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Why Egypt Matters: Important Reportback from Egypt
July 10, 2012, 7 pm EST
33 West 14th St
New York, NY
U.S. Lawyers and Activists Return from
Fact-Finding Mission to Egypt
Join us for: An updated analysis on one of
the most important people's movements of our time.
Followed by: A Strategy Session: Building a Global Solidarity Movement
Puerto Rico's Police Department Practices
November 15, 2011, 6:30 pm
NY County Surrogates Court Rm 503
31 Chambers St
NYC
The Puerto Rican Bar Association, CUNY's Center on Latino and Latina Rights and Equality (CLORE) and the National Lawyers Guild International Committee invite you to a panel discussion looking at Puerto Rican policing and the recent Department of Justice Report..
WORKSHOP: DECOLONIZATION OF INDIGENOUS AMERICA
October 14, 2011, 10 am
NLG Convention
Philadelphia, PA
This workshop, presented by the Indigenous Peoples' Rights Committee, will address the continuing US colonial occupation of Native American and Hawaiian nations and peoples.
WORKSHOP: SNAKE OIL - THE CORPORATE SHAM OF NUCLEAR POWER, NATURAL GAS, AND CARBON TRADES AS SOLUTIONS FOR CLIMATE CHANGE
October 14, 2011, 8:30 am
NLG Convention
Philadelphia, PA
This workshop, sponsored by the Environmental Human Rights Committee, with the Environmental Justice Committee, will focus on corporate profiteering off the global climate change catastrophe caused by our addiction to oil pushed by the same profiteering transnational energy corporations.
Forum: War Crimes and other Violations of International Law against Africans
July 27, 2011, 6:30 pm
Harlem State Office Bldg Gallery
163 West 125th Street
New York City, NY
As the August 13th Millions March in Harlem against the attack on Africa and African people draws near, prominent legal minds have come together to hold a forum.
Reception for Agent Orange Justice Campaign
July 26, 2011, 6:30 pm
Church Center for the United Nations
777 U.N. Plaza (44th Street) 8th Floor
New York City, NY
On the 50th anniversary of the first use of Agent Orange by U.S. forces in Vietnam...You are invited to attend a reception to learn about the campaign for justice and to raise funds for Vietnam’s victims of Agent Orange
Colombia Delegation Congressional Briefing
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July 22, 2011, 11 am
House Cannon Building
Washington, DC
NLG Colombia Delegation Report-Back and Congressional Briefing on Labor and Human Rights Situation in Colombia as Congress Prepares to Consider the Colombia-US FREE TRADE AGREEMENT
Report Back: Tunisia with Azadeh Shahshahani
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June 20, 2011, 12:30 pm
1st Floor Conference Room
14 Beacon Street
Boston, MA
Rally to Return to Palestine
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May 15, 2011, 1 pm
Dag Hammarskjold Plaza
47th St and 1st Ave
New York City, NY
We are calling on the Palestinian and Arab communities in the US and our allies to rally at the United Nations in New York at 1 pm at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza (47th and First Avenue) on Sunday, May 15th, in support of the Right of Return and the actions taken on that day by refugees themselves.
Report Back from Tunisia
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May 13, 2011, 12 pm PDT
Multnomah County Courthouse, Room 226, Judge Wyatt Courtroom
1021 SW 4th Ave.
Portland, OR
Please join us for a lunch-time discussion of these issues and the findings of this delegation.
Report Back: Tunisia with Azadeh Shahshahani
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April 28, 2011, 7 pm EST
Phillip Rush Center
1530 Dekalb Avenue, Ste A
Atlanta, GA
"Impunity and the Egyptian Revolution"- A Presentation by Egyptian Human Rights Lawyer Gamal Eid
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April 22, 2011, 7 pm
NYU Law School, Room 216 (Vanderbilt Hall)
40 Washington Square South
New York, NY
"South of the Border" Screening
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April 8, 2011, 7 pm
MICA, Brown Center, Room 320
1301 W. Mount Royal Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21217
Free, public screening of Oliver Stone's documentary "South of the Border" at the Maryland Institute College of Art, with special guest Mark Weisbrot, co-author of the film's script.
