Justin Hefter
Justin Hefter has dedicated his life to protecting young people who stand up for democracy and human rights in some of the most dangerous countries in the world. To that end, he has co-founded two nonprofit organizations: The 30 Birds Foundation and The African Middle Eastern Leadership Project (AMEL). The 30 Birds Foundation has evacuated more than 450 schoolgirls, family-members and activists for girls education from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan and is working to secure the educational futures for Afghan women. The AMEL Project provides young activists with the tools, networks and support to promote dignity and rights across Africa and the Middle East. In addition to his work with 30 Birds and AMEL, Justin supports human rights cases independently as a consultant, advocate and public speaker. He has consulted on cases of activists from Yemen, Sudan, Uganda, Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Nigeria and Vietnam. He is widely known for his efforts to help the peace activist Mohammed Al Samawi escape from extremists during Yemen’s civil war in 2015, as told in Mohammed’s memoir and soon-to-be film The Fox Hunt.
Justin has won several awards for his work, including the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Medal of Valor and the American Jewish Committee San Francisco’s Lloyd Sankowich Award for Outstanding Leadership. Justin is a Seeds of Peace GATHER Fellow, an Ariane de Rothschild Accelerating Humanity Fellow, a member of the Schusterman ROI Community for Jewish leaders, and a member of the American Jewish Committee’s Interfaith Steering Committee. Prior to launching AMEL and 30 Birds, Justin was the co-founder and CEO of Bandura Games, a video game startup he cofounded with Israeli and Palestinian partners that developed video games to connect kids from across conflict zones. Justin’s work has been featured in multiple books, including The Fox Hunt by Mohammed Al Samawi and See, Solve Scale: How Anyone Can Turn an Unsolved Problem into a Breakthrough Success by Brown University Professor Danny Warshay. He currently serves on the board of directors for AMEL, 30 Birds and the American Jewish Committee San Francisco. He has previously served on the board of Stanford University Hillel. Justin holds a BA in Public Policy from Stanford University and a Masters in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School. At Harvard, Justin worked closely with Professor Ronald Heifetz as a course coach, co-teaching Adaptive Leadership to Harvard graduate students.
The 30 Birds Foundation is a nonprofit that evacuates primarily minority schoolgirls and their families from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. After helping more than 450 people escape the country, the Foundation is working to ensure the evacuees are able to continue their education and advocacy in support of democracy and human rights. Furthermore, 30 Birds is exploring innovative ways to continue to support the education and careers of women and girls who have been left behind.
The African Middle Eastern Leadership Project (AMEL) is a nonprofit founded in 2017 that operates an online university for human rights activists. AMEL trains, connects, and protects the next generation of young leaders who are advocating for women’s rights, LGBTQ rights, religious freedom and other human rights causes across Africa and the Middle East. AMEL recruits the top young activists from across 40+ countries in the MEA region, and then brings in seasoned experts and activists who have found success in the field to teach on democracy, human rights, genocide-prevention and the Holocaust, digital security, physical security, non-violent movement building, trauma-therapy and self-care.
José María Argueta
José María Argueta, the ambassador and permanent representative of Guatemala to the Organization of American States (OAS), has a long history of government service. Former ambassador to Japan and Peru, he was Guatemalas first civilian national security advisor under President Ramiro de Leon Carpio and secretary of strategic intelligence during President Otto Pérez Molinas first two years in office.
He coauthored and implemented both the widely recognized ESTNA Methodology, a conflict resolution method that was instrumental in the peace processes of Guatemala and El Salvador, and the Crisis Committee, designed to institutionalize the presidential decision-making process. As ambassador to Japan, he coauthored the Central America-Japan Initiative, which resulted in the 2005 Tokyo Declaration, and as ambassador to Peru, he helped negotiate the release of hostages at the Japanese Embassy in 1996.
He has served as a consultant to the Inter-American Development Bank, Harvard Universitys Center for Conflict Resolution, and the National Endowment of Democracy and sits on the International Advisory Board of Beyond Conflict, which assists leaders in divided societies struggling with conflict. Previously, he was a scholar/practitioner in residence at Tufts Universitys Institute for Global Leadership.
The author of The Enlightened Dissent Methodology: A Leadership Methodology for Peace Building (2008), Argueta has written extensively on the root causes of social conflict.
I had a wonderful working and personal relationship with José for decades. He is known affectionately as “Chema” to his friends. Charismatic and courageous, he created our “Poverty and Power” research initiative at the Institute. We initially called it “Oligarchy and Corruption”, until we quickly realized how it would endanger both the students researching conflict areas and inequalities, and their interviewees. Chema was an INSPIRE fellow, a mentor for students of all Institute projects. He particularly participated in our “Iraq: Moving Forward” conference. He is a wonderful, compassionate teacher and the quintessential mentor.
Neil Blumenthal
Neil Blumenthal is a co-founder and co-CEO of Warby Parker, a transformative lifestyle brand that offers designer eyewear at a revolutionary price, while leading the way for socially conscious businesses. In 2015, Fast Company named Warby Parker the most innovative company in the world.
Prior to launching Warby Parker in 2010, Neil served as director of VisionSpring, a nonprofit social enterprise that trains low-income women to start their own businesses selling affordable eyeglasses to individuals living on less than $4 per day in developing countries.
He was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and one of the 100 Most Creative People in Business by Fast Company. He serves on the board of RxArt and on the United Nations Foundation Global Entrepreneurs Council.
A native of New York City, Neil received his BA from Tufts University and his MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
This is from an interview with Neil:
How did your time at Tufts influence your later work, both with VisionSpring and Warby Parker?
I think that Tufts in particular takes a global view and very much takes a view of action. So it’s one thing to be aware of challenges throughout the world, and it’s another thing to take steps to work to resolve those challenges and I think that’s a very Tufts thing, something that’s prevalent throughout the Tufts community. And I think about my classmates and it’s often a Tufts student that was the first to go out and not just pay lip service to changing the world but actually working to make it happen. I [studied] abroad, I went to Argentina and Spain, immediately after school, it was actually Sherman [Teichman] who helped me think about what, at the moment, I was most passionate about, and at the time it was international affairs and like many Tufts students I was an International Relations major, and a dual major with history. I wanted to, in the most basic terms, get people to stop killing each other so we could focus on the big issues like health and education, so I went over to the Netherlands, and did some graduate coursework on negotiation and conflict resolution, returned to New York to work at a think tank that came up with policies to resolve deadly conflict, before meeting Jordan Kassalow and starting at VisionSpring.
