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September 2013

"Advocacy for Policy Change" course featured in Brandeis University website video (9/6)
Students in the course Advocacy for Policy Change (LGLS 161b), the centerpiece of an Ethics Center initiative were featured in a Brandeis University website video, "Advocacy for Policy Change: From classroom to courtroom." Read more and view the video.

August 2013

2012 Sorensen Fellow Andrea Verdeja '14 recipient of the Elise Boulding Award from the American Sociological Society (8/13)
Sorensen Fellow Alum Andrea Verdeja '14 is the 2013 undergraduate recipient of the Elise Boulding Award, of the Peace, War and Social Conflict section of the American Sociological Society. The award is presented annually in recognition of an outstanding paper to one undergraduate student and one graduate student. Andrea's winning paper on Palestinian refugees in the West Bank may be found in the 2012 Sorensen Anthology. 

Thoughts from a "Sorensen Summer" (8/9)
The 2013 Sorensen Fellows spent eight weeks “in the field” this summer, interning with organizations working on political advocacy, ethnic tolerance, education, healthcare, and social and economic development. They return to Brandeis in the fall to process their experiences in the seminar “Internship in Peace, Conflict and Coexistence Studies.” As these reflections and anecdotes reveal, their experiences have been, in turns confusing, thought-provoking, inspiring, challenging, impactful, and more. Read about their summers here.

July 2013

Freedom of Expression: A public conversation in Malmö, Sweden (7/31)
As part of the events associated with the 9th Brandeis Institute for International Judges, the Center hosted a public event in Malmö, Sweden discussing the complexities of freedom of expression in a world where that expression can and does play a role in inciting violence. The evening featured experts in the fields of human rights law, philosophy, and journalism. Read more about the event here.

The International Rule of Law in a Human Rights Era: the 9th Brandeis Institute for International Judges (7/28 - 7/31)
16 judges from 13 judicial institutions, including international courts and tribunals addressing the violation of human rights by states world-wide as well as those resolving disputes between states on a global and regional level, met in Lund, Sweden for the 9th annual Brandeis Institute for International Judges. Read more about the only such regular gathering of international courts and tribunals across the globe. 

Center Convenes Second Global Judicial Colloquium in Partnership with Faculty of Law at University of Haifa (7/21)
Following the success of the first Global Judicial Colloquium in 2012, 22 participants hailing from myriad jurisdictions and representing countries across the globe gathered for discussion and examination of the role of international courts and tribunals in domestic courts and jurisprudence. Judge Fausto Pocar, of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, and Daniel Terris, Director of the International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life at Brandeis University, led the sessions. Read more about the 2013 colloquium here. 

June 2013

Sorensen Fellowship Alumni Awarded Fellowships (6/10)
Congratulations to Aaron Voldman '09 and Andrew Slack '02 on receiving prestigious fellowships! Aaron received the Dorot Fellowship, which seeks to enliven the American Jewish community by supporting its future leaders; Aaron, a 2008 Sorensen Fellow, will be spending part of the year in Israel as well as volunteering and learning about current Israeli issues, Jewish learning, and intensive Hebrew. Andrew received the Nathan Cummings Fellowship, which furnishes Fellows with the seed money and office space "to turn an inspired idea into a game-changing reality." Andrew, a 2000 Sorensen Fellow, will be taking the model of fan activism he has implemented with his organization the Harry Potter Alliance to the next level with the "Imagine Better" initiative, which aims to harness the creative energy of fans activists of all popular culture to enact social justice change. 

Ethics Center International Advisory Board welcomes three new members (6/7)
The International Advisory Board to the Ethics Center welcomes three new members: Zia Mody (India), John Shattuck (Hungary), and Prince Zeid Ra'ad Zeid Al-Hussein (Jordan). Read more about these exceptional individuals here.

Ethics Center Director Dan Terris joins President Lawrence at the admission of alumni to the Bar of the Supreme Court Of the United States (6/6)
Brandeis University President Frederick Lawrence was joined by Dan Terris, Director of the Ethics Center, at the session admitting Brandeis University alumni to the bar of the Supreme Court of the United States. President Lawrence presented the motion for their admission to the bar, and the Brandeis group was joined by Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Ginsburg after this session admitting them to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States. Read more about the session in President Lawrence's blog post.

Cindy Cohen, Director of Programs in Peacebuilding and the Arts, honored with award (6/5)
Cindy Cohen, director of programs in peacebuilding and the arts, was honored on June 5, 2013 by Medicine Wheel Productions for her global leadership in engaging artists to work for social change. Medicine Wheel's founder and director, Michael Dowling, spoke about Cohen's choice as a 2013 "Medicine Woman" and about how Cohen's work had influenced his own efforts long before he met her. The award follows close on the heels of the profile of Cindy Cohen in the May/June 2013 issue of American Theater. 

