Wisconsin International Law Journal
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Conferences & Symposia

2021 Symposium

International Law and Racial Justice

Dedicated to Professor Linda S. Greene
Please see below for more information about Professor Greene’s many contributions to WILJ and UW Law School

Wisconsin International Law Journal
University of Wisconsin Law School

Date: April 8 and 9, 2021

WATCH RECORDINGS OF THIS EVENT HERE

Overview

In the United States, African American people and other racial minorities are treated unequally and inequitably. National awareness of this long-pervasive problem grew exponentially in 2020 following organized Black Lives Matter marches across the country protesting excessive force used by the police on people of color. Answering this call can take many forms, but the result must be the same: dismantle systemic oppression through the abolishment of institutionalized racism. The international and comparative approach of this Symposium seeks to, through the discussion of varying histories and conflicts rooted in the marginalization of human rights, educate on the extent of the problem and to propose possible solutions ranging from individual reparations to national covenants and international treaties.

The United Nations celebrated its 75th anniversary last fall. Reflecting on its triumphs and its commitments, we remember that in 1966, the United Nations adopted the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in recognition of the “inherent dignity and the inalienable rights of all members of the human family” as the foundation for international peace. Joining the above discussion, the objective of this Symposium is to discuss the ways in which this Covenant has been abused and disregarded in regard to racial minorities, domestically and around the world, and to consider how a nation finally pays such overwhelming debt.

Funding provided by the University Lectures Kemper K. Knapp Fund, and JD Grants.

Day 1

Time given is in US Central Standard Time (CST).
Thursday, April 8, 2021

5:00pm: Welcome Remarks

5:15pm: Opening Keynote

“Race, Racism and International Law: A Repudiation of US Exceptionalism”
James Thuo Gathii

5:45pm: Q&A 

6:00pm: Panel 1: UN and Race
Moderator:  Alexandra Huneeus
Speakers:

  • Anna Spain Bradley
  • Ursula Doyle
  • Antony Anghie

Day 2

Time given is in US Central Standard Time (CST).
Friday, April 9, 2021

9:00am: Welcome Remarks
Dean Daniel Tokaji

9:10am: Dedication Acknowledgement
Linda Greene

9:15am: Panel 2: Policing and Criminal Justice
Moderator: Attorney Jarett Adams
Speakers:

  • John Varghese
  • Danielle Burnette
  • Sanja Kutnjak Ivkovich
  • Tania Valdez

10:30am: Break

10:45am: Panel 3: Conflict Resolution
Moderator: Heinz Klug
Speakers:

  • Penelope Andrews
  • Adrien Wing
  • Tatiana Alfonso-Sierra
  • Mohammad Shahabuddin

12:00pm: Lunch break

1:00pm: Panel 4: Reparations
Moderator: H Timothy Lovelace Jr.
Speakers:

  • Henry Richardson III
  • Lisa J. Laplante
  • Robert Westley
  • Joyce Hope Scott

2:15pm: Closing Keynote

“Amandla! Awethu! Racial Justice in the Belly of the Beast in the  21st Century”
Jeremy Levitt

2:45pm: Q&A

3:00pm: Closing Remarks

The Wisconsin International Law Journal is honored to dedicate this Symposium in recognition of the significant contribution Professor Greene has made to the legal field and civil rights, broadly, and the University of Wisconsin specifically, in her 30 years at the Law School. Professor Greene’s commitment to teaching and co-curricular student activities, a guiding principle in her arrival at UW Law, leaves an indelible mark on the Journals and organizations with whom she worked. Her guidance, generosity, and intellectual curiosity are widely celebrated by our grateful student body, and we wish her enormous success in the future as her legacy for student engagement and empowerment lives on at the University of Wisconsin Law School. On Wisconsin!

Past Symposia

More information on all Symposia can be found on the University of Wisconsin Law Library’s Digital Repository’s WILJ Symposiums.

2020-Present

2010-2019

  • link to PDF 2019 WILJ Symposium Program: Lawyers and Lawyering in China and Russia: Common Challenges
  • link to PDF 2018 WILJ Symposium Program: Sustainable Development Goals and International Law: Intersections of Environmental Law, Human Rights, and Environmental Justice
  • link to PDF 2017 WILJ Symposium Program: Regional Human Rights Systems in Crisis
  • 2016 WILJ Symposium: Stamping Privacy’s Passport: The Role of International Law in Safeguarding Individual Privacy
  • 2015 WILJ Symposium: International Law Walks the Line: Border Disputes and Resolution for the 21st Century
  • 2014 WILJ Symposium: Creation of International Law: Exploring the International Law Components of Peace
  • 2013 WILJ Symposium: A Comparative Perspective on Social Justice Lawyering in Asia: Conditions, Practices and Possibilities
  • link to PDF 2012 WILJ Symposium Poster: Renewable Energy & Climate Change: Opportunities & Challenges
  • 2010 WILJ Symposium: Personal Reminiscences of David Trubek

1999-2009