Did you have a favorite class or professor at Tufts?
I think there were two classes. One was EPIIC, through the Institute for Global Leadership with Sherman Teichman. And then the second, this was a class called The Nuclear Age, and it was taught by Martin Sherwin and was also co-taught actually with a physics professor, so it was both sort of a history and a physics credit.
Any words of advice for the young and naïve?
One is the obvious one, always follow your passion. But in order to do that you need to discover what that is and part of that is doing things that you may like or dislike, to really get at the heart of it. But you should be thinking that everything you do, hopefully, opens more doors and if you have that frame of reference, hopefully you’ll create more and more opportunities for yourself.
This article from moneyinc on 10 things you didn’t know about Neil speaks to his interest in foreign policy and conflict resolution. These comments are germane to what we did together when he was an undergraduate.
6. He Was Passionate about Foreign Policy
In an interview with startups.com, the CEO said he had been passionate about foreign policy and global affairs; therefore, he majored in International Relations and History at Tufts University, Massachusetts. He was hopeful that he would change the world by working at the State Department, so he took the Foreign Service exam. He later worked on negotiations in the Netherlands, believing that the only way he would let people focus on significant issues like health and education was to stop people from killing each other.
9. He was Disappointed after Learning about How Foreign Policy Works
While Blumenthal wanted to influence change directly, he realized that coming up with policies that would never be implemented was a waste of time. He became disillusioned while working at a think tank because it dawned on him he would be sitting in an office for the rest of his career, developing policies and passing them on to those who were supposed to implement them. His need to solve problems directly, therefore, led him to think about becoming an entrepreneur.
Neil recently delivered the COVID-delayed Tufts class of 2020 commencement talk and he called me the night before to reminisce.
Beyond our wonderful teacher/mentor, and student relationship, there were some other truly unexpected pivotal moments in my life with Neil.
When my son Nathaniel was considering business school, I introduced him to Neil who had graduated Wharton and was already taking Warby Parker on its great trajectory. He reinforced Nathaniel's decision. He ultimately applied and graduated from Columbia Business School.
Five years ago, Neil alerted Nathaniel that he was going to deliver a talk on entrepreneurship at CBS. Nathaniel arrived at the Columbia auditorium early, deposited his backpack under a prime seat and left. When he returned a winsome young woman, who was considering CBS had taken his chair. With the auditorium still quite empty, with people slowly gathering, Nathaniel sat down next to her. Now five years later, they are husband and wife.
I joke about them as "the lion and the lioness," as she graduated Columbia's graduate school of Public and International Affairs (SIPA).
Kelly is Director of Projects at IUNU, (“you knew”), an industrial computer vision company connecting plants, facilities, and people through a single interface, LUNA turns commercial greenhouses into precise, predictable, demand-based manufacturers.
Nathaniel is currently the Head of Strategy & Business Development at Master & Dynamic. and the creator of Stance.
Don't miss it - register today for American Complicity in the Israeli Occupation!
Don't miss our special educational series on American Complicity in the Israeli Occupation.
Our first conversation, with Peter Beinart, contributing opinion writer at The New York Times, and Nizar Farsakh, Founding Chair of the Museum of the Palestinian People. Will be held on:
Monday, October 3
7:00pm ET / 4:00pm PT.
If you want to attend but can’t make the time, a recording will be made available for everyone who registers in advance.
Talk 2: The Evangelical Community
featuring:
Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis and Lisa Sharon Harper
In what ways, both public and private, is the American Evangelical Community supporting and sustaining the Occupation?
Tuesday, October 18, 2:00pm ET / 11:00am PT
Talk 3: Midterm Elections
featuring:
Matt Duss, Foreign Policy Advisor to Senator Bernie Sanders
How will this upcoming American election influence the future of Israel, Palestine, and the Occupation?
Wednesday, November 2, 2:00pm ET / 11:00am PT
P.S: We are excited to share that this past year, CfP launched the Palestinian Freedom School (Madraset al-Huriyaa). Our current class is composed of 26 emerging Palestinian activists ages 17 to 28. These young leaders come from all over the West Bank to learn creative non-violent methods, organize mass action, and advocate for the Palestinian cause. This month, the cohort met for the fourth time and our young leaders gathered in Ramallah for an intensive training on using social media as a powerful tool for nonviolent civil resistance.
CfP was able to launch the Palestinian Freedom School because of your generosity, compassion, and commitment to peace. We are so grateful that you are a part of the Combatants for Peace family and we can't wait to see you soon!
In solidarity and hope,
Beth Schuman
Executive Director
American Friends of Combatants for Peace
New year, new hope?
Dear Friends,
In Israel, we are busy preparing for the High Holidays. Deciding where to have our festive dinner, remembering whose turn it is to host, dipping our apples in honey and pausing to reflect on the year that was. We have to admit, we started the year more enthusiastically than we are ending it. The Hebrew year 5782 brought with it a new ‘Government of Change’ - one that would restore democracy, that promised better times ahead, and that would make ending the occupation a priority and a reality. It wasn’t an easy task and we relied on a small number of minority parties to make a dent in the wall of right wing nationalistic rhetoric. It didn’t work.
Once again, the occupation was put on the political and social back burner, settlements expanded and the Palestinian 2022 death toll in the West Bank is the highest it has been for seven years. The Israeli coalition government crumbled as violence took hold, and politicians were reminded once again that the occupation cannot be ignored, and that restoring democracy inherently begins with ending the military rule of one people over another. Israelis go back to the polls again in November and our hope is to elect strong leaders who have the courage to make ending the occupation a national priority and who will break the ugly status-quo.
