Year in Review: Activities and Events
May 2003 – May 2004

Prepared by Professor Amii Omara-Otunnu, D. Phil. (Oxon.)
UNESCO Chair-holder in Comparative Human Rights

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

During the academic year 2003/4, apart from teaching history 226, continuing to supervise a Ph.D. student (Onek Adyanga) and successfully served as advisor to an MA student (Timothy Symth) and three independent studies stuidents, Professor Amii Omara-Otunnu has been very busy with the work of the UNESCO Chair in Comparative Human Rights and the UConn-ANC Partnership Office. Over the year, he has engaged in and hosted a wide range of activities that have served to expand and consolidate alliances and collaboration with various institutions of higher education and human rights organizations. Most of these activities were covered by local, state, national, and international media, bringing publicity and recognition and promoting an aura of cosmopolitanism and dynamic diversity for the University of Connecticut. During the same period, the UNESCO Chair conducted a number of outreach activities with a view to raising consciousness and creating a critical mass for human rights. The activities fall in the following broad categories:

• Annual Comparative Human Rights Conference that took place in October 2003.

• Establishment of UNESCO Coalition of Human Rights Organizations in New England in March 2004.

• Outreach speaking engagements by the Executive Director, Professor Amii Omara-Otunnu, within the state, outside the state, and outside the country; and on national and international radio stations.

• Joint and collaborative sponsorships of conferences on human rights, notably with the Richmond Law School in March 2004 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education; and with the Institute for African American Studies in November 2003 on the Black Power Movement in Historical Perspective.

• UNESCO Comparative Human Rights Lecture Series by distinguished human rights educators and advocates.

• The outreach and teach-ins by Student Ambassadors for Human Rights.

2. ANNUAL COMPARATIVE HUMAN RIGHTS CONFERENCE

Under the leadership of Professor Amii Omara-Otunnu, UNESCO Chair-holder in Comparative Human Rights, the University of Connecticut hosted the 4th Annual International Comparative Human Rights Conference on the theme: Artists in the Cause of Human Rights, on October 21, 2003, in Storrs.

The goal of the fourth annual international human rights conference was to highlight artists from different regions of the world who, through their work, have mobilized people from many different backgrounds in the cause of freedom, self-realization, and human dignity. The conference focused on artists because in the various struggles for human rights throughout history, artists have played a crucial role in dramatizing and giving expression to the spirit of freedom and have helped sustain those striving to realize their human rights.

To achieved the above-mentioned objectives, the UNESCO Chair in Comparative Human Rights assembled a distinguished cast of speakers from various part of the world. The keynote speaker was the internationally renowned jazz musician, Hugh Masekela, who has been called the father of African jazz and South Africa’s musical ambassador to the world. In his address, Masekela explored the roles that musicians and other artists have played in the struggle for human rights in Africa and around the world. He emphasized that musicians have been in the vanguard of the quest for freedom, carrying the torch and leading songs of liberation. Following the conference, Mr. Masekela offered a concert at Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts. The conference and the concert were attended by a combined total of more than 1,000 people.

The conference was opened by the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, which was founded in 1986 as a non-profit educational institution to offer the world’s most promising young musicians college-level training by America’s jazz masters.

Other conference participants included writers Arturo Arias of Guatemala and Conny Braam of the Netherlands. Both related how they have used their narrative skills to direct public attention to the societal oppression in Central America and South Africa under apartheid, respectively. Kathleen Patricia Thrane (United STaes), painter and documentary-photographer, spoke of how she has applied her talents to advance the cause of human rights in the Philippines and South Africa. And Hugh Blumenfeld (United States), singer, songwriter, and essayist, demonstrated how he promotes human rights and social justice through his music and articles.

The conference was video-taped by Connecticut Network Television and was aired repeatedly for two weeks.

