Global Campus of Human Rights Magazine n 6 (March 2022)
Date
2022Author
Nowak, Manfred
Aquino, Elisa
Ballarin, Giulia
Esposito, Isotta
Papaspyropoulou, Penny
Keogh, Briana
Owens, Alannah
Gelders, Beatrijs
Giordanetti, Carlo
Ienzi, Alessandro
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In the editorial prof. Manfred Nowak, Secretary General of the Global Campus of Human Rights, stresses again about the particular responsibility of universities specialised in human rights to defend academic freedom and the right to stand up for human rights and democracy in their own countries and beyond. In this context prof. Nowak writes about the developements of the GCHR special programme to assist students, scholars, female judges and other human rights
defenders, who had to flee Afghanistan afer the Taliban take over
in August 2021, by providing them, with the financial assistance
of the European Union, Right Livelihood and other donors, with a
safe space at universities in our network. In the few weeks since Russian President
Vladimir Putin started an unprovoked military aggression against
the Ukraine, more than two million Ukrainians, above all women
and children, have been forced to flee their country and seek
protection in Poland, Romania and other European countries. The
Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, which is currently
under siege by Russian troops, is a member of the Global Campus
and its Caucasus Master programme. Many Ukrainian students and
graduates of the Caucasus Master are either caught in the middle of
this bloody war or have managed to flee their country. Others have
been recruited into the Ukrainian army that is desperately defending their country. Professors and students of our member universities
in Poland, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and many other European
countries are actively supporting and assisting Ukrainian refugees,
thereby underlining the social responsibility of universities and the
academic community. The Global Campus is ready to provide a safe
space for Ukrainian students and scholars and at the same time
supports those Russian intellectuals who publicly condemn and
stand up against Putin’s war and international crimes. These unprecedented and severe reactions by the international
community provide a glimpse of hope that President Putin’s
aggression has not only united the European Union but is also
strengthening multilateralism and the resilience of the post-World
War II architecture, democracy, the rule of law and human rights.
In any case, these tragic events prove that educating future human
rights defenders is more important than ever before.
The Global Campus of Human Rights stands ready to contribute
to these noble goals by means of education, training and advocacy
work.
_____________________________________________________________________
This issue includes interviews with:
Penny Papaspyropoulou,
Secretary General of the EMAlumni
Association
Briana Keogh, Alannah Owens & Beatrijs
Gelders,
EMA Students’ Representatives,
Carlo Giordanetti,
CEO of Swatch Management and
Swatch Art Peace Hotel
Alessandro Ienzi,
Director of “Teatro Raizes”