FBI Raids and Grand Jury Repression
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April 2, 2011, 2:30 pm EST
Panel at NLG Southern Regional Conference
Jubilee Community Church, 46 Wall Street
Asheville, NC 28801
Speakers:
Peter Gilbert – Lawyer with NLG
Azadeh Shahshahani – ACLU of Georgia
Tom Burke – Subpoenaed Solidarity Activist
Litigating Palestine: Can Courts Secure Palestinian Rights?
March 25, 2011, 3 pm PST - March 26, 2011, 5 pm PST
University of California, Hastings College of the Law
200 McAllister Alumni Reception Center
San Francisco, CA
he objective of this one-and-a-half day conference is to critically evaluate the strategies, limitations, successes and failures of efforts to vindicate Palestinian rights in a variety of different court systems in the United States and abroad. This topic is one of both practical and academic significance. As a practical matter, those considering avenues for advancing Palestinian rights need to make strategic judgments about where to invest resources, and whether, in particular, law suits make sense as a tool for justice or not. Examining litigation in support of Palestinian rights in a variety of different legal environments should also yield insight on the conditions under which courts can serve the struggles of politically disempowered groups to achieve justice, and thus contribute to broader theoretical discussions as well. The conference will bring together leading academics and practitioners of diverse backgrounds and experiences, and will be the first of its kind to be held in the United States.
HUMAN RIGHTS 101: Using International Instruments to Work for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
January 31, 2011, 2 pm - January 31, 2011, 4 pm
Online Webinar
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/932576686
Featuring JEANNE MIRER, President, International Association of Democratic Lawyers and Co-Chair, International Committee, National Lawyers Guild
Peter Erlinder Tour in Pittsburgh
January 29, 2011, 6:30 pm
University of Pittsburgh Law School
Pittsburgh, PA
Peter Erlinder Tour at Brecht Forum
January 28, 2011, 7:30 pm
Brecht Forum
451 West St
New York City, NY
International Justice in Central Africa: U.S. Policy and the Politics of the U.N. Tribunal for Rwanda
January 27, 2011, 6 pm - January 27, 2011, 8 pm
Fordham University School of Law Auditorium
140 W. 62nd St
New York City, NY
In May 2010, Peter Erlinder, law professor at William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, MN. was imprisoned in Rwanda...
Peter Erlinder Tour in Philadelphia
January 26, 2011, 12 pm
Temple University Law School
Klein Law Library, Room K2B
Philadelphia, PA
Peter Erlinder Tour at U. Penn
January 26, 2011, 5:30 pm
University of Pennsylvania Law School
Room S-245 A
Philadelphia, PA
International Justice in Central Africa: U.S. Policy and the Politics of the U.N. Tribunal for Rwanda with Peter Erlinder
January 24, 2011, 4 pm - January 0, 2011
George Washington University Law School
Lower Lerner Room 102
Washington, DC
Prof. Peter Erlinder, former Guild President, was recently imprisoned in Rwanda for his legal work. He is currently engaged in a Mid-Atlantic tour, discussing the role of U.S. influence over international judicial bodies and the effects on the people of Central Africa, in particular.
Webinar: International Solidarity Activism in the Era of HLP v Holder
November 17, 2010, 2 pm - November 0, 2010
Online
Join the NLG International Committee and Shayana Kadidal, Senior Managing Attorney, Center for Constitutional Rights for a webinar on November 17 about the issues raised by the Holder decision and its implications for international solidarity activists, as well as the work to challenge repression.
NYC/NJ Premiere of Award-Winning Film "Dukot" (Disappeared)
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October 22, 2010, 6:30 pm - October 24, 2010, 6:30
New York City and Hoboken, NJ
Initially banned by the Philippine government in 2009, DUKOT is the story of a young activist couple (played by Philippine stars Iza Calzado and Allen Dizon) abducted and tortured in the Philippines by state security forces. Veteran film and television actress, Gina Alajar, plays an apolitical mother who slowly awakens to the reality of human rights violations after her daughter is kidnapped.
