IHRAAM ACTIVITIES

 

The following list of activities does not include activities such as Interventions to the UN Commission on Human Rights, UN Sub-Commission, consultations to indigenous and minority groups, internship activities, etc. performed by IHRAAM on an ongoing basis

• Facilitated UN Briefing to over 100 representatives from minority organizations from Canada, the U.S., India and Africa on the subject of minority rights in international law. The Briefing was held in the Dag Hammarskjold Library, UN headquarters, New York. Speaker: Elsa Stamatopoulou-Robbins.

• Facilitated American minority lobbying with regard to the drafting of the Declaration on the Rights of Minorities

• Petitioned the Secretary-General of the United Nations under Resolution 1503 (XLVIII) concerning the gross violation of human rights, concerning the beating of Los Angeles motorist Rodney King (April 1992) and the death sentence to juvenile offender Gary Graham (November 1993), in the context of the persistent history of gross violations of human rights of the African-American minority

• Petitioned the Inter-American Court concerning the beating of Los Angeles motorist Rodney King (April 1992)

• Facilitated the attendance of representatives from minority organizations to various international fora, such as the UNPO Conference on Self-Determination in the Hague and the Technical Meeting of the Experts, UN Working Group on Minorities, United Nations, Geneva

• Co-sponsored Conference on "African-Americans & the Right to Self-Determination," held at Hamline University on May 14, 1993

• In cooperation with the Minnesota Advocates, solicited input from American minority organizations concerning forthcoming state report to the Human Rights Committee of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

• Participated in foundation and on-going development of the North American Partners for Human Rights Education (NAPHRE) in conjunction with Amnesty International (Canada and USA), Decade of Human Rights Education, Center for World Education (University of Vermont), National Institute for Citizen Education in the Law, Human Rights Center (University of Minnesota), Human Rights Research and Education Centre (University of Ottawa)

• Submitted a formal Communication of several hundred pages to the Human Rights Committee concerning the human rights situation in a state submitting its report as obliged under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

• Attended the World Conference on Human Rights, Vienna, and preparatory conferences in Saskatoon, Montreal and Bangkok

• Conferred with the UN Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Racism during his mission of investigation to the U.S., and submitted videos and substantial documentation, 1994

• At Special Rapporteur's request, submitted critique of U.S. Response to the Special Rapporteur's Final Report, 1996

• Provided extensive consultation to American minority organization concerning its presentation of a Petition under Resolution 1503 (XVLIII) and made a number of interventions concerning the Final Report of Theo van Boven, UN Special Rapporteur on Reparations, the Dalit population in India, African-Americans, and Native American rights in relation to the Tribal Court

• Conducted human rights educational seminars for the US National Bar Association trainees in Geneva during 1994 session of the UN Sub-Commission

• Provided consultation to IHRAAM Director Thlau-Goo-Yailth-Thlee and presiding judge , as well as interviews to USA Today and Seattle Times, concerning the historic trial referral of two aboriginal youths charged with robbery and assault from the Superior Court of Washington State to the Kuye-di Kuiu Kwaan Tribal Court

• Co-publication with Clarity Press, Inc.of A Popular Guide to Minority Rights, edited by IHRAAM Chair, Y.N. Kly. Published with support from the European Human Rights Foundation, Brussels

• Made numerous interventions at sessions of the UN Working Group and Sub-Commission concerning the situation of African-Americans, the Dalits in India, and the Haitian minority in the Dominican Republic, 1995

• Facilitated communications between the National Organizing Committee/Chicago, Million Man March and the UN , 1995

• Intervened at the UN Working Group and Sub-Commission concerning the situation of the Kashmiris of India, and the Nauxalk Nation of Canada, 1996

• Submitted written communications, 1995, 1996 to the OSCE concerning human dimension issues as they relate to minorities

• Speaking engagements to minority organizations: National Bar Association, NCBL Annual Meeting, International Association of Black Professional Firefighters, etc., 1994-1996

• Consultation, Mr. Ibrahima Fall, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, UN, concerning UN resolution 1996/26 entitled "Minimum humanitarian standards," November 1st, 1996

• Invited to sit as Judge on International Tribunal of the Kuye'di Thlingit Nation concerning a complaint issued by a Member of that indigenous nation against the American I.R.S., January, 1997

• Interventions with regard to the situation in Kashmir, 53rd Session of the Commission on Human Rights, March, 1997

• Attendance/intervention, meeting of the UN Working Group on Minorities, May 26-30, 1997

• Written intervention to the UN Sub-Commission in support of the Working Group on Minorities, August 3, 1997. IHRAAM has been advised that this intervention will be reproduced as an NGO document for the 54th Session of the Commission of Human Rights, under the item: Report of the Sub-Commission.

• Establishment of an International Law and Human Rights Education Program at Barrington University

• Consultation with the High Commissioner for Human Rights in relation to request for comments on the Covenant on Social, Economic and Cultural Rights

• Oral intervention to the UN Sub-Commission concerning human rights situation of African-Americans, Dalits and Kashmiris, August 20, 1997.

• Participation/exhibit at Commonwealth Conference, October, 1997. The Centre was visited by most of the government delegations including Nelson Mandela, Tony Blair and Prince Charles. All of them were briefed about the IHRAAM work. IHRAAM has been advised by the Prince's staff to coordinate with the Prince's trust about our activities.

 

• Participation, NGO Coalition for an International Criminal Court, 1997-1998

 

• Article for The Fourth R, the Human Rights Publication of Amnesty International, Vol. 8, No. 2, Fall, 1997.  Member of the Editorial Board, The Fourth R, ongoing. 

