Amnesty International’s 2018 Annual General Meeting

Philip Alston

United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights

Philip Alston teaches international law, international criminal law, and a range of human rights subjects. He has degrees in law and economics from the University of Melbourne and a JSD from Berkeley. He previously taught at the European University Institute, the Australian National University, Harvard Law School, and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. He was one of the founders of both the European and the Australian and New Zealand societies of international law and was editor-in-chief of the European Journal of International Law from 1996 through 2007. In 2014, he was appointed by the UN Human Rights Council as its Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights. From 2004 to 2010, he was UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, undertaking official missions to Sri Lanka, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Philippines, Israel, Lebanon, Albania, Kenya, Brazil, Central African Republic, Afghanistan, and the United States. He has also been on the Independent International Commission on Kyrgyzstan (2011) and the UN Group of Experts on Darfur (2007) and served as Special Adviser to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on the Millennium Development Goals (2002-07); chairperson (1991-98) and rapporteur (1987-91) of the UN Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights; and UNICEF’s Senior Legal Adviser on children’s rights (1986-92).

– Sessions –

Keynote Address

Sarah Ahmed

AIUSA Legislative Coordinator

Sarah Ahmed is a proud member of the Texas A&M Class of 2018. She is from Houston, Texas and a first-generation college student. She is majoring in political science with a minor in history. At Texas A&M, she has been a part of the Muslim Student’s Association and had the opportunity to serve on their officer board. The position allowed her a chance to engage in dialogue and interactions to help educate and respond to misconceptions and issues relating to Islamophobia. She is involved with Amnesty International USA (AISUA) in the capacity of Legislative Coordinator for the State of Texas. The position has allowed her to be well acquainted with different policies pertaining to human rights issues. Sarah’s work, especially in educating and spreading awareness about the Global Refugee Crisis, has fostered her interest in policy work. Her experiences with AIUSA have reinforced the importance and need for advocacy work. Her interest in legislative work led her to intern at Capitol Hill for the House Democratic Caucus. After graduation she hopes to pursue law school.

– Sessions –

Building Bridges: How to Engage Others When the World Feels Divided

Emily Beck

AIUSA Trainer of Membership Empowerment Project and Co-Founder of Privacy Watch-St. Louis

Emily Beck is a 25+year social justice activist. With AIUSA, she’s a Trainer for the Membership Empowerment Project and was Area Coordinator-Missouri. Emily trained Legal Observers® at Standing Rock and has provided jail, court, and administrative support for progressive movements across the US. She’s a co-founder of Privacy Watch-St. Louis.

– Sessions –

From COINTELPRO to TigerSwan: Legal and Tech Tactic for Protecting Human Rights Defenders

BHR: Being a Human Rights Defender on Business and Human Rights

Denise Bell

Senior Campaigner for Refugee & Migrants Rights

Denise Bell is AIUSA’s Senior Campaigner for Refugee and Migrant Rights. Prior to joining AI, Denise was an Attorney Advisor on the New York City Immigration Court at the U.S. Department of Justice. She graduated from Georgetown University Law Center, where she received a Certificate in Refugees and Humanitarian Emergencies and won asylum for a Cote d’Ivoire national as a student attorney with the asylum clinic. She serves on the Board of Advisors of Behind the Book and on the Board of Directors of The Advocacy Lab, a human rights education nonprofit organization working in New York City public high schools.

– Sessions –

Build Bridges Not Walls: How to Build a Local Movement for Refugees

Ebony Brickhouse

AIUSA Field Manager

Ebony Brickhouse is a Field Manager with Amnesty International USA (AIUSA). With nearly seven years with Amnesty International USA, her time organizing within the movement is over a decade. In addition to national organizing, Ebony is keen on collaborating with organizations, and individuals directly impacted by gun violence and have embraced the Ending Gun Violence work AIUSA has embarked on since 2014.