As Yair Lapid said on the UN stage yesterday “Peace is not a compromise”. We couldn’t agree more! But neither is human rights, access to water, and freedom of movement. We were cautiously optimistic to hear the words ‘Peace’ and ‘Palestinians’ in the same sentence, but now we need action, and to take positive steps to end settler violence, evacuate illegal outposts, and get back around the table for direct peace talks.
One thing we do know, is that regardless of who is in power, we have to be the change we want to see. We will continue to unite Israelis and Palestinians and create friendships, coalitions and partnerships that many people think are impossible. We are a model of togetherness that we are repeatedly told can’t happen - yet here we are!
On that note, we finally got to spend quality time together, in person! We held our annual bi-national movement meeting, and for anyone who thinks Palestinians and Israelis are only destined to be enemies, see the photos below. We are forever each other's partners for peace.
In Peace & Solidarity from Israel/Palestine,
Rana Salman
Palestinian Director
Yonatan Gher
Israeli Director
Israeli - Palestinian All Movement Meeting
We met last week in Beit Sahour, on the outskirts of Bethlehem, for our annual bi-national members and staff meeting. Dozens of Israelis and Palestinians filled our conference suite, to come together for the first time since Covid kept us apart. We hugged and caught up on our lives, our frustrations, and our hopes for the future.
Throughout the two days that we were together, we listened, we shared, we argued and we debated the issues that matter to us most. We talked about the urgent need to encourage young people to join us, and how women must be at the center of peace making. We looked for ways to spread our message of non-violence, and ultimately, how we can end the occupation once and for all.
We heard from our Palestinian colleagues and friends about their lives in the Jordan Valley, Jericho, Hebron and Nablus. How they live without access to water or electricity, stuck between checkpoints and humiliated by permits. We can't sit back while this continues.
We have a plan, and we intend to do whatever it takes to change the system, to bring about peace, and to deliver equality, justice and freedom for all.
The Art of facilitation workshop
Combatants for Peace volunteers took part in a creative, unique event hosted in Lublin, Poland. The workshop was designed to strengthen and promote leadership skills for activists through the medium of art, theatre and performance.
Participants included Ukrainian refugees and female Armenian educators amongst others, and together the group heard personal stories, and designed protest actions as a team. Liat, a CfP member and one of the event organisers shared this reflection following the workshop;
"There are two significant sentences that stayed with me from the workshop that I would like to share: the first was Ayman's sentence - who concluded the workshop by saying that his heart was opened to the story and situation of other countries at war, and that his head was opened to the desire to learn and know more. The second sentence was said by one of the Ukrainian participants "I used to have no problem cooperating with Russians, today I can't imagine how we will bridge the gaps. I am glad that there is a living example of Israelis and Palestinians here and I would love to hear about your path."
Our ongoing work depends on people like you, who share our vision of peace, reconciliation and justice.
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Join us for Village Time Honoring Bank of Kigali
Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village Presents
November 1, 2022 at 6PM ET
Join us as we celebrate ASYV’s foundation and future.
Honoring:
Bank of Kigali
With a Special Tribute to Ed & Vivian Merrin
Please visit this link for a complete list of our generous sponsors.
Paul Joseph
Paul Joseph was recently the Distinguished Chair for the United States-India Education Foundation (Fulbright program) and based at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. He is a political sociologist with a Ph.D. from UC Berkeley. His research specialty is the politics surrounding foreign and defense policy, and especially the impact of public opinion and peace movements on policy outcomes. His books include a decision-making study on the Vietnam War, the debate over nuclear policy, and the security implications of the end of the Cold War. In Are Americans Becoming More Peaceful? he explores the influence of new public sensitivities toward the costs of war on the Bush administration’s management of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He has investigated “human terrain teams,” the social scientists who were embedded in combat brigades in Iraq and Afghanistan, and served as General Editor of the Encyclopedia of War: Social Science Perspectives(Sage Publishers). He has also published articles, review essays, and encyclopedia entries on race and class in the United States, on Maori-Pakeha (European) relations in New Zealand, the memory politics surrounding Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the influence of peace movements on government policies. He was for many years the director of the Peace and Justice Studies Program at Tufts University, and served two terms as president of the national Peace Studies Association. He has lectured in more than a dozen countries, served as guest curator for a Tufts Art Gallery exhibition based on the materials provided by peace museums in Japan, and experimented with video conferencing technology to develop co-curriculum with the Naval Academy and West Point. His teaching interests include war and peace, globalization, and political sociology, and he was recognized by Tufts University with both the Lillian Liebner Award for Teaching and Guidance and the Seymour Smiches Award for Distinguished Teaching.
The Oslo Freedom Forum is Coming to NY on Oct 3rd!
The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) is excited to announce the Oslo Freedom Forum in New York (OFF in NY), a half-day event at Town Hall in Manhattan, featuring theater talks and performances by the world’s top human rights activists and dissidents, followed by a special Speaker Gala.
Join us to hear first-hand stories from intrepid human rights defenders, and meet a community of philanthropists, technologists, investors, artists, journalists, policymakers, and activists aiming to make the world a more free, open, and peaceful place.
The Speaker Gala will take place at the Current (Chelsea Piers), following the theater program. The Gala will be a unique opportunity to spend time with OFF speakers while enjoying additional talks, performances, and fine dining.
This year's program will include an incredible lineup of human rights defenders who are promoting freedom around the world, including:
Garry Kasparov, Russian Chess Grandmaster, pro-democracy advocate, & Chairman of the Human Rights Foundation (HRF)
Yeonmi Park, North Korean defector & expert on the country’s black market economy
Masih Alinejad, Iranian journalist & activist
Leopoldo López, Venezuelan opposition leader & democracy activist
Berta Valle, Nicaraguan journalist & pro-democracy activist
Carine Kanimba, Daughter of imprisoned "Hotel Rwanda" hero Paul Rusesabagina
Fatou Jallow, Gambian anti-rape activist & survivor
Oleksandra Matviichuk, Ukrainian human rights lawyer & head of the Center for Civil Liberties
Chemi Lhamo, Tibetan activist & community organizer
Anna Kwok, Exiled Hong Kong activist
Jason Rezaian, Washington Post Global Opinions Journalist
Event Tickets
General tickets ($25 Theater Pass and $10 Student Pass) are available for purchase on Ticketmaster.
