Aims: IU Human Rights and Environmental Defenders

Objectives

· Establish an Indiana University School of Law-based volunteer, independent, nonpartisan, educational and multi-sectoral organization, with representatives from the faculty, staff, students, and alumni

· Help fortify the rule of international human rights law through ahimsa (nonviolence)

· Adopt the international human rights law framework in addressing human rights issues and problems, with a racial and gender perspective

· Promote the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders

· Open up and develop channels and opportunities for collective engagement by IU Law Faculty, staff, students, and alumni in real life, action-oriented, and impact-generating initiatives, programs, projects, activities, and campaigns in the Law School, community, local, national, regional, and international arenas

· Help bridge IU Law to the grassroots

· Encourage IU Law Faculty, staff, students, and alumni to assume a visionary and proactive leadership role in addressing emerging human rights and environmental issues in the U.S. and various parts of the world

· Complement and support the scholarly and advocacy goals of the Law Faculty, staff, students, and alumni by raising awareness about international human rights law and how it intersects with and addresses various emerging issues, especially the following:

o trafficking

o slave labor

o domestic violence, woman or spousal battery and abuse

o immigration

o child detention

o housing discrimination

o prisoners’ rights

o disability rights

o health issues

o copyright and intellectual property

o apartheid, etc.

· Coordinate and consolidate efforts to address and raise awareness about emerging human rights and environmental issues and challenges through the lens of international human rights law

· Help develop, protect, and support international human rights and environmental defenders, lawyers, scholars, and advocates among members of the IU Law community

· Assume a leading role for IU Law in human rights and environmental defense and promotion in the national and international arenas

· Help motivate IU Law Faculty, staff, students, and alumni to initiate programs, projects, activities, and campaigns to deal with human rights and environmental challenges through the power of international human rights law

· Coordinate and help facilitate human rights and environmental information-sharing among IU Law Faculty, staff, students, and alumni