3. UNESCO COALITION OF HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS IN NEW ENGLAND

The Executive Director, Professor Amii Omara-Otunnu hosted on January 31, 2004 a meeting of about 50 human rights organizations in the New England region, to explore ways of pooling efforts, coordinating activities, and collaborating on issues of human rights both in the United States and internationally. At the meeting, agreement was reached to form a coalition under the aegis of the UNESCO Chair in Comparative Human Rights and a Steering Committee was established to work on a framework document for the purpose. The Steering Committee met on March 16, 2004 and discussed and amended a framework document drafted by Professor Omara-Otunnu, the UNESCO Chair-holder in Comparative Human Rights. The Coalition as established is committed to UNESCO’s objectives to promote human rights, the culture of peace, and human security; to educate people about human rights, justice, liberty, and peace; and to disseminate and facilitate the unrestricted exchange of ideas and knowledge about human rights. Activities that the Coalition will be engaged in will be based on the principle that all human rights are universal, indivisible, interdependent, and inter-related. The Coalition is currently working on two inter-related projects for next year, which will focus on intergenerational human rights dialogue and education.

4. OUTREACH BY PROFESSOR AMII OMARA-OTUNNU

In the past year, Professor Amii Omara-Otunnu, UNESCO Chair-holder in Comparative Human Rights, has participated in and spoken to a host of human rights conferences and meetings, as part of the outreach program to raise awareness about, and create a critical mass for, human rights. Highlighted below are samples of the some of the speaking engagements in chronological order:

• Professor Omara-Otunnu was invited by the African National Congress (ANC) Executive Committee to attend the 14th ANC Women’s League National Conference on the theme “Women Together Marching Into the African Century and Together Rolling Back the Frontiers of Poverty” held in Johannesburg, South Africa from August 26-31 September, 2003. The conference brought delegates from all provinces, young and old, businesswomen, churchwomen, veterans, women activists, National Executive Committee Members, branches, invited guests, COSAS, SASCO and Alliance Partners (COSATU, SACP, and SANCO) to discuss the challenges faced by the League. The conference was also addressed the president of the Republic of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki. After the conference Professor Amii Omara-Otunnu went to Cape Town, where he met with the Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr. Frene Ginwala, and the Chair of the National Council of Provinces, Naledi Pandor, and with other ministers in the ANC government. The various discussions focused on the best ways to cement the partnership between Connecticut and the ANC, based on the principles of reciprocal learning, consultation, and capacity building.

• On September 5, 2003, Professor Amii Omara-Otunnu was interviewed by Connecticut Public Television (CPTV) and Connecticut Public Radio (WNPR) on issues of human rights related in particular to South Africa.

• On September 14, 2003, Professor Amii Omara-Otunnu took a number of Student Ambassadors for Human Rights to participate in a Walkathon in New Jersey. The Walkathon, titled “Walk a Mile for a Palestinian Child,” was publicized as a human rights effort to raise money for Palestinian children. This was an initiative brought to the attention of the UNESCO Chair by Student Ambassadors for Human Rights.

• In September, 2003, the UNESCO Chair in Comparative Human Rights published an eight-page newsletter that highlights the activities on human rights undertaken by the Chairs and other important developments in the field. The Bulletin is distributed world-wide through the UNESCO Chairs Network and other educational and human rights organizations.

• Professor Amii Omara-Otunnu gave a lecture on the importance of human rights in Dr. Dolan Evanovich’s First Year Experience Class on October 7, 2003.

• Prof. Amii Omara-Otunnu spoke to Delta Gamma Key Women Educators on October 14, 2003 on current human rights issues and how people might be involved in human rights activities. He was invited by Carol Kraus.

