member of the Center for Law and the Environment, and a key staff member for the Project on International Courts and Tribunals.
- UT Law News and Events, November 3, 2008
Human Rights Happy Hour: Helena Alviar to speak on “The Progressive Redistribution of Land in Latin America: Between Economic Development and Positivism”
Helena Alviar is Associate Professor and Director of the Doctorate and Master's in Law Programs at the Universidad de Los Andes in Bogotá, Colombia. She is also a researcher for the USAID-funded project, Improving Land Distribution in Colombia.
- The Daily Texan, October 23, 2008
U.S. defends border fence construction; UT group testifies at first U.S. defense on international stage
For the first time in an international forum, the U.S. government defended its decision to construct a border wall between Texas and Mexico. The University of Texas Working Group on Human Rights and the Border Wall testified Wednesday at a general hearing before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights that the wall violates human rights. A policy official from the Department of Homeland Security represented the U.S.
- The Daily Texan, October 21, 2008
UT group protests border fence; Commission to hear students' concerns in Washington, D.C.
A fence along the U.S.-Mexico border would trample on human rights and its construction should be halted, a group from the University of Texas will contend during the first international hearing on the issue Wednesday. Several students and faculty will present their concerns during the hearing in Washington before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, which is part of the Organization of American States.
- UT Law News and Events, October 20, 2008
Human Rights Happy Hour: Roberto Gargarella to speak on “The Philosophy of Punishment, Human Rights, and International Criminal Law”
Roberto Gargarella is a professor of Constitutional Theory and Political Philosophy at the Universidad de Buenos Aires and at the Universidad Torcuato Di Tella.
- The Daily Texan, October 7, 2008
Professor explores Eritrea
The U.S. Department of State should not label the African country Eritrea a rogue state, Boston lecturer Dan Connell said to an audience at the School of Law on Monday. Connell, a professor of African politics and journalism at Simmons College in Massachusetts, spoke to UT students and faculty about the current state of the Eritrean government.
- UT Law News and Events, October 3, 2008
Human Rights Happy Hour: Dan Connell to speak on “From Resistance to Governance: How the EPLF/PFDJ Experience Shapes Eritrea's Regional Strategy”
Dan Connell is a Distinguished Lecturer in Journalism and African Politics at Simmons College in Boston, MA. He received his B.A. in English from Hobart College and his Master's in English from the University at Buffalo. His previous experience includes working as a Middle East Projects Officer for Oxfam America, serving as Executive Director of Grassroots International, and reporting as an independent journalist and photographer.
- Rapoport Center Press Release , September 24, 2008
Brazil Fails to Protect the Rights of Afro-Brazilian Communities
The Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice at The University of Texas School of Law claimed today that Brazil is not guaranteeing the land rights of its Afro-Brazilian quilombo communities.
- UT Law News and Events, September 19, 2008
Human Rights Happy Hour: Lt. Daniel Blocq to speak on “UN Military Observers at Work”
Lt. Daniel Blocq, who just returned from a tour of duty as a UN peace-keeper in Darfur, will deliver a lecture entitled, “UN Military Observers at Work.” Blocq is a Lieutenant in the Royal Netherlands Navy and served as a UN Military Observer for the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS). During the six months that he spent in Sudan, Lt. Blocq gained considerable insight into the factors that affect the success of UN Missions.
- The Daily Texan, September 15, 2008
Horman widow donates papers to UT collection; Panel commemorates 35th anniversary of Chilean coup d'etat
Joyce Horman, who struggled to find her deceased husband in the aftermath of the 1973 Chilean coup d'etat, donated her archives to the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection on Friday. After storing the documents in her New York City apartment for years, Horman said she decided it was time to find a home for them.
- UT Law News and Events, August 20, 2008
Rapoport Center hosts film screening and panel discussions to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the Chilean coup
On September 11th and 12th, the Rapoport Center and the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection at UT Austin presented two screenings of the film Missing to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the Chilean coup d'etat and to honor the donation of Joyce Horman's archives to the Benson Collection.