Speaker Gala tickets ($1,500 single and $10,000 8-person table) are available for purchase on Eventbrite. You may also sponsor students and activists to attend OFF in NY on this page. Gala tickets include access to the theater program.
See what it’s like to attend the Oslo Freedom Forum in New York
More details about the event and participating speakers will be released soon. In the meantime, you can find additional information at oslofreedomforum.com and on Twitter and Instagram.
For questions about tickets and registration, please e-mail registration@hrf.org.
If you are interested in becoming an official sponsor for OFF in NY, please e-mail sponsorships@hrf.org.
If you are interested in attending as a member of the media, please e-mail media@hrf.org.
Adriana Guardans-Godo
Adriana is a communications professional with experience supporting businesses, NGO’s, and governments to build, protect, and promote their strategic objectives. She is currently a Senior Consultant at Boldspace, a brand building, communications, and analytics agency for ambitious businesses seeking positive impact.
Previously, Adriana was at London-based public relations agency Blakeney, where she worked on global clients including the COP26 Presidency and UNDP-backed Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative (VCMI). Before then, Adriana taught English at Jose de Diego Middle School in Miami through Teach for America.
Adriana graduated in 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and History and completed her Master’s in Public Diplomacy and Global Communications at University College London. During her time at Tufts University, she was a speaker coach for TedxTufts and a passionate Institute of Global Leadership learner, where she is a alumna of the 2015-16 EPIIC '“Future of Europe” colloquium and Synaptic Scholar.
Adriana believes in the power of clear, creative and compelling effective storytelling to drive change and mutual understanding, whether this be in the classroom, in politics, or in business.
Adriana’s final EPIIC project:
Multiculturalism
Rough Waters
The Voyage
Merkel
Chains
Gary Samore
Dr. Gary Samore is the Director of the Crown Center for Middle East Studies and Professor of the Practice of Politics in the Department of Politics at Brandeis University. He is also a senior fellow in the Korea project and associate with the Project on Managing the Atom at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Samore previously served as President Obama’s White House Coordinator for Arms Control and Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and President Clinton’s Senior Director for Non-proliferation and Export Controls. Prior to his service in the White House, he held several position in the Department of State, focusing primarily on US nonproliferation policy in Asia and the Middle East. He was a National Science Foundation Fellow at Harvard University, where he received his MA and PhD in government in 1984.
Alexandra Vacroux
Alexandra Vacroux is Executive Director of the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University. Her scholarly work addresses many Russian and Eurasian policy issues and she teaches popular courses on the comparative politics of Eurasia and post-Soviet conflict. As Director of Graduate Studies for the Davis Center’s MA program in regional studies, she has mentored dozens of Harvard’s best and brightest students and regional experts.
Alexandra lived in Moscow from 1992 to 2004. While there she held a number of positions, including consultant for the Russian Privatization Agency; partner and head of sales at the Brunswick Warburg investment bank; and active member of the board of United Way Moscow. While completing her dissertation on corruption in Russian pharmaceutical markets she was affiliated with the Center for Economic and Financial Research (CEFIR), a Russian think tank associated with the New Economic School. Prior to joining the Davis Center in 2010 lived in Washington, DC, where she was a Scholar at the Kennan Institute, part of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
Alexandra received a Dean’s Distinction Award from Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and was given the Alumni Award from the Education for Public Inquiry and International Citizenship (EPIIC) Program at Tufts.
As a commentator, she has been praised as "refreshing," "straightforward," and "quick and to the point." She has appeared on NPR, CNN, Fox News Radio, China Central TV, Hromadske TV (Ukraine), and speaks regularly at community forums at home and abroad.
She holds a Ph.D. in Government from Harvard University.
Alex was my student in 1985 as a freshman in the very first initiative I created at Tufts University, the colloquium Quidnuc of the Experimental Colleges’ Advisory Committee on Intellectual Life (ACOIL), and its subsequent symposium “International Terrorism”. She was critically instrumental in the creation of my penultimate symposium, decades later in 2015, on The Future of Russia. She was perhaps the only person, besides myself, who could recognize the sad irony of each symposium, opening with the 2 assassinations: the first of Swedish Prime Minister, Olof Palme, and the second of a friend democracy and human rights activist, Boris Nemstov.
One could easily recognize her intelligence, thoughtfulness, and understated brilliance even as an 18 year old. It has been my delight to have her as a friend for all these decades.
Mariam Tokhadze
Mariam Tokhadze is the Director of the Georgian Center for Strategy and Development (GCSD) – a Tbilisi based non-governmental, non-profit and non—partisan organisation. She first joined the team as the Director of the Terrorism Research Center (TRC) – the first non-governmental entity fully dedicated to researching topics related to terrorism and violent extremism, implementing preventive projects and accumulating thematic knowledge and expertise in the country. In 2017 she was awarded MSc in Security Studies from University College London (UCL). Her professional experience is with various state institutions operating in the field of defence and security. In the past, she has worked at the Ministry of Defence, the State Security Service of Georgia and the technical assistance project of the European Union to the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Refugees and Accommodation. In her previous capacities, she participated in the elaboration of various strategic and national level documents such as Georgia’s first National Counter Terrorism Strategy. In her current capacity Ms. Tokhadze prioritises projects that support Georgia’s democratic reforms, she strives to help strengthen Georgia’s democratic institutions and aims to help build Georgia’s capacity in understanding, preventing, and countering violent extremism. She aspires to create education and development opportunities for the youth of Georgia and hopes to be a positive contributor to bringing their tremendous potential to the forefront. With her team she works towards the goal of making Georgia safer, more secure and a place where potential becomes reality and drives progress. Above all else she believes in accessibility of education as the foundation of strong institutions and a prosperous society.
