Author: Branzell, Alex
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Open in new tab From Crisis to Activism: The Human Right to Adequate Food in the 1970s
Posted on by Branzell, Alex
Wednesday, November 9, 2022
3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Dodd Center for Human Rights - Room 162
About This Event:
How did the human right to adequate food figure in an intersection of U.S. foreign and domestic politics in the 1970s? This presentation will address the joint history of human rights principles and neoliberal economics in the response of state and non-state actors to global food insecurities. This subject poses questions about the principles and politics that formulated modern concepts of resource distribution and access to the most basic necessities of life.
About The Presenter:
David L Evans is a doctoral candidate in U.S. foreign relations history at the University of Connecticut. His research focuses on the formulation and global politics of economic, social, and cultural human rights, and specifically the human right to adequate food. Prior to pursuing his Ph.D., David earned his B.A. and M.A. degrees at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Before entering academia, he served eight years in the United States Marine Corps where he deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, Philippines, and Japan.
Location:
This event will take place in-person in the
Dodd Center for Human Rights, Room 162.
We kindly ask that you register to join us.
The History of Human Rights and Humanitarianism Colloquium is a space for interdisciplinary dialogue on issues that require perspectives and expertise from multiple fields. Contributors represent the fields of history, art history, literature, critical theory, philosophy, political theory, anthropology, sociology, and law.
2022 Malka Penn Award Ceremony
Posted on by Branzell, Alex
November 1, 2022
5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
In-person with Livestream
Reception to Follow
The Malka Penn Award for Human Rights in Children’s Literature
The Malka Penn Award is given annually to the author of an outstanding children’s book addressing human rights issues or themes such as discrimination, equity, poverty, justice, war, peace, slavery or freedom. Named in honor of author Michele Palmer, who writes under the pseudonym Malka Penn, the award recognizes works of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, memoir, or biography which are written for children from preschool to high school. Within these larger themes, the award committee is particularly eager to recognize stories about individuals – real or fictional, children or adults – who have been affected by social injustices, and who, by confronting them, have made a difference in their lives or the lives of others.
The 2022 Malka Penn Award will be presented to author Wade Hudson on November 1, 2022 in the Dodd Center for Human Rights. Hudson will speak about his career, the inspiration behind his memoir Defiant: Growing Up in the Jim Crow South, and the founding of his and wife Cheryl Hudson's publishing outlet Just Us Books. Following the ceremony will be a reception with light refreshments, copies of the winning book available for purchase, and time reserved for book signings by the author.
About the 2022 Award Recipient – Wade Hudson
Wade Hudson, author of Defiant: Growing Up in the Jim Crow South, founded Just Us Books in 1988 with Cheryl Willis Hudson. Wade serves as president and CEO of the company. His career as a writer spans more than three decades and has resulted in more than 25 published books for children and young adults. They include Book of Black Heroes from A to Z, Jamal's Busy Day, Pass It On: African American Poetry for Children, Powerful Words: Two Years of Outstanding Writing by African Americans, the Great Black Heroes series, The Underground Railroad and The Two Tyrones.
Wade serves on a number of community boards and is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and Pen America. He speaks around the country about issues of inclusion, empowering Black boys to succeed through literacy and other topics. He has received numerous honors for his contributions to children's literature, including the Stephen Crane Literary Award, induction into the International Literary Hall of Fame for Writers of African Descent, the Harlem Book Fair Phyllis Wheatley Award (2007), the Ida B. Wells Institutional Leadership Award (2008) presented by the Center for Black Literature and the Madame C. J. Walker Legacy Award (2012) given by the Zora Neale Hurston-Richard Wright Foundation. He is co-editor with his wife of the anthologies, We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices, The Talk, Conversations About Race, Love & Truth and Recognize: An Anthology Honoring and Amplifying Black Life. Kirkus Reviews called his recent coming-of-age memoir, Defiant, Growing up in the Jim Crow South a “powerful testimony from a children’s literature legend.”
Join us!
We kindly ask that you register to attend to join us for the in-person ceremony.