– Sessions –

Sneak Peak: AIUSA’S Upcoming Report & Campaign on Ending Gun Violence in the US

Rachel Brown

Executive Director of Over Zero

Rachel Brown is the Executive Director of Over Zero, which supports societies to resist division and create long-term resilience to identity-based conflict. She is the author of Defusing Hate: A Strategic Communication Guide to Counteract Dangerous Speech, which brings together insights from diverse fields of expertise – from marketing to cognitive neuroscience – to support practitioners seeking to design communications-based interventions for atrocity prevention. She was a 2014 Genocide Prevention Fellow at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide (where she developed Defusing Hate) and has led trainings and project design workshops on counteracting dangerous speech for a variety of organizations globally. She has spoken on counteracting dangerous speech at international conferences and events, including as a PopTech 2016 speaker, and her work on counteracting dangerous speech was profiled in the Christian Science Monitor. Rachel also founded and is the former CEO of Sisi ni Amani-Kenya (SNA-K), a Kenyan NGO that pioneered new strategies to build local capacity for peacebuilding and civic engagement, most notably through the creation of a text-messaging model and platform to support community-based efforts. She was recognized as a 2012 PopTech Social Innovation Fellow for this work, and the organization was profiled in the documentary Peace In Our Pockets. Rachel holds a B.A. in International Relations from Tufts University.

– Sessions –

Building Bridges: How to Engage Others When the World Feels Divided

Shahid Buttar

Electronic Frontier Foundation

Shahid Buttar leads the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s grassroots and student outreach efforts. Previously, he led the Bill of Rights Defense Committee as Executive Director. He’s an attorney focused on the intersection of community organizing and policy reform to shift legal norms, rooted in communities across the country resisting mass surveillance.

– Sessions –

From COINTELPRO to TigerSwan: Legal and Tech Tactic for Protecting Human Rights Defenders

Bridget Cambria

Partner at Cambria & Kline, P.C.

Bridget Cambria is a partner at Cambria & Kline, P.C. C&K specializes in immigration law and represents clients across the U.S. in immigration proceedings, as well as in impact litigation filed in district and federal courts in multiple jurisdictions. Mrs. Kline is also a founder of the non-profit Aldea – the People’s Justice Center. For the past three years, C&K and Aldea have represented hundreds of families detained at the Berks Detention Center pro bono.

– Sessions –

Hope for Humanity: America’s Refugee Stories

Ernest Coverson

AIUSA Senior Field Organizer

Early in his career, Ernest became an active member of the NAACP, Detroit Youth Council, and was instrumental in reactivating the Ferris State NAACP University Chapter. He has spent over 15 years working in domestic and international advocacy. Ernest joined AIUSA in 2010 as Field Organizer for the Midwest Region. Connect with Ernest on Twitter @AmnestyErnest.

Sheetal Dhir

AIUSA Senior Campaigner for Crisis and Tactical Response

Sheetal Dhir is the Senior Campaigner for Crisis and Tactical Response at Amnesty International. She covers crisis response work on developments arising from conflicts, coups and other events that result in sudden, widespread and serious human rights violations. She was previously with the American Civil Liberties Union, working on mass incarceration, criminal law reform, the death penalty, and prisoner’s rights as well as coordinating the ACLU’s work on #BlackLivesMatter. Originally a broadcast political news producer, Sheetal has produced for ABC News, Current TV, Al Jazeera, WGBH, and Fusion networks.

– Sessions –

Crisis Campaigning & the Current News Cycle: Tools and Strategies to Get the Win

Sarah Deer

Professor at University of Kansas

Sarah Deer is a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation of Oklahoma. She was named a MacArthur Fellow in 2014. Currently a professor at the University of Kansas, Deer is also the Chief Justice for the Prairie Island Indian Community Court of Appeals.

– Sessions –

Decolonize NOW: Indigenous Rights are Human Rights

Tarah Demant

AIUSA Director of Gender, Sexuality and Identity Program

Director of the Gender, Sexuality, and Identity Program, leads AIUSA’s work on women’s rights, LGBTI rights, Indigenous Peoples’ rights, and sexual and reproductive rights. Previously she has worked with the US Human Rights Network and as a professor of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and English.

– Sessions –

Decolonize NOW: Indigenous Rights are Human Rights

Gladys Dubon Chicas

Advocate

Gladys Dubon Chicas is an advocate for refugee rights and the end of family detention. She’s intimately familiar with US policy of detaining families seeking asylum and the re-traumatization it causes. Gladys and her young daughter fled violence in Honduras and were detained at Berks for about a year. Throughout her time in detention and since winning her asylum case, Gladys has supported and advocated for women and children who face a similar situation.

