A Fight for Justice: Students Gather for the Annual Spotlight on Human Rights

Did you know that there are more slaves in the world today than in history? Or that in 2009, more money was made from human trafficking than by Google, Nike and Starbucks combined? These are only a fraction of the alarming facts learned at Spotlight on Human Rights, which took place in Oliva Hall on February 18. The annual event, presented by Human Rights Now, is designed to promote awareness of human rights issues across the globe, and to advocate for action. A number of students spoke on a variety of topics, based on research and study abroad experience.

After a dinner catered by 2 Wives Pizza, the event kicked off with music by Liz DeLise ’13. The first speaker was Karam Sethi ’12, founder of the project Enlightenment Through Books. “There is a crisis in Pakistan,” Sethi explained. Only 1 in 3 children go to school, and of these a third drop out by fifth grade.

Girls are especially disadvantaged in Pakistani society. The country has the third lowest enrollment rate for girls in the world, and those who try to attend school are often subjected to severe verbal and physical abuse.

Often, children are sent to Madrasas, schools established by the Taliban that teach the children with a strong, anti-Western sentiment. Even in these establishments, only boys are allowed.
Sethi explained that promoting education for children is one of the best ways to curb terrorism. Pakistanis often turn to extremist groups as a last resort. In 2009, he founded Enlightenment Through Books, which aims to raise $50,000 by March 2012 in order to build a Connecticut College sister school in Pakistan. As of now, if every student at Conn donated $20, the project would reach its goal. Humanitarian Greg Mortensen, whose book Three Cups of Tea inspired Sethi’s project, has said, “I’ve learned that terror doesn’t happen because some group of people somewhere like Pakistan or Afghanistan simply decide to hate us. It happens because children aren’t being offered a bright enough future that they have a reason to choose life over death.”

Later in the program, other groups on campus, including Spectrum and CoAST (Coalition Against Slavery and Trafficking), gave presentations. Jessica Bombasaro-Brady ’11 addressed the abuse of LGBTQ people in Uganda, which has been rampant ever since British colonial rule. With human rights violations already severe, the Ugandan government is trying to pass a law that would make matters worse for the LGBTQ community, making same-sex relations punishable by life imprisonment. Bombasaro pointed out that the rights of LGBTQ people are not protected in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, something that we must fight to change.

Aili Weeks ’11 presented a number of a statistics regarding human trafficking, including the staggering figure of 1.2 million people who are trafficked throughout the world every year. Of those trafficked in the United States, 80% are women, and 50% are minors, and the average age of entry into prostitution is twelve. Human trafficking is a business, made all the more lucrative because, unlike most “products,” people can be “reused.”

In the course of the evening, many students gave presentations based on their study abroad experiences. Rachael Hurwitz ’11 talked about her CISLA internship at FINCA Peru, an organization that helps women obtain loans to start small businesses. Jazmin Acuna Cantero ’11 described her research on race relations in South Africa, stressing the importance of knowing the truth of apartheid and current human rights issues. Corey Ogilby ’12 gave a talk on Christian-Muslim relations in Egypt. Despite the euphoria that has followed Mubarak’s resignation, Ogilby expressed concern for the future of Egypt. If a more radical group, such as the Muslim Brotherhood takes over, the persecution of Christians will only intensify.

Annie Bigwood ’11 gave a presentation entitled “Refugees in Cameroon,” based on her experience with the International Medical Corps. Caught in the crossfire of civil war, 9 million people have been displaced from the Central African Republic, fleeing violence and banditry. Bigwood’s presentation included a story of a refugee she had met: first, soldiers came to his house and robbed him, forcing him to slaughter a sheep and serve it to them. Later, they returned and took him hostage in their base, beating him severely and holding him for ransom. One day, he returned home to find his family murdered.

Though some students might have come away from the Spotlight on Human Rights feeling depressed, that was not the point of the event. As Cantero said, “Knowing the truth is just.”
The first step towards fighting for human rights is awareness. All of the students who presented demonstrated ways that we can make a difference, through awareness, donations and activism. •

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