In-person:
Ceremony: 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Dodd Center for Human Rights - Konover Auditorium
Reception to Follow
Dodd Center for Human Rights - Lounge
Refreshments & Book Signing
Online:
Access to the livestream of the ceremony is available here from 5:00 pm November 1, 2022. Livestream
Disability Rights & Urban Development
Posted on by Branzell, Alex
Wednesday, September 28, 2022
2:00pm - 3:30pm
Hybrid Event
About This Event
Dr. Tina Kempin Reuter will discuss how to transform cities into spaces that reflect fundamental human rights principles and prioritize inclusion and equity, especially for marginalized communities such as people with disabilities. Looking at both the built environment and the current trends towards technologization of cities, she will show how a human rights framework can change the urban discourse and how community-based participatory approaches can influence both research on urban development and smart cities as well as policy processes and empowerment of underserved communities.
Presenter
Tina Kempin Reuter,
Director, Institute for Human Rights
The University of Alabama at Birmingham
About Tina Kempin Reuter
Dr. Tina Kempin Reuter is the Director of the Institute for Human Rights and Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration and the Department of Anthropology, specializing in human rights, peace studies, and international politics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Her research focuses on human rights with a particular emphasis on the struggle of vulnerable and marginalized populations, including minorities, persons with disabilities, refugees and migrants, women, children, the LGBTQ community, and people dealing with the consequences of poverty. She studies how to use technology to improve access, inclusion, and participation of marginalized communities in society. In addition, she is an expert on ethnic conflict and peace making with a geographical focus on Europe and the Middle East.
Before joining UAB, Dr. Reuter was the Director of the Reiff Center for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution and Associate Professor of international and comparative politics at Christopher Newport University. She was formerly associated with the Solomon Asch Center for the Study of Ethnopolitical Conflict, University of Pennsylvania, the Institute of Public International Law at the University of Zurich, and the Center for Security Studies at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.
Dr. Kempin Reuter holds a PhD in International Relations and International Law and an MA in Contemporary History, Economics, and International Law from the University of Zurich, Switzerland. She is the author of numerous publications in her field and has been awarded multiple prizes and grants to expand her research and teaching.
This event is sponsored by the Research Program on Economic & Rights in collaboration with the Human Rights Institute's Colloquium Series.
The Economic & Social Rights Group (ESRG) is an interdisciplinary monthly gathering of faculty and graduate students who meet to share ongoing research and to discuss current scholarship around economic and social rights. It is the central to the mission of the Research Program on Economic & Social Rights. The Research Program on Economic & Social Rights brings more than a dozen UConn faculty together with over 30 affiliated scholars from across the United States and Canada. Together, we have generated numerous graduate and undergraduate courses, several edited volumes, multiple co-authored articles, and the National Science Foundation-funded Socio-Economic Rights Fulfillment Index (SERF Index).
Encounters Series – Fall 2022 Program
Posted on by Branzell, Alex
About the Program:
Through the Democracy and Dialogues Initiative, UConn is working to increase democratic and civic capacity by supporting community dialogues on critical issues, providing moderator and facilitation training for dialogues and deliberations, and partnering with campus colleagues and local institutions to increase meaningful participation by all community members.
The Encounters Series is dedicated to fostering unexpected conversations around divisive issues and obscure knowledge. The program dives deeply into subjects that are of interest to the Greater Hartford community through facilitated, small-group dialogues followed by a question-and-answer style conversation with our UConn faculty and community partners. Resources are provided beforehand to encourage informed and informal dialogue within conversations that may otherwise prove to be polarizing, and thus unproductive. The aim is to strengthen our ability to know ourselves and to develop a forum for respectful and challenging dialogue.
Our partners in this Encounters Series include the Hartford Public Library, Connecticut's Old State House, the HartBeat Ensemble, the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Connecticut Humanities, and many valuable others. The Democracy & Dialogues Initiative is part of Dodd Human Rights Impact and supported at UConn by the Office of Global Affairs, the Office of the Provost, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, Humanities Institute, UConn Extension, and the Division of Student Affairs’ Parent's Fund.
Join us!
You are warmly invited to take part in this series of interactive dialogues. To participate, please register below.
October 12 – HartBeat Encounters: ‘My Children! My Africa!’
HartBeat Encounters: 'My Children! My Africa!'
Hosted by the HartBeat Ensemble
Wednesday, October 12. 5:30 pm-7:30 pm ET
The Carriage House Theater
360 Farmington Ave., Hartford, CT 06105
Register in advance for this event:
https://www.showclix.com/event/encounters-mcma
Please join us for Encounters: 'My Children! My Africa!,' a special dialogue event that features small group discussions on critical questions about the play, as well as specialist feedback and engagement. A light dinner will be served from 5:30 pm. Please note it is not required that you attend the show in order to participate in this community conversation. All participants are welcome and there is no cost to register or attend.