Major Panel: Race, Corporate Interests, and the Politics of the U.S. Immigration System: Is a True Alternative Possible?
September 26, 2010, 10:30 am - September 26, 2010, 12 pm
Monteleone Hotel
National Lawyers Guild Annual Convention
New Orleans, LA
Moderator:Azadeh Shahshahani, NLG International Committee Co-Chair; Southern Regional Vice President
Panelists:
Amna Akbar, Clinical Fellow, International Human Rights Clinic, NYU Law School
Natsu Saito, Professor; Georgia State University College of Law
Steve Forester, Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti Stop Deportations Now! Campaign
Representative, New Orleans Workers' Center for Racial Justice
Task Force on The Americas Breakfast Meeting
September 26, 2010, 8 - September 0, 2010
Monteleone Hotel
National Lawyers Guild Annual Convention
New Orleans, LA
Join the Task Force on the Americas for its annual breakfast meeting at the NLG Convention to discuss task force work for the coming year.
Workshop: Labor Crisis in Mexico & a Progressive Legal Response
September 25, 2010, 5 pm - September 25, 2010, 6:15 pm
Monteleone Hotel
National Lawyers Guild Annual Convention
New Orleans, LA
Workshop: Legal & Strategic Tools to Advance the BDS Movement
September 25, 2010, 3:15 pm - September 25, 2010, 4:45 pm
Monteleone Hotel
National Lawyers Guild Annual Convention
New Orleans, LA
Thinking Outside the Box 47 Years After Dombrowski: Creative Legal Strategy
September 25, 2010, 3:15 pm - September 0, 2010, 4:45 pm
River Room, Monteleone Hotel
National Lawyers Guild Annual Convention
New Orleans, LA
What is the role and/or importance of Academic and Cultural Boycotts in the BDS Movement?
September 25, 2010, 12 pm - September 25, 2010, 1 pm
Monteleone Hotel
National Lawyers Guild Annual Convention
New Orleans, LA
Torture Working Group: Accountability for Human Rights Abuses in the War on Terrorism: The Next Generation of Litigation and Advocacy
September 24, 2010, 7 pm - September 24, 2010, 8 pm
Monteleone Hotel
National Lawyers Guild Annual Convention
New Orleans, LA
International Environmental Human Rights presentation and discussion
September 24, 2010, 6:45 pm - September 24, 2010, 8 pm
Monteleone Hotel
National Lawyers Guild Annual Convention
New Orleans, LA
International Committee Reception
September 24, 2010, 5:30 pm - September 24, 2010, 7 pm
Monteleone Hotel
National Lawyers Guild Annual Convention
New Orleans, LA
Workshop: Housing as a Human Right
September 24, 2010, 1:30 pm - September 24, 2010, 2:45 pm
Monteleone Hotel
National Lawyers Guild Annual Convention
New Orleans, LA
Indigenous Peoples Meeting
September 24, 2010, 12 pm - September 0, 2010, 1 pm
River View Room, Monteleone Hotel
National Lawyers Guild Annual Convention
New Orleans, LA
Legal and Political Responses to Israel's Attack of the Freedom Flotilla
September 24, 2010, 8:30 am - September 24, 2010, 9:45 am
Monteleone Hotel
National Lawyers Guild Annual Convention
New Orleans, LA
Katrina Lessons Learned: Building Haiti Back More Justly
September 24, 2010, 8:30 am - September 24, 2010, 9:45 am
Monteleone Hotel
National Lawyers Guild Annual Convention
New Orleans, LA
Workshop: Puerto Rico – Our Biggest & Best Colony/Sovereignty
September 24, 2010, 8:30 am - September 24, 2010, 9:45 am
Monteleone Hotel
National Lawyers Guild Annual Convention
New Orleans, LA
Iran Subcommittee Meeting
September 23, 2010, 3 pm - September 23, 2010, 4 pm
Monteleone Hotel
National Lawyers Guild Annual Convention
New Orleans, LA
The Iran Subcommittee meeting will discuss past work and delegations and plan for future work of the Iran subcommittee.