Jyotsna Badrinarayanan
I am a diplomatic history researcher currently based in Mumbai who has worked and taught in the fields of security studies and foreign policy research. I graduated from SOAS with a Master’s in International Studies and Diplomacy which broadened my horizons to the kind of work undertaken by people in negotiation and conflict resolution. I have since worked in research on intractable wars, including the Indo-Pak conflict and its relationship to Kashmir, as well as the recently escalating tensions between North and South Korea. To support my interests, I also picked up archival research skills and have since researched and taught qualitative research methodologies to support historical research.
I am passionate about engaging with young minds about politics and making education in history and international relations accessible and interesting to the youth. I grew up in a society where I was told that talking about politics was taboo as my opinions would invite criticism and even violence in retaliation. As a young woman who has been fortunate enough to have my pick of warm and encouraging mentors everywhere I go despite these circumstances, I wish to do the same for students and I hope that my commitment to teaching and interacting with students is only the beginning of my journey.
I began my foray into history and politics after Juliano Mer-Khamis’ Freedom Theater from Jenin visited my school to expose us to the realities of the protracted Israel-Palestine conflict. Despite being barely 11, his documentary “Arna’s Children” was a visual experience in understanding the loss of home, family and history to the hands of war. Years down the line, learning that history textbooks do not complicate the history of conflicts enough made me realise that I would like to learn more about it and write a little nuance into those pages. Nearly fifteen years later, I still hold no sure answers and neither do the people around me but I can see clearer than ever the steps taken by civil society to ensure the presence of community at times of crisis.
The work done by Sherm and his Convisero community to address not only this conflict but also several conundrums of the 20th and 21st century is what drew me to him in 2022 and I continue to learn about politics, human rights advocacy and conflict with him. Sherm has been a significant mentor to me, patient with his guidance, direct with any requests or criticism and a North Star of sorts in making me stay the course away from partisan thinking. I hope, through this, to keep the dialogue going among youth around me.
“Man’s capacity to rise above his social and historical situation seems to be conditioned by the sensitivity with which he recognizes the extent of his involvement in it.” - E.H. Carr
In all of my SaiU effort’s Jyotsna, as my TA, and far more, as my intellectual and pedagogical colleague and real instructor professional in residence has exhibited and demonstrated acumen and passion for our students and the intent of SaiU to provide moral clarity and ethical purpose in our efforts.
I have had the pleasure and privilege of having her at my side in instruction and edifying conversation and the benefit of her insight and thoughtfulness on the of both the complexities of India and global issues.
We are finishing and ending several years of formal of intersection, but I am honored she has agreed to enter Convisero as a long term mentor to me and our community.
Michael Peznola
Mr. Michael Peznola is the Chief of Staff/Dean of Administration for the National War College and a Retired US Marine Corps Colonel. His military career spanned 30 years in command and staff positions from Infantry Platoon Commander to Commander, Marine Special Operations Advisor Group. His overseas tours included Somalia, Afghanistan, Cuba, Japan and Europe; this includes operational deployments to Somalia with a Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable)(1993) and Afghanistan as the Director, Operations/Intelligence Fusion Cell, NATO SOF (2011) and as the Chief of Staff, Special Operations Task Force, Bagram (2013). He served multiple tours in Washington DC and Quantico in the service headquarters at the Manpower Department and joint duty in Stuttgart Germany as the Assistant Chief of Staff, US European Command.
Upon retirement from the Marine Corps, he served as the Executive Director, Institute for Global Leadership at Tufts University and most recently at Plymouth State University as the Academic Operations Manager.
He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Lowell and possess an MS in Military Studies from the USMC Command and Staff College and an MA in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College.
FUNCTIONAL EXPERTISE: Strategic planning and leadership, Special Operations, Resource Management, Military Operations
"Pez." as we all knew, him, was appointed my Executive Director, in charge of Administration and Finance. I was to be in charge of education, academics and intellectual life. He entered the Institiute by fiat of the Tufts Administration at an interesting turbulent time, when the Institute and I personally were under an external review, prompted by what turned out to be unproven specious charges. I apparently was considered an unorthodox maverick by the Tufts Monaco administration
He was recommended to the President's and Provost's office by the then Fletcher Dean, Admiral James Stavridis, for whom he had recently been his senior adviser
Over a two years he had an office next to mine. He reviewed our books, our practices, observed our conduct, attended our programs, classes, everything, and he really took the time to understand the uniqueness of the Institute. Given his Marine Corps background I asked him to be a special adviser to our civil-military initiative, ALLIES. He was a wonderful, fun and intriguing colleague.
At one point, after months together, he gave me one of the most touching of my Institute mementos. This is this inscription Pez wrote in his gift to me of the biography of John Boyd, Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War. Boyd. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Boyd_(military_strategist)
Sherm:
John Boyd was the designer of the F-16 and more importantly developed a warfighting concept of the OODA(Observe, Orient, Decide and Act) of warfighting.
John was a significant influence on me and the Marine Corps. He was an intellectual radical who had a dramatic, intellectual impact on the Corps from the 80's until today, often seen as an outsider in his own service(USAF) with a larger than life personality, who took risks for the betterment of the intellectual soul of the military.
I see much of John Boyd in you.
Here is my favorite Boyd quote which he told me in person in 1989.
"And you're going to have to make a decision about which direction you want to go in," he raised his hand and pointed "if you go that way you can be somebody, you will have to make compromises and you will have to turn your back on your friends, but you will be a member of the club, you will get promoted and you will get the good assignments. Then Boyd raised his other hand and pointed in the other direction. Or you can go that way and you can do something - something for your country and yourself. If you decide you want to do something you may not be promoted, and you may not get the good assignments and you certainly will not be a favorite of your superiors. But you wouldn't compromise yourself. You will be true to yourself and your friends. And your work might make a difference. To be somebody or do something. In life there is often a roll call. That is when you will have to make a decision To Be of To Do. Which way will you go?
Enjoy the book.
Semper Fidelis
Pez
Jean-Louis Romanet Perroux
Jean-Louis Romanet Perroux is a researcher and advisor on international cooperation and development, and the director of the North African Policy Initiative (NAPI), an NGO that focuses on improving participatory governance and building the capacity of youth in North Africa.