- Roberto Gargarella: Judicial Impact on the Democratic Process
Rapoport Center Feature Story by Kate Hull, Fall 2008 Intern
During the Rapoport Center Human Rights Happy Hour on October 20th, Roberto Gargarella described possible ways in which the judiciary can help to further democratic values through inclusive lawmaking. Gargarella is a professor of constitutional theory and political philosophy at the Universidad de Buenos Aires and the Universidad Torcuato Di Tella in Argentina. - Progress and Repression: A Journalist's firsthand account of Eritrea's transformation during the struggle for independence
Rapoport Center Feature Story by Kate Hull, Fall 2008 Intern
Dan Connell is one of few westerners who has been able to witness and report the story of Eritrea's long struggle for political sovereignty. The story he tells begins in the 1970s with Eritrea's unique promise for a stable, multicultural society. But the current chapters portray the country as a single-party repressive government in constant conflict with Ethiopia and other neighbors. Read more. - UN Military Observer Reflects on His Experiences in Sudan
Rapoport Center Feature Story by Kate Hull, Fall 2008 Intern
Daniel Blocq sought to serve the Dutch military abroad and eventually ended up in Sudan. Selected by his government and the United Nations for a peacekeeping mission, he witnessed the dynamics of military operations and examined the role of individual military personnel on the ground. "I wanted to gain experience and I wanted to know what the military was doing, and what life was like for an officer," he said. "I…wanted to go on a mission. I asked if I could be sent out as a legal advisor, but that was not possible." Read more. - Commemorating the 35th Anniversary of the Chilean Coup: Remembering the Past, Affecting the Present
Rapoport Center Feature Story by Kate Hull, Fall 2008 Intern
Joyce Horman stares at the screen from the front row of Mezes auditorium watching the movie Missing in a room full of UT faculty and students. For the rest of the audience, the movie tells the story of injustices that should not be forgotten and the many lives that were forever changed by the Chilean coup d'etat. But Joyce is reliving a part of her life. Read more. - Rapoport Center Welcomes the First Associate Director for Academics
Rapoport Center Feature Story by Kate Hull, Fall 2008 Intern
The Rapoport Center is pleased to welcome Professor Daniel Brinks as the Center's first Associate Director for Academics. A long-time member of the Steering Committee and current Assistant Professor in the Department of Government at UT, Brinks has played a vital role in the growth and direction of the Center's academic programs and projects. Read more. - The Rapoport Center Welcomes Postgraduate Fellow for Two-Year Appointment
Rapoport Center Feature Story by Kate Hull, Fall 2008 Intern
The Bernard and Audre Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice is pleased to welcome Kaleema Haidera Al-Nur as the recipient of its 2008-2010 Postgraduate Fellowship in Human Rights. As the Postgraduate Fellow, Kaleema will organize a number of the Center's advocacy and outreach projects, including the fact-finding delegation to Ecuador over spring break to investigate the land rights of Afro-descendant communities. Read more. - UT Undergraduate Interns Gain Valuable Human Rights Experience at the Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice
Rapoport Center Feature Story by Kate Hull, Fall 2008 Intern
The Bernard and Audre Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice at the University of Texas School of Law is pleased to welcome five undergraduate interns for the 2008 fall semester: seniors Katy Yang, Aasha Rajani and Vanessa Toufaily; junior Kate Hull; and sophomore Ximena Gonzales. The interns were chosen based on their academic credentials, background, and interest in community outreach and human rights. Read more. - Rapoport Center Announces 2008–2009 Human Rights Scholars
Rapoport Center Feature Story by Kate Hull, Fall 2008 Intern
Second-year law students Mario Franke, Bridgett Mayeux and Kelly Stephenson were selected by a committee of international law faculty on the basis of their academic credentials, leadership skills, and dedication to human rights work. Each of the students will receive a scholarship. In addition, the Teresa Lozano Long Institute for Latin American Studies (LLILAS) has named first year Master's student, Emily Spangenberg, as a LLILAS-Rapoport Fellow, who will work along-side the scholars. Read more.