– Sessions –

Hope for Humanity: America’s Refugee Stories

Idill Eser

Director of AI Turkey

Idil Eser has been the Director of Amnesty International Turkey since 2016. She is a long time independent translator and has workedfor several civil society organizations in Turkey, including the History Foundation, the Helsinki Citizen’s Assembly, and Doctors WithoutBorders. Idil spent over 113 days in prison.

– Sessions –

Stop the Crackdown: How You Can Free Help Prisoners of Conscience Around the World

Andrew Fandino

AIUSA Senior Program Officer with the Individuals at Risk Program

Andrew Fandino is Amnesty’s new Senior Program Officer with the Individuals at Risk Program. He has over 18 years of human rightsadvocacy experience working with such organizations as the Guatemala Human Rights Commission, the Burma Border Projects, HumanRights Watch, Peace Brigades International, and the U.S. Office on Colombia.

– Sessions –

Stop the Crackdown: How You Can Help Free Prisoners of Conscience Around the World

Sandra Freeman

Attorney

Sandra Freeman is an attorney based in Colorado. She has successfully defended activists in state and federal courts and was a PublicDefender in Virginia before directing mass defense efforts with the Water Protector Legal Collective. She represents activists in NorthDakota and Virginia and indigent clients in Colorado.

– Sessions –

From COINTELPRO to TigerSwan: Legal and Tech Tactic for Protecting Human Rights Defenders

Nancy Galib

AIUSA Country Specialist of Myanmar

Nancy Galib is the Country Specialist for Myanmar, Chair of the Southeast Asia Co-group, and Co-group Steering committee, member.She has been an active leader in AIUSA for over 20 years and is a former member of the Board of the Directors. She is currently a cocoordinatorof the Northern Virginia Amnesty International group (Group 159).

– Sessions –

The Rohingya Crisis: History and Developments

Shujaa Graham

Activist

Shujaa Graham grew up on a Louisiana plantation where his family were sharecroppers. In 1973, he was convicted of murder and spentthe next 15 years on death row before he was finally exonerated. Since his release, he has campaigned to end capital punishment bysharing his personal story.

– Sessions –

State Sponsored Killings: Impacts of Systemic Racism on the US Death Penalty and Killings by Police

Jennie Green

AIUSA Business, and Human Rights Co-Group Co-Chair

Jennie Green, AIUSA Business, and Human Rights Co-group Co-Chair; METP human rights trainer; AI Business and Economic Relations
Network. Worked on AI’s campaigns including for Shell’s environmental clean-up in Nigeria, Standing Rock, W4R, corporate crimes
prosecution. Other backgrounds: U.S. human rights litigation against Exxon (Indonesia), Unocal (Burma), Shell (Nigeria).

– Sessions –

BHR: Being a Human Rights Defender on Business and Human Rights

Jeffrey Haas

Attorney and Founder of the People’s Law Office in Chicago

Jeffrey Haas is an attorney representing progressive movements and victims of police abuse. Author of The Assassination of FredHampton: How the FBI and the Chicago Police Murdered a Black Panther, he founded the People’s Law Office in Chicago and thesuccessful campaign to expose Jon Burge’s legacy of torture.

– Sessions –

From COINTELPRO to TigerSwan: Legal and Tech Tactic for Protecting Human Rights Defenders

Margaret Hall

AIUSA Student Activist Coordinator and Member Trainer

Margaret Hall works in the Office of International Programs at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI. As a student, she was the foundingmember and president of the Wayne State chapter of Amnesty International. Currently, she serves as a Student Activist Coordinator andMember Trainer for Amnesty International USA. She graduated from Wayne State University with a degree in Cultural Anthropology and aminor in Peace & Conflict Studies. Throughout her academic career, she extensively covered Myanmar and the Rohingya crisis, endingwith her thesis ‘The Effects of Nationalism and Discriminatory policies in Myanmar’. She is currently pursuing an MBA at the WayneState University Mike Ilitch School of Business with a concentration in International Business.