He has over 20 years of hands-on experience in program design and implementation, in training and coaching students and activists, and in conducting action-oriented research and strategic evaluations in the fields of civil society, youth and women empowerment local governance, corruption, human trafficking and smuggling, migration, and violent extremism.
He has worked in multiple countries and multicultural organizations, often under pressure and in conflict environments. He has worked in multiple countries and multicultural organizations, often under pressure and in conflict environments
Specifically in Africa Jean-Louis has worked with more than thirty national and international organizations. He has obtained a Bachelor in Aeronautical Engineering from the Italian Air Force Academy, a Master in Political Science from the University of Trieste and a Master and a PhD in International Relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University.
He describes himself as a social entrepreneur with a knack for channeling collective human resources to achieve common goals.
This is something I can clearly attest to.
I worked closely with Jean-Louis during his Fletcher years and beyond.
He was one of my EPIIC teaching assistants, a task he performed with great ease, charm and assiduousness. Several of my students were his researchers and organizers for his Libyan civil society initiative and the Institute supported several of his initial conferences and research
https://sites.tufts.edu/reinventingpeace/2013/01/03/libya-the-long-way-forward/
A NATO pilot turned humanitarian, educator, scholar and civil society and democracy activist, he was one of my primary candidates to succeed me, but I understood and honored his desire to finish his PhD. I attended his defense with pride. We are good friends.
Erin Kelly
Professor of Philosophy, Tufts University
Erin Kelly grew up in Rochester, Minnesota. She earned her undergraduate degree in philosophy from Stanford University; in further pursuit of philosophy, she then went to Columbia University for graduate study before moving to Harvard University, where she earned her PhD. Her research interests are in moral and political philosophy and the philosophy of law, with a focus on questions about justice. She has developed a particular emphasis on criminal law, moral responsibility and theories of punishment. Her current work aims, among other things, to develop philosophical conceptions of reparative and transformative justice as alternatives to retributive accounts of punishment. She has a non-academic interest in music, film, the outdoors, and two young adult daughters.
Erin won the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in the biography category for “Chasing Me to My Grave: An Artist’s Memoir of the Jim Crow South” (2022), which she co-authored with Winfred Rembert, the biography’s subject. Rembert, who died in 2021, received the prize posthumously.
The Pulitzer Board described Rembert and Kelly’s book as “a searing first-person illustrated account of an artist’s life during the 1950s and 1960s in an unreconstructed corner of the Deep South, an account of abuse, endurance, imagination and aesthetic transformation."
Erin has been a treasured friend for many years. We collaborated on a range of programs, most noteworthy, our common concern for abolishing the death penalty, https://www.tuftsgloballeadership.org/calendar/confronting-death-penalty, work with the Petra Foundation, http://petrafoundation.org/, The IGL Innocence International Project, https://www.tuftsgloballeadership.org/program/innocence-international and establishing the Rubin "Hurricane" Carter and John Artis Archive at Tufts.
Erin is currently working to engage and activate the Archive with the Tufts University Prison Initiative (TUPIT), and the emerging Tufts academic minor in Carceral Studies.
This project is very much a part of the Trebuchet's ongoing criminal justice initiatives. https://www.the-trebuchet.org/criminal-justice
Aaron Markowitz-Shulman
Aaron Markowitz-Shulman is business leader with experience in the tech, logistics, retail and finance sectors. After graduating from Tufts in 2005 he moved to London to work for ING Bank and spent the subsequent 12 years in the global shipping industry. Since 2017 he has worked as a senior exec in scale-up companies with a focus on raising capital and delivering international expansions. He also serves as a company board member and is an advisor to start-up founders, helping them to translate their vision into compelling investment narratives and executable strategies for growth. He’s passionate about working with companies that transform industries by finding novel ways to solve hidden or seemingly intractable problems.
Aaron was a member of the EPIIC colloquium in 2002-2003 where he co-published “The Sovereignty Exchange”, a series of interviews and conversations with global leaders on the future of sovereignty. He was also a founder of NIMEP (now MERG, the “Middle East Research Group”) and remains fervent believer in the power of collaborative learning and dialogue to foster understanding between people that have different backgrounds, opinions and lived experiences.
Aaron is based in Oxford, UK and continues to work with different companies around the world.
7th Newsletter for Our 2022 Program
August 2022 Newsletter
Celebrate with us: the 50:50 Startups 2022 Cohort concludes the Advanced Incubation phase!
We are thrilled to share that our participants have completed the Advanced Incubation phase at Northeastern University, Boston, U.S.A! There, they took their startup experiences to a whole new level by polishing market research skills, finalizing pitch decks and practicing pitches.
We were delighted to have the final pitch decks and presentation scripts due for the 50:50 Startups entrepreneurs and the Northeastern university students already on August 18th. Working closely with the teams reflects the greatest impact on their startups, where they accomplished high-quality presentations that will be used to pitch for grants, seed money, and funding.
We thank our partners - D'Amore-McKim School of Business and their learning initiative "Bridging Conflict, Creating Diversity: An Entrepreneurial and Marketing Experience" - for making this possible. Here, you can read more about the experience of our participants at Northeastern University.
Networking Event at Northeastern University!
Our articipants had a chnace to meet with local entrepreneurs, tech and business stakeholders, and friends of the 50:50 Startups program.
Join the 2022 50:50 Startups Demo Day!
We are delighted to announce the Demo Day Event 2022 on September 28th between 18:00-20:00 at Azrieli College of Engineering Jerusalem. It will be the end of the 2022 cohort as well. Each venture will have the chance to pitch their deck, where two ventures will be nominated to win the #1 or #2 prize. 🏆
You can express your interest in participating in the Demo Day as audience by signing up via this Google Form. We will follow up with you regarding the schedule and ways to join, once that information is finalized. Keep an eye on our social media channels to stay updated and to celebrate the success of our third cohort with us!
We launched our mentor page! Would you like to be our next mentor?