October 22 – Encounters: The Global Reach of the Local Talcott Church
The Global Reach of the Local Talcott Church
Hosted by Connecticut's Old State House
Saturday, October 22. 10:00 am-12:00 pm ET
Connecticut's Old State House
800 Main St., Hartford, CT 06103
Register in advance for this event:
https://bit.ly/2022HHS
This guided community conversation, led by Dr Fiona Vernal, will use the Mars family as a lens for exploring how the congregants of Talcott Street Church cast their advocacy far and wide and weighed in on the emigration debates. This allows us insight into the wider network of the Mars family—particularly, Elizabeth Mars and her years of service in Liberia. It will also allow us to understand the relationship between the Connecticut Colonization society, the Hartford Female African Society, and the Charitable Society in the African Sunday School. These are important lenses for understanding the Christian missionary impulse in the Talcott Church as well as the role of black women as organizers and leaders. Hartford participated in the “The African Mission School” established at Trinity College, which was described as a “short-lived effort on behalf of Connecticut Episcopalians to develop a black leadership for the church in Liberia.”
October 26 – Encounters: Intimate Partner Violence: The Alyssiah Wiley Program
Intimate Partner Violence: The Alyssiah Wiley Program
Hosted by the Democracy & Dialogues Initiative, the UConn Women's Center, & Eastern Connecticut State University
Wednesday, October 26. 1:00 pm-3:00 pm ET
UConn Women's Center, Student Union, 4th Floor Room 421
2110 Hillside Road, Unit 3118, Storrs, CT 06269
Register in advance for this event:
https://forms.gle/4GyHAdjQwML2xukeA
Domestic Violence is a pervading issue across our world. During the fiscal year of 2021, 38,989 people sought Domestic Violence Services in our state of Connecticut alone. We know this number does not actually reflect the entire amount of people who endured DV last year, as violence often goes unreported. We need to shatter the silence. Connect with us for a community dialogue and engage in crucial conversations on the impacts of Domestic Violence, healing and bystander intervention. Food will be provided and participation is free. Registration is required. This dialogue is hosted by UConn’s DDI and The Alyssiah Wiley Program.
UConn’s DDI‘s events bring people together for courageous conversations about issues that impact our communities and world. The Alyssiah Wiley Program is in memory of Alyssiah Wiley, who was a vibrant soul studying psychology at Eastern who gave her whole heart into everything. This program works to shed a light on Domestic Violence and create social change. Join us in educating ourselves about this critical issue through a short video presentation, small group discussion with facilitators, and engagement with experts in domestic violence services.
November 16 – Encounters: Picturing the Pandemic: Voices from the Pandemic Journaling Project
Encounters: Picturing the Pandemic: Voices from the Pandemic Journaling Project
Hosted by the Hartford Public Library
Wednesday, November 16. 5:00 pm-7:00 pm ET
Hartford Public Library - Downtown Branch
500 Main St., Hartford, CT 06103
Register in advance for this event:
https://hplct.libnet.info/event/7176888
Join us as we take a closer look at the Picturing the Pandemic and Hartford 2020 exhibitions that speak to people's documentation of the COVID-19 pandemic. We will be having guided small group discussions and a Q&A session with content specialists. A light dinner will follow for participants.
November 19 – Encounters: Art, Activism, and AIDS
Encounters: Art, Activism, and AIDS
Hosted by the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
Saturday, November 19. 10:00 am-1:00 pm ET
Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
600 Main St., Hartford, CT 06103
Register in advance for this event:
https://my.thewadsworth.org/33580/35359
The AIDS epidemic has touched communities both in Hartford and around the globe and artists have played a key role in helping to reshape the narrative in response to stigmatization, a lack of public education, and government inaction surrounding the virus. In advance of the World AIDS Day conversation on December 1 at the Wadsworth with Jack Lowery, author of It Was Vulgar and It Was Beautiful which documents the history of activist art collective Gran Fury, join us for a group conversation at the intersection of art and activism. Participants will discuss the role that art and design play in activism, mobilization, and community education in response to the AIDS epidemic. This event is free to attend. Lunch will be provided.