– Sessions –

The Rohingya Crisis: History and Developments

Ashley Houghton

AIUSA Tactical Campaign Manager

Ashley Houghton is the Tactical Campaigns Manager at Amnesty International USA, where she prepares for crises before they emerge.She builds campaigns around strategies to move the needle with key audiences in the US, advising on innovative engagementopportunities for Amnesty’s priority campaigns. In her previous roles at ReThink Media, she managed rapid response and crisiscommunications. She also developed and implemented effective media and communications outreach as well as capacity-buildingstrategies across the Security and Rights sector.

– Sessions –

Crisis Campaigning & the Current News Cycle: Tools and Strategies to Get the Win

Tara Houska

National Campaigns Director of Honor the Earth

Tara Houska is Ojibwe from Couchiching First Nation. She is National Campaigns Director of Honor the Earth, a co-founder of Not YourMascots, and was Native American advisor to the Sanders campaign. Her work focuses on issues facing indigenous communities, with afocus on environmental justice, protection of sacred sites, and institutional racism.

– Sessions –

Decolonize NOW: Indigenous Rights are Human Rights

Margaret Huang

AIUSA Executive Director

Margaret Huang is AIUSA’s Executive Director. Ms. Huang previously served as Chief of Staff and as Deputy Executive Director forCampaigns and Programs at Amnesty International USA. Earlier in her career, she served as Executive Director of the Rights WorkingGroup, a coalition of civil liberties and human rights groups formed in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks. Previously, sheserved as Director of the U.S. Program at Global Rights, Program Director of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Human Rights, andProgram Manager at The Asia Foundation. Earlier in her career, she served as Committee Staff for the U.S. Senate Foreign RelationsCommittee. Ms. Huang received a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University, and a B.S.F.S. from Georgetown University.

– Sessions –

Welcoming Remarks

Greg Jackson

Community Organizer and Campaign Strategist

Greg Jackson is a community organizer, campaign strategist, experienced advocate and communications professional in Washington D.C.He survived a near-fatal shooting as an innocent bystander in 2013. Upon his recovery, Greg has been an avid mentor for youth in at-riskareas and started initiatives like the Grassroots Education Project and “We Read” to facilitate more young professionals to mentor youthin the inner city.

– Sessions –

Sneak Peak: AIUSA’S Upcoming Report & Campaign on Ending Gun Violence in the US

Katrina Johnson

Activist

Katrina Johnson recently became an activist, and family spokesperson when her cousin, Charleena Lyles pregnant mother of four, wasshot and killed by police in her home after calling for help. Since then, Katrina has worked with other families who have lost loved onesto police violence in Washington State and local nonprofits to reform use of lethal force policy and police community relations inWashington State.

– Sessions –

State Sponsored Killings: Impacts of Systemic Racism on the US Death Penalty and Killings by Police

Zeke Johnson

AIUSA Senior Director of Programs

Zeke Johnson is the Senior Director of Programs at Amnesty International USA. He leads the organization’s team of issue experts workingto end urgent human rights abuses around the world. He has represented the organization before the United Nations Committee AgainstTorture, testified before members of Congress about US drone strikes, served as a trial monitor at Guantanamo and as a human rightsobserver in Standing Rock, Baltimore and Ferguson. His analysis has been cited by the New York Times, Washington Post and othermedia. Twitter: @ZekeJohnsonAi

– Sessions –

Sneak Peak: AIUSA’S Upcoming Report & Campaign on Ending Gun Violence in the US

Daniel Joloy

Amnesty International IS Senior Policy Advisor

Daniel Joloy is a Senior Policy Advisor at Amnesty International. Previously, he was the Advocacy Director at the Mexican Commission forthe Defense and Promotion of Human Rights, a leading Mexican NGO, and was also a human rights advisor for the youth-led organizationEspolea. He has also collaborated with different research projects in international human rights law and international relations at theCenter for Research and Teaching of Economics (CIDE). Daniel holds a B.A. in International Relations from Universidad Iberoamericanaand a Masters in International Human Rights Law.

– Sessions –

Policy Session III: Decriminalization of Drugs

Josh Kennedy

AIUSA Outreach Coordinator for Business and Human Rights Group

Josh Kennedy has been a business and human rights researcher for more than a decade, focusing on the nexus of conflict and corporateactivity. He currently serves as outreach coordinator for AIUSA’s business and human rights group.