• On October 16, 2003 Professor Amii Omara-Otunnu was a panel discussant on Human Rights and Food Security in Africa. This event, in which the University of Connecticut participated, was organizedthroughout the worldby the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), an agency of the United Nations, to celebrate World Food Day. Professor Amii Omara-Otunnu’s remarks focused on food as a part of human rights, as stipulated in Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The issue of food is a serious one from a human rights perspective, because despite the fact that summit conferences have been held in various parts of the world and studies and surveys done indicating a high degree of support for ending hunger, the world community appears incapable of meeting the Millennium goal of cutting hunger in half by 2015, much less of achieving a world free of hunger. This year’s program examined the decision-making process involved in developing food policies. Participants on the satellite panel discussion included representatives of the World Food Program, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund. The program, which connected live to various sites around the world, was available in English, with simultaneous French and Spanish translation for worldwide audiences. Single reproducible copies of the teleconference Study/Action Packet, prepared by the U.S. National Committee for World Food Day, were made available in English in early summer and were sent free of charge to registered sites in North America . A Spanish version was prepared by the FAO regional office.

• The UNESCO chair-holder spoke to the Student Advisory Committee of the Division of Athletics on October 19, 2003 about the similarities between successful teams in sports and human rights: they both eschew superficial differences for the greater good of a common goal or humanity.

• On October 25, 2003, Professor Amii Omara-Otunnu gave a keynote address at a conference on U.S. Foreign Policy that was organized by Manchester Community College. The conference explored from various perspectives U.S. foreign policies and how they affect different regions of the world.

• On December 15, 2003, Professor Amii Omara-Otunnu was one of three discussants on British Broadcasting Corporation’s international current affairs program, “ Four Corners of the World”. The other discussants were Dr. Timothy Taylor of the Department of Archeological Sciences, University of Bradford in the U.K. and Dr. Mohommed Masoga of the Department of Indigenous Knowledge, National Research Foundation in Pretoria, South Africa. The program was on the similarities and differences in cultural practices that affect the enjoyment of human rights in various parts of the world.

• Professor Amii Omara-Otunnu was interviewed and featured for his innovative approach to human rights education and for his contributions to the UNESCO’s dialogue of civilizations in UNESCO’s journal, The Courier, of January 2004.

• On January 30, 2004, Professor Amii Omara-Otunnu was the invited keynote speaker at the Model United Nations deliberations for High School Students from around the state of Connecticut. The event took place at the University of Hartford and was sponsored by the World Affairs Council

• Professor Amii Omara-Otunnu was invited as keynote speaker to open the month-long Black History Month educational activities at the University of Connecticut’s School of Social Work, West Hartford, on February 3, 2004. The theme of Professor Omara-Otunnu’s address was “Myths and Realities about Africa.”

• On February 14, 2004, Professor Amii Omara-Otunnu gave a major public lecture at the Africa Centre in London, U.K., titled “Historical and Legal Aspects of Humanitarian Crises in the Great Lakes Regions of Africa.” The lecture was sponsored by an alliance of human rights organizations in Britain and was chaired by Professor Philip Iya of the British Institute of International and Comparative Law, London, England. The lecture was attended by more than 1,000 people from all over Britain. The main objective of the public lecture was to educate people about the complex interplay of forces that have brought gross violations of human rights in the region, beginning with the holocaust committed in the Congo during the reign of King Leopold of Belgium.

• On February 15, 2004, Professor Amii Omara-Otunnu was the invited keynote speaker on the occasion of Archbishop Janani Luwum’s Mission Day in London, England. The event commemorated the Anglican Archbishop of Uganda, Rwanda, and Boga Zaire, Janani Luwum, who was assassinated by military dictator Idi Amin in Uganda, in February 1977. The theme for this year’s Mission Day was: “The Voice of the Voiceless Children of Northern Uganda”. The event took place at St. Matthew’s Church, West Ham, London and was presided over by the Rev. Modicum Okello.

• Professor Amii Omara-Otunnu was an invited keynote speaker at the African-American and African Summit at the University of Miami, Florida, on February 20-21, 2004. The summit was organized to coincide with the University of Miami Black Alumni weekend hosted by President Donna Shalala. The summit provided an opportunity for scholars, researchers, and practitioners to explore U.S.-Africa relations at a critical juncture in history. Participants focused on the changes since the Cold War, the present state of US-Africa relations, and the implications for the future. Professor Amii Omara-Otunnu spoke on the theme: “ Africa, America, and Globalization: A Global Village or a State of Nature?”

