On April 16th, a group of Georgetown Law students was invited to the United States Capitol for a reception launching a revitalized Congressional Uyghur Caucus. This opportunity to convene with the Co-Chairs of the caucus, other Members of Congress, and the Uyghur activist community came on the heels of months of student advocacy for the protection of Uyghur refugees under the guidance of leaders of the Human Rights Institute.
WASHINGTON – Longtime civil and human rights attorney and national advocate for ending capital punishment Diann Rust-Tierney is joining Georgetown Law as the 2021-2022 Robert F. Drinan, S.J., Chair in Human Rights.
"While it is too late to avoid the immediate chaos, there is still time for the Biden administration and its allies to put in place a human rights-centered plan for the forcibly displaced and work to mitigate further disaster in Afghanistan. Failing to do so risks people’s lives and safety as well as the likelihood of another refugee crisis with global implications," write Elisa Massimino and Alexandra Schmitt.
Elisa Massimino talks about a new report produced for the Center for American Progress on "Redefining Homeland Security: A New Framework for DHS to Meet Today's Challenges."
WASHINGTON – Longtime human rights advocate and former Human Rights First President and CEO Elisa Massimino has been named executive director of Georgetown University Law Center’s Human Rights Institute.
"We view DHS from very different perspectives, but we both believe that DHS has become seriously out of balance with America’s needs. We need a new vision for the department that prioritizes responding to these needs and takes a broader view of what it means to keep the nation secure," write Elisa Massimino and Rudy deLeon.
"American diplomats have long understood that hypocrisy has a cost, especially for a nation that seeks to champion the ideals of democracy and human rights as the cornerstone of global peace and security," writes Elisa Massimino.
Elisa Massimino worked on a new report from the Center for American Progress on shifting the priorities of the Department of Homeland Security. Rather than focusing on investigative, detention, and law enforcement functions, functions better carried out by the FBI and Bureau of Prisons, DHS should shift toward new values of connecting, communicating, facilitating, welcoming, and helping.
Elisa Massimino introduces Mona Siegel's book "Peace on Our Terms" about the fight for women's rights during World War I in a book review roundtable with the Texas National Security Review.
"Rather than wait for these crises to boil over, the United States can take concrete steps to anticipate and prepare for the kind of forced displacement that is happening in Ethiopia today," write Elisa Massimino and Alexandra Schmitt in Just Security.
"Here’s our overall advice: as a starting point, go big at the White House, where significant change requires no legislation, and thus can be implemented quickly and effectively," write Elisa Massimino and Rob Berschinski on strengthening human rights in the new Administration.
