A Power for Good: The Role of International Solidarity in Tackling Human Rights Abuses

Viasna and Ales Bialackij are among this year's laureates of Polish Prize of Sérgio Vieira de Mello, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (2002-2003)

The effectiveness of international diplomacy and civic advocacy in countering human rights abuses will be the focus of the first debate to be held in the Villa Decius Debate Series, a dialogue initiative of Villa Decius Association in co-operation with New Diplomacy. The debate will be moderated by New Diplomacy Chair, Jeff Lovitt, and the panellists include President of the Board of Villa Decius Association (and New Diplomacy co-founder) Jan Piekło, as well as Ales Bialackij, President of Human Rights Centre “Viasna” (“Spring”), Belarus, Anna Sevortian, Executive Director, EU-Russia Civil Society Forum, and Marian Turski, Deputy Chairman, Association of the Jewish Historical Institute of Poland (tbc).

The debate, to take place online (ZOOM ID: 944 4694 0797 password: 150950) from 17.45-18.45 CET on Thursday 10 December 2020, will examine tools and policies that have worked as well as the limitations of international solidarity. The panellists will also look at the lessons arising from failures to stand firm in the face of human rights abuses, not least in terms of genocide/ethnic cleansing and the use of state security services to quash human rights.

The debate is held as part of the awards ceremony for this year's Polish Prize of Sérgio Vieira de Mello, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (2002-2003). The panellists will include laureates from this year's prize and other practitioners in human rights, diplomacy and democracy promotion who will assess the potential and limitations of international solidarity and tools of diplomacy in the current context of the police clampdown against peaceful protesters in Belarus. They will also examine the scope for countering threats to human rights in Crimea, Eastern Ukraine and Nagorno-Karabakh. 

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A Power for Good: The Role of International Solidarity in Tackling Human Rights Abuses?

The inaugural Debate in the Villa Decius Debate Series, a dialogue initiative of Villa Decius Association in co-operation with NEW DIPLOMACY

17.45-18.45 CET on Thursday 10 December 2020

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Panellists:

ALES BIALACKIJ, President, Human Rights Centre "Viasna" ("Spring"), Belarus

MARIAN TURSKI, Deputy Chairman, Association of the Jewish Historical Institute of Poland (tbc)

ANNA SEVORTIAN, Executive Director, EU-Russia Civil Society Forum

JAN PIEKŁO, President of the Board of Villa Decius Association/former Ambassador of Poland to Ukraine

Moderator: 

JEFF LOVITT, Chair, New Diplomacy

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ZOOM ID: 944 4694 0797 password: 150950

or

Villa Decius Facebook channel: https://www.facebook.com/WillaDecjusza/

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Laureates, 2020, of Polish Prize of Sérgio Vieira de Mello:

• Human Rights Centre "Viasna" ("Spring") from Belarus (Ales Bialackij - President), 
• Hussein Alqaidi from Iraq (Office of Rescuing Kidnapped Y(azidis))
• Marian Turski, Deputy Chairman, Association of the Jewish Historical Institute of Poland