• On March 16, 2004, Professor Amii Omara-Otunnu was the keynote speaker at the 35th Symposium on International Relations organized by the League of Women Voters of Connecticut Education Fund Inc., in cooperation with the Yale University Center for International and Areas Studies and the University of New Haven College of Arts and Science. The conference, on the theme “Perspectives on Nation-Building,” took place at Yale University Law School in New Haven. Professor Omara-Otunnu’s keynote address was titled, “Equation of Human Rights in Nation-Building.” The address was videotaped and played on public television by the Connecticut Public Television Network.

• On May 5, 2004, Professor Amii Omara-Otunnu was invited by Attorney Christina Storm, Executive Director of the Connecticut Chapter of Lawyers Without Borders, to speak at the monthly meeting of the Connecticut Bar Association. Professor Omara-Otunnu spoke about the importance of the human rights approach in addressing some of the outstanding international crises in the world.

• In mid-May Professor Amii Omara-Otunnu collaborated with Nancy Thomas (Associate Vice Provost for Multicultural Affairs), Elizabeth Mahan (Associate Executive Director, Office of International Affairs), and Ross Lewin (Director, Office of Study Abroad) to write a Global Scholars Program proposal for the Provost Competition. The original idea for the proposal came from Professor Amii Omara-Otunnu in discussion with Nancy Thomas.

• Professor Amii Omara-Otunnu published an opinion piece in The Hartford Courant on the vital role played by human rights in anchoring the multiracial democracy in the first decade of freedom in South Africa. The same article was posted to the wire services of the Los Angeles, the Washington Post, and the Baltimore Times.

• Professor Amii Omara-Otunnu was invited by Pierre Sane, UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences, to serve as a speaker and rapporteur for a panel on Poverty as a Violation of Human Rights, and as a speaker on Globalization and the Struggle Against All Forms of Discrimination and Exclusion, during the first UNESCO World Forum on Human Rights in Nantes, France, May 16-19, 2004. The forum was a historic occasion and the first time UNESCO has organized a conference of this magnitude.

• On May 27, 2004, Connecticut National Public Radio (WNPR) interviewed Professor Amii Omara-Otunnu in his capacity as UNESCO Chair in Comparative Human Rights and as a rapporteur at the World Forum on Human Rights. He was asked to explain UNESCO’s first ever world forum on human rights and to comment on the implications of the war on terror for human rights around the world.

5. CO-SPONSORSHIP OF CONFERENCES

During the year under review, the UNESCO Chair in Comparative Human Rights and the UConn-ANC Partnership Office under the leadership of Professor Amii Omara-Otunnu co-sponsored two major conferences:

First, the UNESCO Chair co-sponsor of a conference organized by the Institute for African American Studies on The Black Power Movement in Historical Perspective: Dialogues on Race and American Society, which took place on November 13, 2003, in Storrs.

This event was one of the largest programs of the year for the Institute of African American Studies, and the UNESCO Chair was delighted to contribute to its efforts. Professor Omara-Otunnu chaired one of the panel sessions. The conference included scholars from across the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, India, and Nigeria. Presentations were on the Black Power Movement and its significance. The legacies of the movement that are salient at UConn and in higher learning in America were highlighted. The ethnic studies programs and cultural centers, ways in which Americans view diversity, and the efforts of young Black Power advocates on campuses in the late 1960s and early 1970s that have been significant in shaping our professional and social landscape, were all examined through discussions and presentations.

Human Rights & Inequality in a New Millennium, co-sponsored conference at the University of Richmond, Virginia, March 29-30, 2004

The UNESCO Chair in Comparative Human Rights co-sponsored with the University of Richmond School of Law an international conference focusing upon the challenges posed to human rights flowing from various forms of inequality (formal and informal), and especially inequality of educational and housing opportunities. The conference was organized in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board Education; because housing patterns and options impact educational opportunities, the conference also addressed housing inequality.