2007-2008
- Rapoport Center Feature Story, Summer 2008
2007-2008 Undergraduate Interns Help Expand Rapoport Center’s Reach
Rapoport Center Press Release, Spring 2008
Rapoport Center Announces 13 Summer Fellowships for 2008 - UT Law News and Events, April 10, 2008:
Rapoport Center hosts conference on El Salvador’s Civil War - UT Law News and Events, March 28, 2008:
Rapoport Center leads UT delegation to Brazil during Spring Break to study Afro-descendant land rights - Rapoport Center Feature Story, March 2008:
UT Delegation on Afro-Descendant Land Rights Returns from Brazil - Instituto de Terras do Estado de São Paulo (ITESP Online), Edição nº 54, March 22, 2008:
Notas: Visita de estudantes americanos ao Itesp (Portuguese) - Ministry of Culture, Fundação Cultural Palmares, March 12, 2008:
Estudantes norte-americanos pesquisam quilombolas (Portuguese) - Jornal da PUC , March 11, 2008:
Quilombos, direitos humanos e a questão racial no Brasil (Portuguese) - The Daily Texan Online, February 6, 2008:
Web Exclusive: Alvaro Restrepo - Rapoport Center-PAC Joint Press Release, January 29, 2008:
Álvaro Restrepo in Residence - UT Law News & Events, November 5, 2007:
UT Law Welcomes Ariel Dulitzky - The Daily Texan, October 18, 2007:
Center Hosts Former Secretary of Inter-American Justice Court - UT Law News & Events, October 15, 2007:
Rapoport Center Announces 2007–2008 Human Rights Scholars
2006–07
- UT Law News & Events, July 17, 2007:
Rapoport Center Announces: ''The Papers'' of George Lister now available on-line - UT Law News & Events, March 30, 2007:
Students Return from Colombia Fact-Finding Trip on Afrodescendant Rights - UT Law News & Events, November 1, 2006:
U.S. Senator Tom Harkin, Policy Makers, and Scholars to Discuss Human Rights and U.S. Foreign Policy, Dec. 1-2 - UT Law News & Events, October 4, 2006:
Rapoport Center Announces Human Rights Scholars for 2006-2007 - UT Law News & Events, October 3, 2006:
Rapoport Center Presents Guantánamo Multi-Media Event, Oct. 5 - UT Law News & Events, September 22, 2006:
International Lawyer to Speak at UT Law about Bosnian Genocide Case, Sept. 25
2005–06
- UT Law News & Events, April 27, 2006:
Student Writing Competition on the Human Rights of Women - UT Law News & Events, April 11, 2006:
Rapoport Center Announces 10 Summer Fellowships - The Daily Texan, April 7, 2006:
Panel criticizes U.S. government, alleges prisoner mistreatment - UT Law News & Events, March 1, 2006:
Rapoport Center Receives UT Grant to Explore Life and Legacy of Diplomat George Lister - The Daily Texan, November 7, 2005:
Candidate for U.N. secretary-general speaks on campus - UT Law News & Events, October 26, 2005:
Representing Culture, Translating Human Rights - UT Law News & Events, October 7, 2005:
Human Rights Focus: Guest Speaker Susan Marks Calls for Defusing of "Ticking Bomb" Myth - UT Law News & Events, September 29, 2005:
Rapoport Center Selects Five Human Rights Scholars - University of Texas Libraries News, August 2005:
Papers of Diplomat George Lister Come to The University of Texas at Austin
2004–2005
- UT Law News & Events, April 11, 2005:
UT Law's Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice Awards First Summer Fellowships - UT Law News & Events, September 21, 2004:
UT Law Announces First Human Rights Scholars - UT Law News & Events, June 7, 2004:
UT Law Receives $500,000 Grant from Rapoport Foundation to Create Human Rights Initiative, Transnational Worker Rights Clinic