December 3 – Encounters: The Constitution of Connecticut
The Constitution of Connecticut
Hosted by Connecticut's Old State House
Rescheduled date: Saturday, December 3. 10:00 am-12:00 pm ET
Connecticut's Old State House
800 Main St., Hartford, CT 06103
Register in advance for this event:
https://bit.ly/CTConstitutionEncounters
We invite you to explore the concept of 'Constitution' through a look into Connecticut's constitutional history. Our state is known by many names, including the Nutmeg State and the Land of Steady Habits. But its official nickname is, of course, the Constitution State. From the Fundamental Orders of 1639, which some historians argue was the first American constitution, to the current state constitution passed in 1965, Connecticut has had many different documents serve as the basis of our state government. They define the powers and limits of elected officials, establish how new laws are made, and list the basic rights of all citizens. But what constitutes a constitution? How do constitutions affect the daily lives of citizens? What fundamental principles does a constitution need to meet to be legitimate? Join us in dissecting these issues through short readings, small group discussion, and engagement with specialists on the subject.
Lunch will follow for all participants.
Lead a Dialogue!
We are always looking for more facilitators and moderators to help support the Encounters Series. If you are interested in getting involved, register for one of our trainings!
September 29 – Facilitator Training
Facilitator Training
Hosted by the Democracy & Dialogues Initiative
Thursday, September 29. 1:00 pm-3:00 pm ET
Dodd Center for Human Rights, Room 162
405 Babbidge Rd., Storrs, CT 06269
Register in advance for this training:
https://forms.gle/ADE7e7frDyNx1UmS7
Facilitators are fundamentally important to running a successful dialogue. They are the folks who work with the small breakout groups and keep the conversation moving and productive. Want to learn more about the theory and practice of facilitation? Join us in person at the Dodd Center for Human Rights, Room 162, on the UConn Storrs campus.
October 19 – Moderator Training
Moderator Training
Hosted by the Democracy & Dialogues Initiative
Wednesday, October 19. 1:00 pm-3:00 pm ET
Dodd Center for Human Rights, Room 162
405 Babbidge Rd., Storrs, CT 06269
Register in advance for this training:
https://forms.gle/ADE7e7frDyNx1UmS7
The role of moderators is to run or direct a dialogue. This is the "emcee" position and the person serving in it walks participants from welcome to closing. They manage the structure and timing of the event and provide support to the facilitators. And they are always in demand! Join us in person at the Dodd Center for Human Rights, Room 162, on the UConn Storrs campus.
December 5 – Facilitator Training
Facilitator Training
Hosted by the Democracy & Dialogues Initiative
Monday, December 5. 1:00 pm-3:00 pm ET
Dodd Center for Human Rights, Room 162
405 Babbidge Rd., Storrs, CT 06269
Register in advance for this training:
https://forms.gle/ADE7e7frDyNx1UmS7
Facilitators are fundamentally important to running a successful dialogue. They are the folks who work with the small breakout groups and keep the conversation moving and productive. Want to learn more about the theory and practice of facilitation? Join us in person at the Dodd Center for Human Rights, Room 162, on the UConn Storrs campus.
Upending Capitalism as We Know It? Public Policy Experimentation and Its Implications for Business
Posted on by Branzell, Alex
Thursday, October 13, 2022
2:00pm - 3:30pm
Hybrid Event
Dodd Center for Human Rights - Room 162 & Zoom
About This Workshop:
The Business and Human Rights Workshop is dedicated to the development and discussion of works-in-progress and other non-published academic research. Please register before the event for access to Professor Olsen's paper.
Once thought to support democracy, contemporary global capitalism is contributing to its collapse. Despite the powerful systemic forces that propel it forward, though, citizens in many parts of the world are pushing back against systems that perpetuate climate change, corruption, and inequality. Simultaneously, innovative thinkers, alongside companies, citizen groups, and governments are experimenting to redress shortcomings in the status quo. Shifts in the way we define value (Mazzucato 2018), efforts to enact doughnut economies (Raworth 2017) or circular cities, and genuine corporate engagement (Knudsen and Moon 2017) each have important implications for a capitalism that is more supportive of democratic practice. In this paper we develop a framework that helps make sense of the varied implications such experiments have for business, trace how one successful experiment unfolded, and offer lessons it may hold for others. Doing so, we hope, will reinforce this trial, inspire others, and begin to help business leaders understand how they might engage in the various paths to a more democratic and prosperous future.
