Global Campus of Human Rights Magazine n 6 (March 2022)

Abstract

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”