2009 Events

Speaker Series

• February 2009. Nancy Bothne, Former Amnesty International Regional Director.  Nancy Bothne spoke on the Chicago Police Torture Scandal and international human rights law and activism. Co-sponsored with the Mansfield Institute for Social Justice and Transformation.

• April 2009. Israeli Criminal Justice.  Top Israeli human rights lawyer Sharon Sionov from Hebrew University spoke on the Israeli criminal justice system and her work on police abuse.  Co-sponsored with the Mansfield Institute for Social Justice and Transformation.

• April 2009. Transition from Prison to Society.  Discussion with Kitty Williams, Career Counselor from Career Passport and a panel of previously incarcerated women about their experiences with transition from prison life to society. Event opened with a short documentary "Moving Past Seven" by Ryane Michaels. Press coverage of this event by CAN TV. Co-sponsored with the Mansfield Institute for Social Justice and Transformation.

• April 2009. Police Torture.  Panel discussion on the John Burge police torture case with former "Chicago Reader" reporter John Conroy and Flint Taylor and Joey Mogul from Peoples Law Office. The discussion also included the perspective of a torture survivor, Darrell Cannon, and a community organizer, Don Washington. Co-sponsored with the Mansfield Institute for Social Justice and Transformation.

Other Cosponsored Events

• February 2009. Nina Berman Exhibit: “Homeland – Photos by Nina Berman” in Gage Gallery.  Opening Reception.  Nina Berman’s award-winning work in this collection documents the militarization of American society since 9/11.Co-sponsored with the Gage Gallery, Joseph Loundy Human Rights Project, and Department of Communication. Press coverage of this event by CAN TV and NPR’s Chicago Amplified.

• April 2009. Second Annual Chicago Conference on Human Rights. This one-day conference brought together representatives from local universities, non-governmental and community-based organizations, and members of the community to discuss international and local human rights issues. The goal was to provide participants the skills and resources needed to become effective advocates for human rights and to address violations taking place right here in the U.S.

• April 2009. "A Hard Straight" (film).  Screening of Goro Toshima's documentary film "A Hard Straight," describing the  transition from prison life to society.  Discussion and Q&A afterwards led by David Disabato of the Evelyn T. Stone College of Professional Studies Department of Human and Community Renewal, and Frank Lowe M.A., CADC, Director of Housing and Supportive Services, Inspiration Corporation.