• Consultation, analytical paper for the Chair, UN Working Group on Minorities, "The Hague Recommendations Regarding the Education Rights of National Minorities," February 28, 1998, to be included in the analytical review of the Hague Recommendations conducted at the following session of the Working Group in May, 1998. 

• Interventions with regard to the situation in Kashmir, 54th session, United Nations Sub-Commission, March, 1998. 

• Co-sponsor, Celebration to mark the birthday of Dalit leader, Dr. Ambedkar, at Howard University, May, 1998. 

• Video-taping of witnesses, two meetings, concerning human rights abuses of indigenous peoples in Canadian residential schools, April, 1998. 

• Judge and Guest Speaker, International Tribunal of Original Nations concerning safe-guarding Traditional Lakota Spirituality, May 5, 1998. 

• Submission of Court Brief Concerning Improper and Unauthorized Use of Indigenous Spiritual Teachings.  Temporary injunction granted, May 8th, 1998. 

• Attendance, intervention, Meeting of the UN Working Group on Minorities, May 25-29, 1998. 

• Conducted international law training session at the United Nations for 13 students, May 28th, 1998. 

• Facilitated UN tour for 100 adults and students, John Hope Academy, Chicago, June 2nd, 1998. 

• UN-accredited Observer, XXth session of the United Nations General Assembly to consider the fight against the illicit production, sale, traffic and distribution of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, New York, June 8-10th, 1998.

 

• Official Observer, Public Meeting, Investigation into Human Rights Abuses at Residential Schools, Canada, June 10-12th, 1998. 

•  Intervention, 50th session of the UN Sub-Commission, concerning the situations in Chiapas and Kashmir, August, 1998. 

•  Sent representatives to the 1998 session of the Commission on  Human Rights working group re Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, November 30-December 11, 1998.

 

• Invitation to IHRAAM Chair from Jacques Chirac, President of France, Mary Robinson, UN High Commissioner on Human Rights, and Federico Mayor, Directoro-General of UNESCO, to attend the REUNION DE PARIS:  Les Droits de l'homme a l'aube du xxie siecle, UNESCO offices, Paris, December 7-8, 1998. 

• Intervention to the Human Rights Commission concerning the African American Gullah claims of Ethnocide, April 1, 1999.

 

• Round Table on "Children in Conflicts, April 15, 1999, at Commission on Human Rights, Geneva.  Co-sponsors:  International Educational Development, WMC, International Peace Burueau, MWl, IIFSO.

 

• Nationwide survey of African American opinion on the issue of self-determination and minority rights, 1999.

• IHRAAM Petiton to the United Nations, July-August, 1999 on forced assimilation as it relates to African Americans, Native Americans and other national minorities in the U.S.

• IHRAAM interventions to the Sub-Commission, July-August, 1999
• Concerning African Americans in Prison, Chiapas, and Kashmir
• Concerning the 1993 Police Shooting of Archie Elliot III
• Concerning the Lakota Sioux Indian Nation

• IHRAAM Briefing on "The Right to Self-Determination and the Role of the United Nations," United Nations, New York, October 1st, 1999.  Panel and video presentation.

• Consultation with the Gullah-Geechee Coalition, and the Carlie Towne Foundation in relation to preservation of cultural heritage sites and minority rights of the African American Gullah-Geechee peoples, 1998-ongoing.

 

• Consultation and cooperation with the Jamahir Society for Culture & Philosophy, Vienna, concerning Youth Camps in North Africa, forthcoming Jamahir Society Conferences and Publications. 1998-Ongoing.

 

• Assistance in the development of an  international program for the National Institute of Social Work and Social Sciences (NISWASS), India, a Dalit-established and directed Institute practicing liberation-oriented pedagogy in serving the Dalit population, 1999-ongoing.

 

• Consultant to law firm of Joseph Farkas, Toronto, concerning the preparation for the defense of immigration case for African American couple seeking political asylum in Canada, October 1999.  IHRAAM also prepared and submitted a Complaint to the Human Rights Committee of the United Nations concerning refusal of Canada to grant asylum.

 

• Sponsored seminar, "Human Rights & Armed Conflicts," Salle XVIII, Palais des Nations, United Nations, April 11th, 2000.

 

• IHRAAM Intervention to the Sub-Commission on Agenda Item 11:  Forced Disappearances, April, 2000.

 

• Participated in the Prepcom of the World Conference Against Racism, Intervention on Item 7-8, May, 2000.

• Submitted Communication to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights concerning Arbitrary Detention of Four Mexican Social Activists, June 25, 2000.

• Co-sponsor: First International Conference on the Right to Self-Determination and the United Nations:  From Minority Rights to Political Independence, Forum Park Hotel, Geneva, Aug. 11-13, 2000.

• Co-sponsor  with University of Regina, Roundtable on Justice and the Social, Economic and Political Prerequisites for the Elimination of Weapons of Mass Destruction, Regina, Canada, November 2003.

• Co-sponsor, Second International Conference on the Right to Self-determination, the United Nations, and International Civil Society, Geneva, August 2004.

• Co-sponsor with East-West University, Roundtable on The United Nations & International Power Politics:  The Future of World Order, Chicago, IL. , June 2004

• Consultation and Speaking Engagement, Gullah-Geechee Kwanzaa Conference, December 26-30^th,  2005, Charleston, S.C.

 

 

 

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