May 2013

Visiting Distinguished Lecturer Prince Zeid featured in Spring 2013 Brandeis Magazine (5/31)
Ethics Center Director Daniel Terris's reflection on the Distinguished Lecture in International Justice and Human Rights given by Prince Zeid Ra'ad Zeid Al-Hussein in January has been featured in Brandeis Magazine. Read more about Prince Zeid's visit, view video and photos from the event, and read the full text of his remarks here.

'DEIS Impact recognized at the 62nd Commencement (5/19) 
Both President Lawrence and the featured student speaker Ellyn Getz referenced the annual festival of social justice. Read or view President Lawrence's address here, and Ellyn Getz's speech here. Read more press about 'DEIS Impact here.

Ethics Center celebrates its graduating seniors at "Uncommencement" 2013 (5/2)
At "UnCommencement" 2013 the Ethics Center celebrated the graduating seniors whose work has been an integral part of the Ethics Center during their time at Brandeis University: Yoni Battat, Jordan Birnbaum, Amanda Dryer, Alia Goldfarb, Ariana Hajmiragha, Ashraf Hussein, Sarah Johnson, Jessye Kass, Sarah G. Kim, Todd Kirkland, Rachael Koehler, Lijun Li, Mangaliso Mohammed, Gloria Park, Jackie Okanga, Suzanne Rothman, Aditya Sanyal, Aziz Sohail, Robyn Spector, Paul Sukijthamapan, Sarah Van Buren and Nusrath Yusuf. View photos from the event here.

Cindy Cohen, Director of Peacebuilding and the Arts, featured in "American Theater" (5/1)
The Ethics Center's own Cindy Cohen was featured in a recent article in the magazine "American Theater." The article profiles Cohen's passions in peacebuilding and the use of artistic medium to mediate and heal memories and experiences of suffering and violence. Her work with the Acting Together Anthology was highlighted in particular, as well as her ongoing efforts to engage and mobilize artists and communities. Read the article here.

April 2013

Advocacy for Policy Change: Present and Defend (4/30)
The students of Advocacy for Policy Change (LGLS 161b) presented the legal advocacy projects they developed over the course of the semester. Projects included working on legislation concerning homeless youth, comprehensive sex education, earned sick time, workers bill of rights, online voter registration, and coal-free energy. Read more on Facebook and view photos from the event here.

Sorensen Fellows and 'DEIS Impacters Honored with Commitment to Service Awards (4/29)
Congratulations to 2011 Sorensen Fellows Paul Sukijthamapan '13 and Sarah Van Buren '13, and 2013 'DEIS Impacters Sarah Johnson '13 and Amanda Dryer '13 for being honored with Commitment to Service Awards during Brandeis University's annual Celebration of Service!

2011 Sorensen Fellow quoted in New York Times (4/18)
Jessye Kass '13, member of the 2011 Sorensen Fellowship, was recently quoted at some length in the New York Times on her experience as a mid-year student and on her experiences in Ghana. She credits her second-semester admission as the catalyst for her engagement in the region and academic career. Read the entire article here.

PAX 89 student named Carnegie Junior Fellow (4/14)
Congratulations to Matt Kupfer '12, member of the fall 2010 PAX 89 class, for recently being awarded the Carnegie Junior Fellowship. Following a summer internship in Kyrgyzstan and a senior honors thesis on "Interethnic Conflict in Southern Kyrgyzstan" fueled by his time in the region, he has been living, learning, and reporting in St. Petersburg. Read his essay "Girl Power" from the 2010 PAX 89 anthology here. 

Bahrain/Brandeis: Ulafa'a Reconciliation Art Project Recasting Reconciliation through Culture and Arts (4/14 - 4/20)
From April 14th through 20th, ten young visual artists from Bahrain attended an intensive one-week training conducted by Cynthia Cohen, director of the Program in Peacebuilding and the Arts. These artists are part of the Ulafa'a Reconciliation Art Project, an initiative supported by the US Embassy in Bahrain in partnership with Bahraini artists and Brandeis University's Program in Peacebuilding and the Arts that aims to develop community-based art initiatives that strengthen relationships across differences. At Brandeis the Bahraini artists displayed their exhibition as part of the Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts, as well as participating in a presentation on the Ulafa'a project and engaging the community in an opening reception for the exhibition. Read more about their visit in The Hoot. Read more about their visit and the Brandeis/Bahrain partnership here.