This workshop will be hosted both in-person and on Zoom. Please register regardless of the modality you wish to join. The workshop will not be recorded.
This event is hosted by the Business and Human Rights Initiative, a partnership between Dodd Human Rights Impact, the UConn School of Business, and the Human Rights Institute. It is co-sponsored by the Research Program on Economic & Social Rights in the Human Rights Institute.
The Shape of Justice: Spatializing Public Memory
Posted on by Branzell, Alex
Tuesday, October 25, 2022
4:00pm - 5:30pm
Dodd Center for Human Rights, Konover Auditorium
About This Event
Members of MASS Design Group will speak on their transformative practice of "spatializing memory.” In projects such as The National Memorial for Peace and Justice (Alabama) and the Martin Luther King Jr Memorial (Boston), MASS Design explores new ways to shift narratives, serve as a catalyst for truth-telling, and advance collective healing through the built environment.
Location
Konover Auditorium
Dodd Center for Human Rights
Please register to join us.
Presenters
Elena Baranes
Senior Designer, Sustainable Native Communities Design Lab, MASS Design Group
Brandon Bibby
Senior Architect, Public Memory and Memorial Lab, MASS Design Group
Morgan O'Hara
Manager, Advancement, Public Memory and Memorial Lab, MASS Design Group
Annie Wang
Senior Designer, MASS Design Group
About Elena Baranes
Elena joined MASS in January of 2019. Her work with the Sustainable Native Communities Design Lab and the Restorative Justice Design Lab focuses on engagement and design that elevates community voices. Her partnerships and projects seek to address the future of Indigenous sovereignty, healing through the arts and education, and decarceration. Prior to joining MASS, Elena worked as part of a Los Angeles-based design-build team. She received her Masters of Architecture from Yale School of Architecture and her Bachelor of Arts from Boston University.
About Brandon Bibby
Brandon Bibby AIA, ASID, NOMA, NCARB, WELL AP is a Senior Architect with MASS Design Group. Bibby joined MASS in 2021 as a Space and Society Fellow and currently works and manages research, engagement, and design across various Public Memory and Memorial Lab projects. Raised in the plains of Arkansas, where the Delta meets the Ozarks, Bibby is an artist, activist, and architect motivated by movement, culture, and familiarity in contemporary black and southern spaces. His work is rooted in preserving and developing architecture and dignified design in marginalized communities of color to address the lack of representation and access to equitable and quality design in the built environment. His diverse portfolio includes design, programming, and project management on over 100 preservation, arts, educational, commercial, and healthcare projects. Celebrated for his design leadership and community activism, Bibby was named a 2022 Ones To Watch Scholar with the American Society of Interior Design, recipient of the Alpha Rho Chi Bronze Medal, and was named the Arkansas Business' 20 in their 20s New Influential 2019 Class. He has lectured, and moderated panels with the American Institute of Architects, Architecture and Design Network, AARP, and currently serves as a Health Equity Advisor with the International Well Building Institute.
About Morgan O’Hara
Morgan O’Hara is a cultural historian of cities and the built environment. She has worked at MASS Design Group since 2018, where she conducts research to support built projects and exhibitions, and crafts written work alongside strategy for business development. Her backgrounds in cultural research, public history, and collaborative design have informed her approach to socio-spatial research to develop human-centered histories of urban space and infrastructural systems. For the Fringe Cities project, Morgan conducted longitudinal analyses of small cities in the United States that participated in mid-century urban renewal, and while at the Hudson Valley Office, she was embedded in the public engagement work necessary to craft meaningful community design solutions in Poughkeepsie. Her passion lies in elevating creative and community-driven expressions of lesser-known histories in public space. Morgan studied anthropology at Reed College and graduated from Columbia with a Masters in Historic Preservation. She has served as co-faculty for Studio II in Historic Preservation at Columbia GSAPP since 2021.
About Annie Wang
Annie joined MASS in February of 2018 as a Design Associate and is currently working on a kindergarten in Vietnam and a health clinic in Texas. Before MASS, she worked at Peter Rose + Partners and AMO/OMA in Rotterdam where she conducted research for publications and editing. She received her Bachelor of Art in psychology and architecture from the University of Toronto and her Master of Architecture I from Harvard Graduate School of Design.
