It was an unseasonably warm afternoon in Grand Forks, North Dakota. A small audience gathered into the cozy little classroom on the second floor of the University of North Dakota's law school building. The group was anxious to hear about two attorneys' work with victims of human trafficking in a region of the world many people have never heard of and struggle to pronounce.
One attorney was presenting from Baku, Azerbaijan, and it was close to bedtime for her. The other was in Washington, DC, and it was around lunchtime for her. They appeared in North Dakota via the magic of video chat to tell their stories.
The students sat and listened with rapt attention as the attorneys spoke of the plight of the workers who were lured into Azerbaijan under the pretense of meaningful work, only to be indentured to the construction industry. The students also learned about the work done to help those displaced by war or political and social instability find new homes. Throughout the hour-long presentation, the students asked many questions, and it was clear that they were engaged and inspired. Afterward, many asked how they could become involved, how they could go to Azerbaijan, and about how the Critical Language Scholarship could help them achieve these goals.
I am the secretary of the University of North Dakota International Human Rights Organization. When my organization was thinking of ways to drum up interest and shed a light on human rights efforts, I thought of a presentation in which students could share in my experience in Azerbaijan while aligning that experience with the substantive focus of the group.
One attorney was presenting from Baku, Azerbaijan, and it was close to bedtime for her. The other was in Washington, DC, and it was around lunchtime for her. They appeared in North Dakota via the magic of video chat to tell their stories.
The students sat and listened with rapt attention as the attorneys spoke of the plight of the workers who were lured into Azerbaijan under the pretense of meaningful work, only to be indentured to the construction industry. The students also learned about the work done to help those displaced by war or political and social instability find new homes. Throughout the hour-long presentation, the students asked many questions, and it was clear that they were engaged and inspired. Afterward, many asked how they could become involved, how they could go to Azerbaijan, and about how the Critical Language Scholarship could help them achieve these goals.
I am the secretary of the University of North Dakota International Human Rights Organization. When my organization was thinking of ways to drum up interest and shed a light on human rights efforts, I thought of a presentation in which students could share in my experience in Azerbaijan while aligning that experience with the substantive focus of the group.
On November 17, I helped organize a presentation on human rights and anti-human trafficking with a panel consisting of two attorneys I befriended during the CLS Program in Azerbaijan. Michelle Brady is the Program Director who oversees American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative efforts in Azerbaijan. Jennifer Riddle was a former Legal Specialist in Azerbaijan who spearheaded the anti-human trafficking efforts there. She is now a U.S. Legal Unit Protection Officer at the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. In addition to their work in Azerbaijan and beyond, Jennifer and Michelle discussed the importance of Azerbaijani language skills in communicating ideas for change, and offered advice on how young lawyers can get more involved as agents of global change.
If anyone would like to learn more, Michelle, Jennifer, and I welcome questions about Azerbaijan, human rights efforts, and the Critical Language Scholarship Program. Please e-mail me for more information. Sizin dərslərinizdə və işlərinizdə uğurlar! Sağ ol!
If anyone would like to learn more, Michelle, Jennifer, and I welcome questions about Azerbaijan, human rights efforts, and the Critical Language Scholarship Program. Please e-mail me for more information. Sizin dərslərinizdə və işlərinizdə uğurlar! Sağ ol!
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