– Sessions –

BHR: Being a Human Rights Defender on Business and Human Rights

Benya Kraus

AIUSA Priorities Sub-Committee Member

Benya Kraus represented AIUSA as the 2017 Youth Delegate to the International Council Meeting held in Rome this past August. She’sserved as the Massachusetts State Legislative Coordinator for the past three years, was a member of the AIUSA National StrategicPlanning Committee, and currently serves on the AIUSA Priorities Sub-Committee.

– Sessions –

Policy Session I: Climate Change

Kathleen Lucas

Director of Pennsylvanians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty

Kathleen Lucas joined Amnesty International while in college and has held a variety of volunteer leadership roles. Her organizationdevelopment career took her from Harley to Honeywell. She earned her BS and MA at Fairleigh Dickinson University and now serves asexecutive director of Pennsylvanians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty.

– Sessions –

State Sponsored Killings: Impacts of Systemic Racism on the US Death Penalty and Killings by Police

Emma Marks

AIUSA Campus Chapter President at Wilmington College

Emma Marks is a student at Wilmington College, where she is studying political science, agricultural communications, and sustainability.Emma is the volunteer Legislative Coordinator for Ohio as well as the president of her campus chapter of Amnesty International. This fall,Emma led a campaign at Wilmington College that successfully passed a Refugees Welcome resolution.

– Sessions –

Build Bridges Not Walls: How to Build a Local Movement for Refugees

Jenni Monet

Journalist

Jenni Monet is an award-winning journalist reporting on Indigenous justice issues. Her extensive coverage of the standoff at StandingRock earned her top journalism honors, but also led to her arrest. She is scheduled to go to trial in June 2018. Jenni is a tribal citizen ofthe Pueblo of Laguna and based in Brooklyn, NY when not on assignment.

– Sessions –

Decolonize NOW: Indigenous Rights are Human Rights

Simon Moya-Smith

Oglala Lakota-Chicano Journalist

Simon Moya-Smith is an Oglala Lakota-Chicano journalist and a contributor to CNN and NPR. He has a Master of Arts degree injournalism from Columbia University. Moya-Smith is a former staff writer with NBC News and The Denver Post. His new book, “YourSpirit Animal is a Jackass,” will release fall 2018.

– Sessions –

Decolonize NOW: Indigenous Rights are Human Rights

Ngozi Ndulue

NAACP’s Senior Director of Criminal Justice Programs

Ngozi Ndulue is the NAACP’s Senior Director of Criminal Justice Programs, providing leadership and direction for the NAACP’s efforts toreform the criminal legal system. Prior to joining the NAACP, Ngozi worked at the Ohio Justice & Policy Center and at the ArizonaFederal Defender’s Office. Her career has focused on representing prisoners in civil rights cases, post-conviction advocacy for deathsentencedinmates, and racial justice policy campaigns.

– Sessions –

State Sponsored Killings: Impacts of Systemic Racism on the US Death Penalty and Killings by Police

Mustafa Nuur

Bridge

Mustafa Nuur is a Somali refugee who fled with his family when he was 13. They spent nearly a decade living between Dadaab and Nairobi, Kenya before resettling in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. While working in marketing and web development, Mustafa is also a refugee leader and advocate. He volunteers with CWS resettlement and is the founder of Bridge, a platform that highlights refugee entrepreneurship and promotes cross-cultural interaction with refugees.

– Sessions –

Hope for Humanity: America’s Refugee Stories

Kit O’Connor

Legislative Coordinator

Kit O’Connor, Legislative Coordinator for Vermont and Trainer with the Membership Empowerment Training Project, is a proud NewEnglander. They’re guided by belief in agency, dignity, empathy and the importance of humor. A teacher, Kit has also advocated for abroad spectrum of people, with emphasis on teens and people with psychiatric disorders.