We are proud to have such outstanding professionals on board to mentor our participants throughout the 50:50 Startups journey. Check out our mentors team, and contact us in case you would like to join and mentor the 50:50 Startups participants of the upcoming 2023 cohort!
Applications open for 50:50 Startups cohort of 2023!
We are pleased to invite you to apply to be part of our next 50:50 Startups cohort and to share this opportunity with those who may be interested. The applications should be made via our website's application section. We are looking forward to this amazing new experience!
Alumni Updates
Yalla Reyada
The team launched their beta version Yalla Reyada and is working with six trainers nowadays. All the platforms are online for fitness personal training. They are all in English in Europe, US, and Colombia. So far, platforms in arabic are not available.
Quantum
The team has a new name Q-Fi and has launched their website Q-Fi . 50:50 Startups staff assisted the team with a few grant opportunities.
Check out ways you can support the 50:50 Startups vision. Donate via PayPal to:
- Give more passionate Palestinian and Israeli youth the chance to build strong relationships based on economic cooperation.
- Support 50:50 Startups workshops, events, activities.
- Help 50:50 winner ventures to start their own company.
- Cover a highly-subsidized 5-week startup boot camp in Boston.
Contact us to learn more!
Visit our Website for More
Visit https://www.5050startups.org/ to learn more about 50:50 Startups!
New HRF Podcasts: August Recap
New HRF Podcasts: August Recap
Dissidents and Dictators is the Human Rights Foundation (HRF)'s podcast series that serves as a storytelling platform for some of the world's bravest activists, artists, policymakers, business leaders, and technologists. Throughout the month of August, we have released a number of new episodes, including:
Episode #49 - From Rhetoric to Action: Bukele’s Erosion of Democracy in El Salvador
After nearly two decades of democracy, El Salvador’s democratic institutions find themselves under siege. President Bukele has achieved extreme popularity, fueled by populist rhetoric and the adept use of social media. In this episode, El Farojournalist Nelson Rauda discusses how Bukele has abused emergency powers, eroded the independence of the judiciary, and paved the way for his re-election, in direct violation of El Salvador’s constitution.
Episode #50 - #freesadhan
In this episode, recorded at the 2022 Oslo Freedom Forum, we hear from Areej al-Sadhan, a Saudi activist and sister of Red Crescent humanitarian worker Abdulrahman al-Sadhan, who disappeared during a 2018 crackdown on critics and activists in Saudi Arabia. Areej remains outspoken on the ill-treatment of her brother and other activists, and has publicly denounced Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s brutal human rights abuses.
Episode #51 - Rally for Belarus
Since 1994, Alexander Lukashenko has ruled Belarus with an iron fist, turning the country into an authoritarian state where opposition figures and independent journalists are routinely harassed, jailed, and assassinated. In this episode, recorded at the 2022 Oslo Freedom Forum, we hear from three Belarusian activists who have spent years fighting corruption under Lukashenko’s regime and rallying for a free and democratic Belarus. Guests include:
Tatsiana Khomich, Belarusian Activist & Sister of Political Prisoner Maria Kalesnikava
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Leader of democratic Belarus
Veronica Tsepkalo, Chair of Belarus Women's Foundation
Episode #52 - Youth Mobilizing in Exile: Standing Up Against the CCP
Over the past several decades, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has relentlessly attacked fundamental human rights in order to advance its political goals. This episode explores how youth in the diaspora are grappling with the Chinese government’s abuses in their respective homelands, and mobilizing in exile. Guests include:
Mustafa Aksu, Program Manager at the Uyghur Human Rights Project
Babur Ilchi, Program Director at the Campaign for Uyghurs
Tenzin Yangzom, Grassroots Coordinator at Students for a Free Tibet
Anna Kwok, Strategy and Campaign Director at Hong Kong Democracy Council
Episodes are available on all major streaming platforms
RWCHR Weekly Digest
This summer we had the pleasure to host excellent interns who engaged themselves fully with the Centre’s pursuit of international justice. I am delighted to share with you a message written by McGill law student Ella Johnson about her internship experience.
Best,
Irwin Cotler, International Chair of the RWCHR
Interning at the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights has been one of the most incredible, rewarding experiences of my life. I came to the Centre after my first year of law school out of a desire to learn more about international and human rights law. My time here has opened up that world to me more than I ever expected. That is a credit both to the Centre’s staff, who are dedicated, experienced advocates and mentors, and to the substantive, groundbreaking work that they do on many of the most important human rights violations of our time.
For example, the Centre has in the past two years led the first independent legal analyses of Chinese violence against the Uyghurs and Russian violence against Ukraine, respectively, under the international legal framework of genocide. An independent report such as this provides a very important support to any efforts by the Uyghurs and Ukrainians to advocate for themselves. It is also quite important for all other states, who have obligations to prevent genocide, as it informs them of when those obligations have been triggered.
I did not know any of that before my internship, but was able to learn because I was brought into the process of writing, releasing and publicising the Russia report. The Centre’s staff made the time to explain what was happening to me as the process went along, gave me a chance to contribute meaningfully to the report and provided me with constructive feedback throughout the process. I learned much more than I ever could have in a classroom and feel really proud that I was able to contribute to this important work. My experience has been so excellent that I will continue working with the Centre after this summer. I cannot imagine a better place to begin a career in this field.
RWCHR Statement on Sentencing of Jafar Panahi
The RWCHR condemned the arrest and arbitrary detention of award-winning Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi and called for his immediate and unconditional release from Evin Prison. Iran’s judiciary ruling that Mr. Panahi serve a previous six-year prison sentence is an affront to his universal human rights and the international rule of law and must be promptly overturned.
CJN Interview with Professor Irwin Cotler
Professor Cotler was interviewed on The CJN Daily podcast, on the anniversary of Canada’s National Summit on Antisemitism, to assess the progress made since the first-ever national summit of its kind. Convened by the Canadian Government and Professor Cotler in his role as Canada’s Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism, Canada’s National Summit on Antisemitism was a timely initiative that brought together the Prime Minister and other Government Ministers, parliamentarians, and a diverse representation of the Jewish community, among others. Professor Cotler shared a National Action Plan to Combat Antisemitism at the Summit and summarised the concrete action that has been taken since the Summit in the past year.