This event is sponsored by the Research Program on Arts & Human Rights.
The Research Program on Arts & Human Rights explores how the arts can promote the full exercise of human rights and the consolidation of a democratic culture. The arts not only make human rights visible. They also advance democratic thinking as they help us imagine new futures and open unique spaces for dialogue and debate, ushering us into novel modes of experience that provide concrete grounds for rethinking our relationship to one another. Thus, the arts can act as a powerful means of sustaining individual and collective reflection on human rights, and of linking individual and collective public experience, social belonging and citizenship.
Swords into Ploughshares? Why Human Rights Abuses Persist After Resistance Campaigns
Posted on by Branzell, Alex
Tuesday, October 4, 2022
2:00pm - 3:30pm
Hybrid Event
Dodd Center for Human Rights - Room 162 & Zoom
About This Event
In this Human Rights Research and Data Hub Workshop, Dr. Chris Shay will present his research on human rights abuse in the context of national crises. Human rights abuse tends to increase during national crises, such as civil wars and mass nonviolent uprisings. Under what conditions does this abuse abate or persist? Shay argues that violent challenges provoke much more coercive state responses – exposing more personnel within the security forces to extreme forms of repression and priming them (both leaders and followers) to reproduce these behaviors after the conflict has terminated. This effect is mitigated or avoided when challengers rely on nonviolent tactics instead of violence, leading to less post-conflict abuse. I test this argument with several quantitative methods, showing that nonviolent resistance campaigns lead to fewer post-campaign political killings and extrajudicial executions than violent campaigns. This effect is partially – but not fully – mediated by democratization: nonviolent methods reduce repression by promoting democratization, but the effect is present even in the absence of democratization (the majority of cases). Results also suggest that democratization cannot fully counteract the repressive legacies of violent conflict. By choosing to specialize in nonviolent tactics, therefore, resistance leaders avoid a repression trap that not even democratization can fully disarm.
Presenter
Christopher Wiley Shay
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
UConn Human Rights Institute
About Christopher Wiley Shay
Dr. Christopher Wiley Shay is a Post-doctoral Research Associate at the University of Connecticut Human Rights Institute and an International Security Program Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center. His research focuses on armed insurgencies, civil resistance movements, and their effects on societies and governments. Drawing on a diverse array of quantitative and field-based methodologies, Shay's doctoral research shows how domestic civil-military dynamics and international institutions influence post-conflict human rights outcomes. In other words, this research explains why surprisingly few countries (including new democracies) manage to break out of the "repression trap." His work has been featured in venues such as the Journal of Global Security Studies, the Journal of Peace Research (forthcoming), and Political Violence at a Glance.
Shay also manages the Nonviolent and Violent Campaigns and Outcomes (NAVCO 2.1) data project with Dr. Erica Chenoweth and involved in the research team that maintains the Socio-Economic Rights Fulfillment Index with Dr. Susan Randolph. In the past, he has provided analysis on India's long-running Maoist insurgency (the "Naxalites") to the International Institute of Strategic Studies. He received his Ph.D. (International Studies) from the University of Denver's Josef Korbel School and a master's degree (Peace and Conflict Studies) from Uppsala University.
Prior to his graduate studies, Christopher was an outdoor educator and (for brief periods) a wildland firefighter. He holds a bachelor's degree from Hanover College.
This event is sponsored by the Human Rights Research and Data Hub (HuRRD) at the Human Rights Institute. The Hub seeks to advance human rights research at UConn by supporting faculty and student projects and providing students the opportunity to develop research and data analysis skills that will advance their careers after graduation.
Encounters Series – Fall 2022 Program
Posted on by Branzell, Alex
About the Program:
Through the Democracy and Dialogues Initiative, UConn is working to increase democratic and civic capacity by supporting community dialogues on critical issues, providing moderator and facilitation training for dialogues and deliberations, and partnering with campus colleagues and local institutions to increase meaningful participation by all community members.
The Encounters Series is dedicated to fostering unexpected conversations around divisive issues and obscure knowledge. The program dives deeply into subjects that are of interest to the Greater Hartford community through facilitated, small-group dialogues followed by a question-and-answer style conversation with our UConn faculty and community partners. Resources are provided beforehand to encourage informed and informal dialogue within conversations that may otherwise prove to be polarizing, and thus unproductive. The aim is to strengthen our ability to know ourselves and to develop a forum for respectful and challenging dialogue.