International Committee Annual Meeting
September 23, 2010, 9:30 am - September 23, 2010, 3 pm
Monteleone Hotel
National Lawyers Guild Annual Convention
New Orleans, LA
The annual International Committee meeting will include a morning business meeting, discussion of all International Committee business, and an afternoon discussion led by IC member Steven Goldberg, discussing international work on "national security" issues in the era of HLP v. Holder.
INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE DISCUSSION: Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project
September 23, 2010, 1 pm - September 23, 2010, 3 pm
Iberville Room, Monteleone Hotel
National Lawyers Guild Annual Convention
New Orleans, LA
This event will be facilitated by IC member Steven Goldberg.
On June 21, 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project, upholding the applicability of the criminal "material support" statute (18 U.S.C. 2339B) to a group which sought to train members of a State Department designated terrorist organization to use international law peacefully. As noted by David Cole, for the first time in its history, the Supreme Court ruled "that speech advocating only lawful, nonviolent activity can be subject to criminal penalty, even where the speakers’ intent is to discourage resort to violence." (See Cole article on The New York Review of Books blog: www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog/2010/jun/28/roberts-courts-free-speech-problem/).
The implications of the Holder decision to many of our clients, to organizations whose political work we support, and indeed to each of us if we provide legal assistance to such designated terrorist organizations – are dramatic and chilling. During oral argument, now Justice Elena Kagan, arguing for the Obama administration, stated that even advising such organizations how to file an amicus brief could be considered expert advice or assistance in violation of the material support law.
On September 23rd, during the afternoon meeting of the International Committee at the Guild Convention beginning at 1:00 p.m., we will discuss some of these critical issues.
· What is the meaning of the Holder decision? Is there a way to narrow the implications of the Court’s holding?
· Although Holder specifically applies to the material support statute, can it be applied to other statutes where the government similarly designates organizations, and individuals, as terrorists? Under the material support law, the Secretary of State has designated some 45 organizations as "foreign terrorist organizations." However, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) within the Treasury Department has published a list of organizations and individuals designated as terrorist which runs to over 461 pages, under a variety of similar federal laws such as the International Economic Embargo Powers Act. See the Global Terrorism Sanctions Regulations (31 CFR Part 594), the Terrorism Sanctions Regulations (31 CFR part 595). Does Holder apply to these designated organizations?
· What kind of aid is prohibited? As the Court discusses in Holder, material support is broadly defined to include services, expert advice and assistance, personnel and training.
· The government has taken the position that transactions with the designated groups and individuals, as well as persons or entities owned or controlled by or acting on behalf of a designated terrorist organization, are covered even if not specifically listed. How broadly can/will Holder be applied?
· Clearly, aid to Hamas, for example, or to schools or other entities controlled by Hamas, would be illegal under Holder. But since Hamas is the government in Gaza, what if a business, a non-profit, a school, a day care center is not controlled by Hamas, but needs a license issued by the Hamas-controlled government to operate. Would support of those entities be illegal under Holder?
After discussing the meaning of Holder, our hope is to discuss legal strategies for limiting the decision, possible legislative strategies, and how the Guild organizationally should be working with other groups and NGOs affected by the Court’s decision.
Obviously, there is much to discuss in a meeting which will run no longer than 2 hours. In order for the discussion to be as fruitful as possible, we are asking that those attending this discussion will have read the Holder decision which is attached. Also attached is a blog piece written by Shane Kadidal from CCR. Finally, listed below are various other links which may be useful.
We hope as many of you will attend this discussion as possible, and bring specific examples of the impact of Holder on groups you represent or work with.
We look forward to seeing you in New Orleans.