6. COMPARATIVE HUMAN RIGHTS LECTURE SERIES AND OTHER EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES

Hosted Amandla & Sarafina Movies: DoddCenter, October 12, 2003

The movies were part of the Human Rights Film Series, leading up to the Fourth Annual Comparative Human Rights Conference in October 2003.

Student Ambassadors Training Session/United Nations/E.S. Reddy: January 23, 2004

Training sessions for Student Ambassadors included observing a joint meeting of the Executive Boards of UNDP (United Development Programs) / UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund), UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) and WFP (World Food Program) at the United Nations in New York, as well as a meeting with E.S. Reddy, former head of the United Nations Center against Apartheid, a briefing with the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict, and a briefing with the Office of the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights.

Moving from the Culture of War to the Culture of Peace in the 21 st Century, Open Lecture by David Adams, Homer Babbidge Library, Class of 1947 Room, March 18, 2004

Dr. David Adams, a former professor of psychology at Wesleyan University who worked for UNESCO from 1992 to 2001 developing the Culture of Peace Programme as a supplement and alternative to military peacekeeping operations, spoke about developing a culture of peace. His presentation, on March 18, was part of the Comparative Human Rights Lecture Series.

Implications of the Death Penalty for Human Rights, Open Lecture by Prof. Philip Iya, Storrs, April 1, 2004

Professor Philip Iya, who heads the British Institute of International and Comparative Law’s the Research Project on the Application of the Death Penalty in Commonwealth Africa, discussed the effects of capital punishment on the notions of “common humanity” and “human dignity” in a presentation on April 1 that was part of the Comparative Human Rights Lecture Series.

South Africa: Liberation and Reconciliation, The Role of International Solidarity, Open Lecture by E. S. Reddy: April 8, 2004

E.S. Reddy, a national of India who has actively supported the South African freedom movement for more than half a century and headed the United Nations Center against Apartheid for more than two decades, discussed the role of international solidarity in the South African liberation struggle and the lessons that can be drawn for all those who seek to promote non-violent people’s action for human rights and human survival. His talk was part of the Comparative Human Rights Lecture Series.

Lecture by K.P. Thrane: April 15, 2004

K. Patricia Thrane, a painter and photographer who has worked for human rights in the Philippines and South Africa, gave a presentation to the Student Ambassadors on: the Impact of Photojournalism on Human Rights Issues and How Human Perceptions are Influenced by the Media. The presentation was part of the Comparative Human Rights Lecture Series.

The Bomb Created A Rebel, Lecture by Dr. Charles Prewitt, Homer Babbidge Library, Class of 1947 Room, University of Connecticut, Storrs, April 22, 2004

Charles Prewitt, a former chemist who was forced to work on the Manhattan Project during World War II and later became an educator and peace activist, gave an invited presentation in the Comparative Human Rights Lecture Series.

7. UCONN-ANC PARTNERSHIP

UConn-ANC Partnership International Advisory Board Meeting: April 13, 2004

Professor Amii Omara-Otunnu convened a meeting of the International Advisory Board Members of the UConn-ANC Partnership from the US. Attendees were: President Austin, Amii Omara-Otunnu, Al Cooper, Ms. Jennifer Smith Turner, Provost Petersen, Vice Provost Ronald Taylor and Scott Brohinsky. The purpose was an update on the status of the project.

8. STUDENT AMBASSADORS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

During the year, with the guidance of Professor Amii Omara-Otunnu, student ambassadors for human rights engaged in a number of educational and consciousness raising activities that included: human rights education and dissemination on human right to high schools,; showing films on human rights issues such as the Rwanda genocide; pictorial dramatization of the HIV/AIDS pandemic; efforts to help people suffering human rights abuses in India and the Middle East.