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Dominique Sopo, human rights activist and President of ‘SOS Racisme,’ addresses the 1st Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks. Full remarks Dominique Sopo: After these two presentations I would like to say that when you fight against racism – of course SOS
Pavez Sharma, an Indian filmmaker, author, and journalist, addresses the 1st Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks. Full remarks Some of the largest and most bitter battles in this new century are going to be fought on the front lines of religion.
A panel including former Secretary General of the International Federation of Liberal Youth (IFLRY), Bart Woord; Belarusian and Estonian civic activist, media manager, and web producer, Pavel Marozau; international human rights activist and President and co-founder of Stop Child Executions, Nazanin Afshin-Jam; and dissident blogger from Bahrein creating virtual spaces
A panel including scholar and practitioner of international religious liberty law, Angela Wu; Senior Research Fellow in International Regulatory Affairs for The Heritage Foundation, Brett Schaefer; expert on US constitutional law and freedom of speech, Floyd Abrams; director, teacher, columnist, and the co-founder of the journal ProChoix who has previously
Isabel Rochat, member of the Council of the Geneva canton between 2009 and 2013 and member of the Federal Commission Against Racism until 2012, delivers opening remarks at the 2nd Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks. Full remarks Hillel Neuer: On
John Suarez, Executive Director at the Center for a Free Cuba, addresses the 2nd Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks. Full remarks John Suarez: Mayor of Geneva, Isabel Rochat, excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, I’d also like to point out that today
International lawyer, diplomat and Executive Director of UN Watch, Hillel Neuer delivers opening remarks at the 3rd Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks. Full remarks Good morning. My name is Hillel Neuer. I’m the executive director of UN Watch. On behalf of our organization, the
Yang Jianli, leading Chinese dissident and pro-democracy activist, addresses the 4th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks. Full remarks Yang Jianli: Thank you Hillel. Good morning my friends and good day. I say good day because anytime friends join together to
International lawyer, diplomat and Executive Director of UN Watch, Hillel Neuer delivers opening remarks at the 4th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks. Full remarks Ladies and gentlemen, welcome, my name is Hillel Neuer. I’m the Executive Director of UN watch. I have the honour
A panel including Viet Tan activist, pro-democracy organizer, and the son of an exiled Vietnamese intellectual, Michel Tran Duc; senior UN correspondent at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Catherine Fiankan-Bokonga; Zimbabwean human rights activist and Director of the Zimbabwe Peace Project, Jestina Mukoko; and one of the leading activists
A panel including, Director General of Calmann-Lévy Books and founder and President of Kero Books, Philippe Robinet; founder of Fondation Surgir, a human rights organization which supports feminist groups in Israel, Palestine, Jordan, and Switzerland, Jacqueline Thibault; and French journalist, novelist, and screenwriter, Anne-Isabelle Tollet, address the 4th Annual Geneva
Jacqueline Thibault, founder of ‘Fondation Surgir,’ a human rights organization which supports feminist groups in Israel, Palestine, Jordan, and Switzerland, addresses the 4th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks. Full remarks Philippe Robinet: […] as blasphemy laws and honor killings, the “Fondation Surgir”, lives
A panel including journalist and commentator specializing in the Middle East and human rights, Tom Gross; Iranian activist who was arrested, jailed, tortured, and physically abused by the Iranian Regime after taking part in the Green Movement demonstrations of 2009, Ebrahim Mehtari; and an Egyptian blogger and political activist, Maikel
John Suarez, Executive Director at the Center for a Free Cuba, adresses the 5th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks. Full remarks John Suarez: Thank you Hillel and I just want to say thanks to UN Watch for making this possible
Blind Chinese human rights lawyer Chen Guangcheng recieves the 2014 Geneva Summit Courage Award and addresses the 6th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks. Full Remarks Hillel Neuer: As I said when we opened today’s summit, all of our speakers today
Dang Xuong Hung, a diplomat who defected from the Vietnamese Communist Party, addresses the 6th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks. Full Remarks Dang Xuong Hung: Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends, my name is Dang Xuong Hung. I am the former consul
Cuban democracy leader and rights activist Damaris Moya Portieles addresses the 6th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks. Full Remarks Danaris Moya Portieles: First of all, I would like to thank UN Watch and the organisers and the sponsors of this Geneva
Ahn Myeong Chul, North Korean former prison guard turned defector and human rights activist, addresses the 6th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks. Full Remarks Ahn Myeong Chul: Good afternoon, my name is Ahn Myeong Chul. I would like to thank
Ali Al Ahmed, formerly Saudi Arabia’s youngest political prisoner, addresses the 6th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks. Full Remarks Thank you so much for having me. My name is Ali Al Ahmed, I’m calling you from Washington DC. I wanted
Taha Bawa, co-founder of Goodwall, the humanitarian and environmental social network that encourages people to actively contribute to society and seek to inspire others, addresses the 6th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks. Full Remarks My name is Taha, and I’m here
A panel including visiting Chinese dissident and former political prisoner, Dr. Yang Jianli; Danish lawyer and founder of a Copenhagen-based think-tank focussing on freedom of speech and the rule of law, Jacob Mchangama; outspoken activist and opposition politician from Cambodia, Mu Sochua; international lawyer and Executive Director of United Nations