– Sessions –

Build Bridges Not Walls: How to Build a Local Movement for Refugees

Ilgu Ozler

AIUSA Board Member

Ş. İlgü Özler is the founder and Director of the SUNY Global Engagement Program in NYC and an Associate Professor of Political Science and International Relations at SUNY New Paltz. Her research focuses on civic engagement as it relates to political parties, nongovernmental organizations and social movements. She has done research on urban slums and squatter areas in Turkey, Mexico and Chile with her recent work focusing on Turkish civil society organizations and political participation. She teaches courses on the United Nations and global civil society. Since 2004 she has organized and participated in over 360 briefings for her students at the United Nations. She has engaged her students in applied work in global affairs through the Global Engagement Program in affiliation with 40 different international organizations. She is the founder of Mid-Hudson Valley local chapters of Amnesty International USA (served as coordinator 2011-2017) and of the United Nations Association (served as president 2013-2017). Özler received her Ph.D. in Political
Science from University of California, Los Angeles (2003).

– Sessions –

Policy Session I: Climate Change

Akriti Panthi

AIUSA Student Activist Coordinator

Akriti Panthi has served as the AIUSA Student Activist Coordinator for Missouri for over 4 years. She has facilitated conferenceworkshops and has served on regional and annual conference organizing committees.

– Sessions –

BHR: Being a Human Rights Defender on Business and Human Rights

Prachi Rao

AIUSA Field Organizer

Prachi, originally from Australia, holds a Bachelor of Laws, with a focus on international human rights law, and a Bachelor of Arts fromMonash University. She previously worked at the Women’s Environment and Development Organization, a global women’s advocacyorganization, where she worked to ensure women’s voices were represented in UN climate change negotiations, particularly in the lead upto the Paris Climate Summit. Over the past eight years, she has worked and volunteered nationally and internationally with a variety ofnon-governmental and grassroots organizations including Peace Women, Amnesty International Australia, the Starlight Foundation, Jeansfor Genes and Oaktree. At Oaktree – Australia’s largest youth-run movement fighting poverty – Prachi worked as Schools’ Directorengaging thousands of young people to become active agents of change in their communities.

– Sessions –

Build Bridges Not Walls: How to Build a Local Movement for Refugee

Makaya Revell

Marie Mambu Makaya Foundation

Makaya Revell fled the Democratic Republic of Congo at 16 when civil war broke out. He undertook an arduous journey to seek safety in the US, and was detained for a year at Berks. Since his release, he received his Master’s in International Peace and Conflict Resolution, and works to improve the lives of orphaned children in the Congo through his foundation, the Marie Mambu Makaya Foundation.

– Sessions –

Hope for Humanity: America’s Refugee Stories

Terry Rockefeller

AIUSA Board Member

Terry began her documentary filmmaking career at WGBH-TV where she helped create the long-running PBS science series, NOVA.Among her other credits are episodes of Eyes on the Prize, a history of the civil rights movement, and The Great Depression, bothproduced at Blackside, Inc., America’s leading African-American production company. Terry’s sister, Laura Rockefeller, was killed in the9/11 terrorist attacks. Since May of 2002, Terry has worked with September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows to oppose war inresponse to 9/11, to protest lack of due process in the military tribunals trying those accused of the terrorist attacks, and to closeGuantanamo. From 2003 to 2009, Rockefeller was a member of the board of directors of Murder Victims Families for Reconciliation,which works to abolish the death penalty in the U.S. She currently serves on the steering committee of United for Peace and Justice, acoalition of national and local peace, nonviolence and social justice organizations. She also works with the Iraqi Civil Society SolidarityInitiative, a collaboration between Iraqi and international NGOs to support human rights, democracy, and anti-corruption activists in Iraq.Terry has been a member of AIUSA for more than 30 years.

– Sessions –

Policy Session III: Decriminalization of Drugs

Krissy Roth

AIUSA Senior Program Officer for Criminal Justice

Krissy Roth is Amnesty International USA’s Senior Program Officer for Criminal Justice Programs, overseeing AIUSA’s work on abolishingthe death penalty and stopping unlawful killings by police. In this role Krissy works with AIUSA member leaders, activist, impactedcommunities, key partners, and elected officials to provide human rights impact towards these objectives.

– Sessions –

State Sponsored Killings: Impacts of Systemic Racism on the US Death Penalty and Killings by Police

Claire Sadar

AIUSA Country Specialist

Claire Sadar is one of Amnesty’s new Turkey Country Specialist. Claire was formerly an editor for the Iran, Iraq, and Turkey pages of theonline magazine Muftah. Her reporting has been published online in Foreign Affairs, the Vice, among other publications. She has amaster’s degree from Boston University.