RWCHR Statement Condemning Recent Wave of Baha’i Arrests
The RWCHR strongly condemned the recent wave of arrests, raids, and imprisonments targeting Baháʼís by Iranian authorities. The arrest – and systematic targeting – of members of the Baháʼí faith is a looking glass into the Iranian regime’s longstanding pattern of hate and persecution against the Baháʼís in Iran.
Op-Ed by Professor Irwin Cotler on China’s Transnational Repression
Professor Cotler published an article in The Globe and Mail on China’s transnational repression, including the criminal harassment and intimidation of Canadians such as Canadian Uyghur Husseyin Celil, and Canadian businessman Xiao (James) Jianhua. Titled “The Chinese government's continued assault on Canadian freedoms requires action”, Professor Cotler called for meaningful action to address this repression, including by prioritizing the combatting of arbitrary detentions as a matter of principle and policy and imposing targeted Magnitsky sanctions on CCP officials responsible for human rights abuses.
Commemorating Raoul Wallenberg’s Birthday
On the 110th anniversary of his birth, the RWCHR remembered and paid tribute to the life and legacy of Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg – Canada’s first Honorary Citizen and hero of the Holocaust. An inspirational role model for humanity, Raoul Wallenberg demonstrated how one person with the compassion to care and the courage to act can confront evil, prevail and transform history.
RWCHR Announces Role as Co-Chair of Global Civil Society Coalition Advocating for Targeted Sanctions
We are delighted to announce our role as Co-Chair of a global civil society coalition comprising over 300 of the world's leading NGOs advocating for targeted sanctions against perpetrators of human rights abuses and corruption. Coordinated by US-based NGO Human Rights First, this coalition has been instrumental in much of the major sanctions designations in recent years, as well as meaningful legislative and policy initiatives. The RWCHR's new role as Co-Chair of this important group signals a newfound focus on Canada – a recognition of the leading role of Canadian civil society and government – and the need for further concrete action and coordination.
Mourning the Passing of the Honourable Bill Graham
The RWCHR is very saddened to learn of the passing of the Honourable Bill Graham. A long-time friend and colleague of Professor Cotler, they worked together as Law Professors, Parliamentarians, and Cabinet Ministers. A leader respected internationally and a great Canadian, he will be truly missed. Condolences to his family and friends.
Summary of GPAAAC’s Inaugural Meeting
The official summary of The Global Parliamentary Alliance Against Atrocity Crimes (GPAAAC) inaugural meeting has been released. Professor Cotler participated in the meeting, hosted by MIGS and KAS Canada, where he led a discussion on our ground-breaking report concluding that Russia bears State responsibility for breaches of the 1948 Genocide Convention.
Update on Vladimir Kara-Murza
Hero of humanity and RWCHR Senior Fellow Vladimir Kara-Murza yet again faces new sham charges as part of Vladimir Putin’s campaign of repression targeting democracy advocates, opposition politicians, anti-war commentators, and the like. We stand with Vladimir and his wife Evgenia during his unjust detention which is yet another example of the Kremlin’s criminalization of speech, association and assembly.
Article by Nasrin Sotoudeh
Nasrin Sotoudeh, a leading imprisoned Iranian human rights lawyer, whose case was first taken up by Professor Cotler as a parliamentarian in 2011, published an article in Ms. Magazine standing in solidarity with women across the United States after the Supreme Court’s recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. In her public letter, Nasrin warned of the dangers of the “loss of freedom and democracy”.
Murray Rankin Appointed as BC’s Acting Attorney General
Congratulations to RWCHR Board Member Murray Rankin – who also serves as BC Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation – on being appointed BC’s Acting Attorney General. We are very proud to be working with him in common cause.
Baroness Helena Kennedy Continuing Work in Support of Women Judges in Afghanistan
RWCHR International Legal Advisory Board Member Baroness Helena Kennedy continues to be engaged in the rescue and resettlement of Afghan women judges. See here for more on their plight and pain, and Baroness Kennedy’s ongoing efforts to secure their safety.
Article by Jared Genser on Brittney Griner’s Imprisonment
RWCHR U.S. Chair Jared Genser co-authored an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal on Brittney Griner’s imprisonment in Russia as the most recent example of hostage-taking by authoritarian states – like Russia and Iran – targeting U.S. citizens.
Cindy Blackstock’s Post-Apology To-Do List
RWCHR Senior Fellow and Director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society Cindy Blackstock published a “Post-Apology ‘To Do’ List” – a list of actionable items – in the wake of the Pope’s apology on the part of the Catholic Church for Canada’s Residential Schools.
Murray Sinclair Issues Statement After Pope’s Apology
RWCHR Senior Fellow Murrary Sinclair published a statement after the Pope’s apology to survivors of Canada’s Residential Schools, recognizing the importance of the apology for First Nations, Inuit and Metis survivors, but also calling for more to be done – by the Catholic Church and all Canadians – towards the goal of reconciliation.
Ahmed Shaheed Completes Mandate as UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief
Congratulations to RWCHR Senior Fellow Ahmed Shaheed on completing his mandate as UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, during which he focused on combatting hate and intolerance, including antisemitism. We are very proud to continue to be working with him in common cause. See here to read his latest report – and recommendations – on combatting antisemitism on a global scale.
Russia locked up Vladimir Kara-Murza for telling the truth about Ukraine - Washington Post
What comes after Pope Francis’ apology? Here’s what advocates say - Global News
We Must Act To Protect Ukrainian Children - From Abductions And Other Abuses Suffered In Putin’s War - Forbes
Myanmar: PEN Centres around the world condemn the execution of writer Kyaw Min Yu - PEN International
Ambassador Bob Rae slams UN human-rights expert over 'biased, antisemitic' comments - National Post
"We Consider Ourselves Baha'is": Politicians, NGOs and Stars Stand With Embattled Baha'is of Iran - IranWire
This is a brief snapshot of the domestic and global reach of the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights. For ongoing updates and special alerts, follow us on social media!