Our partners in this Encounters Series include the Hartford Public Library, Connecticut's Old State House, the HartBeat Ensemble, the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Connecticut Humanities, and many valuable others. The Democracy & Dialogues Initiative is part of Dodd Human Rights Impact and supported at UConn by the Office of Global Affairs, the Office of the Provost, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, Humanities Institute, UConn Extension, and the Division of Student Affairs’ Parent's Fund.
Join us!
You are warmly invited to take part in this series of interactive dialogues. To participate, please register below.
October 12 – HartBeat Encounters: ‘My Children! My Africa!’
HartBeat Encounters: 'My Children! My Africa!'
Hosted by the HartBeat Ensemble
Wednesday, October 12. 5:30 pm-7:30 pm ET
The Carriage House Theater
360 Farmington Ave., Hartford, CT 06105
Register in advance for this event:
https://www.showclix.com/event/encounters-mcma
Please join us for Encounters: 'My Children! My Africa!,' a special dialogue event that features small group discussions on critical questions about the play, as well as specialist feedback and engagement. A light dinner will be served from 5:30 pm. Please note it is not required that you attend the show in order to participate in this community conversation. All participants are welcome and there is no cost to register or attend.
October 22 – Encounters: The Global Reach of the Local Talcott Church
The Global Reach of the Local Talcott Church
Hosted by Connecticut's Old State House
Saturday, October 22. 10:00 am-12:00 pm ET
Connecticut's Old State House
800 Main St., Hartford, CT 06103
Register in advance for this event:
https://bit.ly/2022HHS
This guided community conversation, led by Dr Fiona Vernal, will use the Mars family as a lens for exploring how the congregants of Talcott Street Church cast their advocacy far and wide and weighed in on the emigration debates. This allows us insight into the wider network of the Mars family—particularly, Elizabeth Mars and her years of service in Liberia. It will also allow us to understand the relationship between the Connecticut Colonization society, the Hartford Female African Society, and the Charitable Society in the African Sunday School. These are important lenses for understanding the Christian missionary impulse in the Talcott Church as well as the role of black women as organizers and leaders. Hartford participated in the “The African Mission School” established at Trinity College, which was described as a “short-lived effort on behalf of Connecticut Episcopalians to develop a black leadership for the church in Liberia.”
October 26 – Encounters: Intimate Partner Violence: The Alyssiah Wiley Program
Intimate Partner Violence: The Alyssiah Wiley Program
Hosted by the Democracy & Dialogues Initiative, the UConn Women's Center, & Eastern Connecticut State University
Wednesday, October 26. 1:00 pm-3:00 pm ET
UConn Women's Center, Student Union, 4th Floor Room 421
2110 Hillside Road, Unit 3118, Storrs, CT 06269
Register in advance for this event:
https://forms.gle/4GyHAdjQwML2xukeA
Domestic Violence is a pervading issue across our world. During the fiscal year of 2021, 38,989 people sought Domestic Violence Services in our state of Connecticut alone. We know this number does not actually reflect the entire amount of people who endured DV last year, as violence often goes unreported. We need to shatter the silence. Connect with us for a community dialogue and engage in crucial conversations on the impacts of Domestic Violence, healing and bystander intervention. Food will be provided and participation is free. Registration is required. This dialogue is hosted by UConn’s DDI and The Alyssiah Wiley Program.
UConn’s DDI‘s events bring people together for courageous conversations about issues that impact our communities and world. The Alyssiah Wiley Program is in memory of Alyssiah Wiley, who was a vibrant soul studying psychology at Eastern who gave her whole heart into everything. This program works to shed a light on Domestic Violence and create social change. Join us in educating ourselves about this critical issue through a short video presentation, small group discussion with facilitators, and engagement with experts in domestic violence services.
November 16 – Encounters: Picturing the Pandemic: Voices from the Pandemic Journaling Project
Encounters: Picturing the Pandemic: Voices from the Pandemic Journaling Project
Hosted by the Hartford Public Library
Wednesday, November 16. 5:00 pm-7:00 pm ET
Hartford Public Library - Downtown Branch
500 Main St., Hartford, CT 06103
Register in advance for this event:
https://hplct.libnet.info/event/7176888
Join us as we take a closer look at the Picturing the Pandemic and Hartford 2020 exhibitions that speak to people's documentation of the COVID-19 pandemic. We will be having guided small group discussions and a Q&A session with content specialists. A light dinner will follow for participants.