– Sessions –

Stop the Crackdown: How You Can Help Free Prisoners of Conscience Around the World

Aniket Shah

AIUSA Board Chair

Aniket Shah is the Chair of the Board of Directors of Amnesty International USA. Prior to being Chair, Aniket served as the Treasurer ofthe organization beginning in 2013 and has been a board member since 2006. Aniket is the Head of Sustainable Investing atOppenheimer Funds. In this role, he is responsible for integrating Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investment principlesthroughout the firm’s investment strategies. Previously, Aniket was the Program Leader of the Financing for Sustainable DevelopmentInitiative at the UN (SDSN). In this capacity, he advised various governments, international financial institutions and asset owners onsustainable finance issues around the world. Aniket is a graduate of Yale University and is a PhD candidate at University the Oxford.

– Sessions –

Sessions: Official Opening and Closing Remarks

Salil Shetty

Secretary-General of Amnesty International

Salil Shetty joined Amnesty International as the organization’s eighth Secretary General in July 2010. A long-term activist on poverty andjustice, Salil Shetty leads the movement’s worldwide work to end human rights violations. Prior to joining Amnesty International, SalilShetty was Director of the United Nations Millennium Campaign from 2003 to 2010. He played a pivotal role in building the globaladvocacy campaign for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. From 1998 to 2003, he was chief executive ofActionAid, and is credited with transforming the organization into one of the world’s foremost international development NGOs. SalilShetty studied at the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad and at the London School of Economics.

– Sessions –

Official Opening

Jasmeet Sidhu

AIUSA Researcher

Jasmeet Sidhu is a Researcher with AIUSA. She is currently researching the impact of gun violence on human rights in the United Statesand the government’s obligations to prevent acts of gun violence for AIUSA’s upcoming report. Jasmeet is a lifelong human rights activistand a seasoned attorney dedicated to advocating for social justice.

– Sessions –

Sneak Peak: AIUSA’S Upcoming Report & Campaign on Ending Gun Violence in the US

Lisha Sterling

Executive Director at Greeks Without Bounds

Lisha Sterling is Executive Director at Geeks Without Bounds, a nonprofit that supports open source technology in low-resource situations
including disaster response, refugee camps, low-income countries, and low-income communities in otherwise high-resource countries.
She believes security is a key factor in supporting resilience and stability for vulnerable people.

– Sessions –

From COINTELPRO to TigerSwan: Legal and Tech Tactic for Protecting Human Rights Defenders

Emily Walsh

AIUSA’s Human Rights Defenders (HRD) Campaigner

Emily Walsh is AIUSA’s Human Rights Defenders (HRD) Campaigner, leading the organization’s work on protecting the rights of HRDs.Emily will also be leading the Refugees Welcome Resolutions initiative in close partnership with member leaders. Emily previouslyworked on AIUSA’s Individuals at Risk team and has also served as a human rights observer at Standing Rock and Guantanamo Bay. Thisis Emily’s eighth year with AIUSA. Connect with her on Twitter @EmilyWalshAI.

– Sessions –

Build Bridges Not Walls: How to Build a Local Movement for Refugees

Matt Wells

AIUSA Senior Crisis Adviser

Matt Wells is a Senior Crisis Adviser at Amnesty International, where he undertakes human rights investigations in situations of armedconflict and major crisis. He was the lead researcher and author of Amnesty’s October 2017 report, “My World Is Finished”: RohingyaTargeted in Crimes Against Humanity in Myanmar, and, following additional research in Bangladesh in January 2018, is currentlyworking on a comprehensive report on the Rohingya crisis, which will examine the totality of crimes committed as well as the units andindividuals responsible within the Myanmar military. He has more than a decade of experience carrying out human rights investigationsacross Africa and Asia, with a particular focus on mass atrocity crimes, including in the Philippines, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Côte d’Ivoire.

– Sessions –

The Rohingya Crisis: History and Developments

Erika Guevara-Rosas

Americas Director at Amnesty International

Feminist & Human Rights Lawyer
@ErikaGuevaraR

– Sessions –

Welcoming Remarks & Hope For Humanity: America’s Refugee Stories