Dr. Rosa Elena Bello now Mayor of San Juan del Sur (4/4)
2011 Distinguished Visiting Practitioner Dr. Rosa Elena Bello was elected Mayor of San Juan del Sur in November. She focused on proactive change from essentially the moment she was elected, meeting with police, judicial authorities, and other civil actors to discuss commercial sexual trafficking and exploitation. Information about her visit to Brandeis University, including photos and video, may be found here.

March 2013

Gideon at 50: The Future of the Right to Counsel (3/18)
A distinguished panel discussed the progress and unmet challenges of providing legal representation for those who can least afford it on the 50th anniversary of the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Gideon v. Wainwright. Panelists discussed both the significance of the 1963 decision, and how well the promise of Gideon is being met. Read a piece in BrandeisNOW discussing the event, as well as an article in The Justice. 

The Rule of Law Comes Home: Can the UN Live Up to Its Own High Standards? (3/11)
Members of the Ethics Center's International Advisory Board addressed the responsibilities of the United Nations with respect to redressing wrongs done by individuals and other members of the organization. Panelists discussed past and current debates, as well as potential future solutions. For more about the event, the panelists, and the issues discussed, as well as photos and video of the event, click here.

Brazil's Balancing Act: Reconciling the Demands of Economic Development, Environmental Protection and Indigenous Rights (3/5)
Experts from diverse fields – including economic development, international business, environmental protection, international law, human rights and indigenous rights – examined the intersecting interests and responsibilities of those working in often conflicting sectors, in this symposium. The event provided a forum for dialogue regarding how Brazil may best fulfill its obligations locally, nationally, and internationally. Read an article featured in BrandeisNOW, an International Business School article about the event, and an article in The Hoot. To learn more, click here. Watch the entire event here.

February 2013

2013 Sorensen Fellows Announced (2/20)
The Ethics Center announces the 2013 undergraduate Sorensen Fellows: Damiana Andonova '15, Cynthia Wangui Charchi '14, Hailey Magee '15, Nelly Schläfereit '15, Abie Troen '14, and Hannah Young '15.

'DEIS Impact! returns to campus (2/1 - 2/10)
The Ethics Center and the Student Union present the second annual weeklong "festival of social justice" at Brandeis. The festival features dozens of events by individuals, departments and clubs, as well as a keynote address by Eliza and Judy Dushku on February 6. They will address their work in the organization THRIVE-Gulu, as well as their social justice journeys, in their keynote address: "Uganda by Way of Hollywood & Boston: a Social Justice Journey." Read about 'DEIS Impact! in BrandeisNow; to read more about 'DEIS Impact! click here.

January 2013

Prince Zeid Ra'ad Zeid Al-Hussein at Brandeis (1/30)
In his visit to Brandeis University, Prince Zeid – Permanent Representative of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to the United Nations – delivered a Distinguished Lecture in International Justice and Human Rights, and participated in a discussion in conjunction with Professor Donald Ferencz, Co-founder and Executive Director of the Planethood Foundation. The discussion,  "Defining the Crime of Aggression," preceded his lecture "Beyond Nuremberg: The Future of International Criminal Justice." To read more about these individual events, click on the event titles. The full text of his speech was recently published by the Ethics Center, and can be read or downloaded here [PDF]. Prince Zeid's visit was featured in The Justice student newspaper. Read the article here.

Winter/Spring 2013 issue of Ethics Central now in print and online (1/21)
Read about the Center’s work from August through December 2012, and learn about new resources and events in the Winter/Spring issue of Ethics Central. Highlights include: Details on the peacebuilding explorations catalyzed by the Rose Art Museum exhibit "Dor Guez: 100 Steps to the Mediterranean" … The necessity and limits of compromise in politics … The release of the Advocacy for Policy Change annual publication … Details on an upcoming visit by 10 young visual artists from Bahrain in April, as part of the Ulafa'a reconciliation art project … Excerpts from Michel Noureddine Kassa's keynote address: "National Cohesion in Insecure States: Experiences from Africa" … An analysis of the relevance of Louis Brandeis to national and international law today by Brandeis Legal Studies Program director Richard Gaskins … and more. Now available [PDF].

'DEIS Impact! in the news (1/18)
The Boston Globe and the Watertown TAB newspaper both published features on the keynote speakers in the upcoming 'DEIS Impact! event: Eliza and Judy Dushku. Both articles featured the work the Dushkus will discuss in their keynote address, concerning their work with THRIVE-Gulu and social justice. Read more about the 'DEIS Impact! here, and about the keynote address (including ticket information) here.

Ethics Center News Archive