Tamara Suju, Venezuelan lawyer and human rights activist, addresses the 7th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks. Full Remarks Good morning. I’ve been asked to talk about my experience and what I’ve done so that I would end up in the Czech Republic, which
Ambassador Alfred Moses, former special counsel to President Carter, U.S. ambassador to Romania, and special presidential envoy for the Cyprus conflict, addresses the 7th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks. Full Remarks Hillel Neuer: The work that the Geneva Summit does for the past
Il Lim, North Korean defector and former slave laborer, addresses the 7th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for full prepared remarks. Full Remarks I would like to tell you about my experience as an overseas worker. 19 years ago, on November 8th, 1996, I went to Kuwait
Ambassador Alfred H. Moses, Chair of UN Watch, former U.S. Ambassador to Romania, Special Presidential Envoy for the Cyprus Conflict, and Special Counsel to President Jimmy Carter, addresses the 8th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. On the Geneva Summit:
Anastasia Lin, actress, classical pianist, human rights activist and Miss World Canada 2015, addresses the 8th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. On arriving in a democracy: “Now after I moved to Canada only then did I realize the extent
Irwin Cotler, Founder and Chair of the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, addresses the 9th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. On political prisoners: “We have a responsibility to not only speak up but to act.” “It’s our responsibility
Jared Genser, international human rights lawyer, addresses the 9th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. On the Summit’s giving a voice to the voiceless: “What we’re gonna be doing is hearing from three people on the front lines about their own
Full Transcript Jared Genser: Thank you so much to all three of you for bringing to life the struggles that each of you are undertaking in your own countries, to restore democracy and achieve fundamental human rights for your families, for your country, and for your people. I’m going to
Alfred Moses, UN Watch Chair and a former special advisor to President Carter, addresses the 9th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. On the legacy of the fall of the Berlin Wall: “After the Berlin Wall came down, and
Astrid Thors, a former OSCE High Commissioner for National Minorities and Finnish MP, addresses the 9th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. Presenting the 2017 Moral Courage Award to former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed: “Mister President, your work shows how
Luis Almagro, Secretary General of the Organization of American States and former Foreign Minister of Uruguay, addresses the 10th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. On speaking out for human rights: “There is no gray area when it comes to fundamental freedoms.”
María Alejandra Aristeguieta, Ambassador-designate in Switzerland of Venezuela interim President Juan Guaido, addresses the 10th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. On her father’s arrest: “I normally work along with this Summit and I bring people and testimonies of victims
Journalist and filmmaker Maziar Bahari, who was jailed and tortured by Iran, addresses the 10th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. On the recent protests in Iran: “The most surprising aspect of these protests was not the fact that people
Irwin Cotler, Former Canadian Minister of Justice, MP and advocate for political prisoners, addresses the 10th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. Summarising the work of the Geneva Summit: “This inspiring Geneva Summit has paid tribute to the commitment and courage
Abdalaziz Alhamza, award-winning journalist and co-founder of Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently, which exposes the atrocities committed by the Assad regime and ISIS, addresses the 11th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. On becoming a citizen journalist: “The local
Ambassador Alfred Moses, Chair of United Nations Watch, addresses the 11th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. On the battle for human rights in the world: “It has always been a battle between freedom and oppression.” “We had total oppression
Paulina Neuding, Hillel Neuer, Dr. Elham Manea, James Kirchick and Michael Levitt discuss on how to better promote human rights at the 11th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy. Full Transcript Moderator: Honored guests, it’s my honor and privilege to be in this room and to stand on this
Peter Bhatti, brother of Pakistan’s first and only Christian Federal Minister who was assassinated for opposing Pakistan’s blasphemy laws and Chairman of the non-profit International Christian Voice, addresses the 12th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy — see quotes below, followed by the full prepared remarks. On Pakistan’s
Full Transcript Moderator: It was incredibly powerful. I would like to just begin by taking a moment, to really recognize the courage and sacrifice all of you, including Nury, have really taken and I don’t think it gets hard enough recognition. So, please, just join me in giving them all
Pete Pattisson, award-winning investigative journalist who reports on labor exploitation and modern forms of slavery around the world, addresses the 12th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy — see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. On exploitation of migrants in Qatar: “My reporting began in the summer
Rebecca Kabuo, Congolese human rights activist who has been arrested more than a dozen times during peaceful protests and, in 2015, was dubbed the youngest prisoner of conscience in the world, addresses the 12th Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy — see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks.