November 19 – Encounters: Art, Activism, and AIDS
Encounters: Art, Activism, and AIDS
Hosted by the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
Saturday, November 19. 10:00 am-1:00 pm ET
Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
600 Main St., Hartford, CT 06103
Register in advance for this event:
https://my.thewadsworth.org/33580/35359
The AIDS epidemic has touched communities both in Hartford and around the globe and artists have played a key role in helping to reshape the narrative in response to stigmatization, a lack of public education, and government inaction surrounding the virus. In advance of the World AIDS Day conversation on December 1 at the Wadsworth with Jack Lowery, author of It Was Vulgar and It Was Beautiful which documents the history of activist art collective Gran Fury, join us for a group conversation at the intersection of art and activism. Participants will discuss the role that art and design play in activism, mobilization, and community education in response to the AIDS epidemic. This event is free to attend. Lunch will be provided.
December 3 – Encounters: The Constitution of Connecticut
The Constitution of Connecticut
Hosted by Connecticut's Old State House
Rescheduled date: Saturday, December 3. 10:00 am-12:00 pm ET
Connecticut's Old State House
800 Main St., Hartford, CT 06103
Register in advance for this event:
https://bit.ly/CTConstitutionEncounters
We invite you to explore the concept of 'Constitution' through a look into Connecticut's constitutional history. Our state is known by many names, including the Nutmeg State and the Land of Steady Habits. But its official nickname is, of course, the Constitution State. From the Fundamental Orders of 1639, which some historians argue was the first American constitution, to the current state constitution passed in 1965, Connecticut has had many different documents serve as the basis of our state government. They define the powers and limits of elected officials, establish how new laws are made, and list the basic rights of all citizens. But what constitutes a constitution? How do constitutions affect the daily lives of citizens? What fundamental principles does a constitution need to meet to be legitimate? Join us in dissecting these issues through short readings, small group discussion, and engagement with specialists on the subject.
Lunch will follow for all participants.
Lead a Dialogue!
We are always looking for more facilitators and moderators to help support the Encounters Series. If you are interested in getting involved, register for one of our trainings!
September 29 – Facilitator Training
Facilitator Training
Hosted by the Democracy & Dialogues Initiative
Thursday, September 29. 1:00 pm-3:00 pm ET
Dodd Center for Human Rights, Room 162
405 Babbidge Rd., Storrs, CT 06269
Register in advance for this training:
https://forms.gle/ADE7e7frDyNx1UmS7
Facilitators are fundamentally important to running a successful dialogue. They are the folks who work with the small breakout groups and keep the conversation moving and productive. Want to learn more about the theory and practice of facilitation? Join us in person at the Dodd Center for Human Rights, Room 162, on the UConn Storrs campus.
October 19 – Moderator Training
Moderator Training
Hosted by the Democracy & Dialogues Initiative
Wednesday, October 19. 1:00 pm-3:00 pm ET
Dodd Center for Human Rights, Room 162
405 Babbidge Rd., Storrs, CT 06269
Register in advance for this training:
https://forms.gle/ADE7e7frDyNx1UmS7
The role of moderators is to run or direct a dialogue. This is the "emcee" position and the person serving in it walks participants from welcome to closing. They manage the structure and timing of the event and provide support to the facilitators. And they are always in demand! Join us in person at the Dodd Center for Human Rights, Room 162, on the UConn Storrs campus.
December 5 – Facilitator Training
Facilitator Training
Hosted by the Democracy & Dialogues Initiative
Monday, December 5. 1:00 pm-3:00 pm ET
Dodd Center for Human Rights, Room 162
405 Babbidge Rd., Storrs, CT 06269
Register in advance for this training:
https://forms.gle/ADE7e7frDyNx1UmS7
Facilitators are fundamentally important to running a successful dialogue. They are the folks who work with the small breakout groups and keep the conversation moving and productive. Want to learn more about the theory and practice of facilitation? Join us in person at the Dodd Center for Human Rights, Room 162, on the UConn Storrs campus.
UK Law Commission: Options Paper Includes Criminal Offence of Failure to Prevent Human Rights Abuses
Posted on by Branzell, Alex