|
The War on Human Rights
CLEVELAND: Larry Cox, executive director of Amnesty International USA, will speak about what can be done to put the United States back on the road toward human rights at noon on Friday, December 8, 2006, at The City Club of Cleveland, just two days prior to Human Rights Day.
This December 10th marks the 58th anniversary of the UN’s adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the foundation of the global movement for human rights and a contributor to the protection and liberation of millions of people around the world. Yet instead of merely celebrating this document, many feel it is now necessary to defend it because its core idea—every human being without exception must be treated with dignity and respect by all governments—has come under attack, not just from governments and groups which have long expressed contempt for human rights but also from a government which has been its champion, the United States.
Many claim that the war on terror has increasingly become a war on human rights, providing cover and sanction for repressive governments around the world, undermining human rights defenders and harming our security. Larry Cox will speak about how we got to this point and what we need to do to get back on track as a nation that supports human rights.
Larry Cox joined Amnesty International USA in January 2006 after serving 11 years as senior program officer for the Ford Foundation’s Human Rights unit. While at the Ford Foundation, Cox co-edited and co-wrote the introduction to the report Close to Home: Case Studies of Human Rights Work in the US, which examines the traditional human rights tools organizations use to reduce poverty, promote workers’ rights and environmental justice, abolish the death penalty and end discrimination.
Tickets for this City Club Friday Forum are $18 for members and $30 for non-members. Lunch is included. Reservations are required at least 24 hours in advance of the event. They can be purchased by calling The City Club at 216.621.0082 or visiting the website at www.cityclub.org.
|