References
Amicus brief filed on behalf of peace groups:
http://ccrjustice.org/files/HLP/Holder_v._HLP_ACLU_amicus_brief_on_behalf_of_peace_groups.pdf
All of the briefs in the case:
http://ccrjustice.org/holder-v-humanitarian-law-project
Supreme Court Blog
http://www.scotusblog.com/2010/06/analysis-partial-u-s-victory-on-terrorism/
Editorials and articles:
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/21/AR2010062104267.html
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/22/opinion/22tue1.html?scp=2&sq=humanitarian%20%20law%20project&st=cse
Wall Street Journal article
http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2010/06/21/supreme-court-upholds-controversial-terror-law/?KEYWORDS=humanitarian+law+project
LA Times
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-court-terror-20100622,0,5090110.story
Related websites:
Humanitarian Law Project
http://hlp.home.igc.org/
Charity and Security Network
http://www.charityandsecurity.org/litigation/Humanitarian_Law_Project
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Free Palestine Subcommittee Meeting
September 23, 2010, 4 pm - September 0, 2010
Monteleone Hotel
National Lawyers Guild Annual Convention
New Orleans, LA
The Free Palestine Subcommittee meeting will review ongoing FPSC work, including BDS work, and plan for future actions, delegations and activities.
URGENT: Call tomorrow (6/1/10) on behalf of Prof. Peter Erlinder
June 1, 2010 - June 0, 2010
Friends:
Tomorrow US government offices will re-open and we need your help calling... EVERYONE! The US and Rwanda need to know many, many people are paying attention and our pressure will not decrease- it will only grow! Below is a list of numbers to call and a sample script, of course feel free edit or use as a jumping off point.
Thank you again and please call, call, call!!
IC Committee Meets at Seattle Convention
October 15, 2009 - October 15, 2009
Business Meeting and Commtitee Reports - 9- 12:30
ROUNDTABLE discussion from 1-3 on
the role of Political Activism in our providing expert international law advise. How do you provide objective legal analysis like the Gaza White Paper and still support social justice movements. A key "Lists of Considerations" to guide such important work wil be developed.
NLG NATIONAL CONVENTION
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October 14, 2009 - October 18, 2009
Marrott Renaissance Seattle Hotel
515 Madison St
Seattle, Washington
International Committee Winter Retreat - Organizing for the 21st Century
February 21, 2009, 9 am PST - February 22, 2009, 12 pm PST
Peace Center Building
8124 West 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90048
Emphasis will be on building membership and participation, technological tools to expand outreach and ways to more effectively use the media, involve law students, and build coalitions.
Download:
EMERGENCY DELEGATION TO GAZA
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| El noor UN school in Gaza |
January 29, 2009 - February 11, 2009
Israel’s recent invasion of the Gaza Strip has killed over 1300 Gazans and wounded over 5000. Reports have emerged of Israeli forces bulldozing homes, firing on ambulances, and shelling United Nations sites in addition to mosques, schools and other civilian structures.
The Mission of this delegation is to investigate and gather evidence of possible Israeli war crimes and human rights violations in Gaza.
Gaza Delegation Application
Beirut International Forum for Resistance, Anti-Imperialism, People's Solidarity, and Alternatives
January 16, 2009 - January 18, 2009
Beirut, Lebanon
International Forum in UNESCO Palace
Beirut, Lebanon
This forum of six workshops aims to coordinate the elaboration of mechanisms to support the resistance and expand it to the greatest extent possible, work on establishing practical alternatives through solidarity among peoples, and seek to promote and develop alternative policies and visions of Anti-Imperialism.
Join us!
This is an exciting time to be involved in the Guild’s international work. JOIN US! International Committee dues are only $25 a year! ($15 for students)
How to Join
Support our work
Donations to the International Committee are greatly appreciated!
"Your interest and support has been a great encouragement to us at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission."
-- Desmond Tutu on the Guild's work in South Africa
Visit our Delegation Blog
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