Rosa Orozco, mother of student Geraldine Moreno killed by the Venezuelan National Guard while protesting against the government in February 2014, addresses the 12th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy — see quotes below, followed by the full prepared remarks. On her daughter being shot and killed by
Diego Arria, former Venezuelan politician and diplomat who served as Venezuela’s permanent representative to the UN from 1991 to 1993, addresses the 12th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy — see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. On the being a Venezuelan pro-democracy activist: “I am one
Biram Dah Abeid, Mauritanian antislavery campaigner and founder of Mauritania’s Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement (IRA), receives the Courage Award and addresses the 12th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy — see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. On slavery in Mauritania: “Our parents,
Full Transcript Moderator: Welcome to our panel on Champions for Change. I’m joined by three incredibly courageous individuals here: Evan Mawarire, pastor and democracy activist from Zimbabwe, Yang Jianli, a dissident from China; and Vladimir Kara-Murza, an opposition politician from Russia. So I’m going to dive straight in here, and,
Chief of staff to imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny and co-founder of the Internet Protection Society, Leonid Volkov, addresses the 14th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy Full Transcript Moderator: Let me introduce Leonid, whom we heard at the UN yesterday – we had a small taster
Full Transcript Moderator: Good morning. My name is Luke de Pulford. Friends, we have 45 minutes together and we need to use every moment of that time because as I speak to you from this podium the People’s Republic of China is perpetrating atrocities on a scale not seen since
Venezuelan youth leader who went into hiding to escape arrest by the Maduro regime, Hasler Iglesias, addresses the 15th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see below for his remarks. Full Remarks We humans develop a strong sense of belonging to our motherlands. And for me, that’s Venezuela. But my story
Swedish MP campaigning for the EU to list the IRGC as a terrorist entity
Member of Canadian Parliament, Chair of Foreign Affairs Committee
Leader of the fight against slavery in Mauritania
Award-winning filmmaker & human rights activist tortured by Assad
Filmmaker and reporter
Tibetan activist, educational sociologist, and a leading expert on China’s assimilation and education policies in Tibet
Chair of Liberal International’s Human Rights Committee
Founder & CEO of Arise
By Emma Waxlax Following the one-year anniversary of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, I spoke with Ukrainian civil society activist Olga Aivasovska (GS’22) on the current situation in her home country. We discuss ongoing efforts to hold Russia accountable, the importance of history in understanding the war, and the future of
By Emma Waxlax Amidst mounting violence inflicted by Burma’s military junta following their coup in February 2021, I spoke with democratic activist, author, and Geneva Summit alum Zoya Phan (GS’12). We discuss what has happened in the country over the past decade, its connection to the current plight faced by
Russian opposition activist Leonid Volkov on stage at the 14th Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy, April 6, 2022. For photos, videos, and speaker testimony, see below: For all high-res photos, click here. For a full video, click here. For individual videos, click here. To read full individual testimony,
GENEVA, March 14, 2022 — A coalition of 25 human rights groups announced today that leading dissidents from Hong Kong, Tibet and China will come together to express their support for democracy at the 14th Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy. The announcement comes as US officials reveal Russia has requested military assistance from China in
Interviewed by Dylan Rogers. Kazakhstan’s strongmen have long cast the country as a bastion of stability in an otherwise restive region. Yet in January Kazakhstan erupted in protest, as an increase in fuel prices combined with political concerns to drive nationwide demonstrations […]
A conversation with Geneva Summit speaker Rosa María Payá (GS’16), one of Cuba’s most renowned human rights activists.
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