From ancient wars to the present day, sexual violence has been such a persistent and widespread feature of armed conflict that it is often viewed as an unavoidable consequence of war. But today, thanks to a movement which seeks to lift up and prioritize the views of survivors, that is changing.

The 2023 Samuel Dash Conference on Human Rights will focus on conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) and efforts to center the perspectives of survivors in recovery, accountability, and prevention.

Featuring advocates and survivor champions from around the world, the conference will engage lawyers and experts who are working to advance new strategies that put the needs, wishes, and human rights of survivors front and center. The conference will also shed light on the unique experiences of male and LGBTQ+ survivors of CRSV and examine the inequities in support systems for these groups. Finally, the conference will explore the “deep-rooted political, socioeconomic, cultural, environmental, and institutional drivers of conflict” as identified by the UN Framework for the Prevention of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence and examine how to scale up evidence-based approaches to reduce the risk of these crimes.

SPEAKERS

Featuring a keynote address by 2018 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Nadia Murad and discussions with Grace Achan, Lisa Davis, Fanny Gomez-Lugo, Dr. Kathleen Kuehnast, Dr. Robert Nagel, Natia Navrouzov, Wai Wai Nu, Kim Thuy Seelinger, Patricia Ollé Tejero, Leslie Thomas and others to be confirmed.

The Samuel Dash Conference on Human Rights is named for former Law Center professor Sam Dash. Our largest annual event, the conference brings together leading figures in the human rights field to discuss and debate a current human rights issue.