Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy

The Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy is an annual human rights summit sponsored by a coalition of 20 non-governmental organizations.[1] Each year, on the eve of the United Nations Human Rights Council's main annual session, activists from around the world meet to raise international awareness of human rights situations.[2]

History

2009

The first summit took place on Sunday, April 19, 2009, prior to the United Nations Durban Review Conference.[3] Speakers included, among others, Iranian activist Nazanin Afshin Jam;[4] Egyptian dissident Saad Eddin Ibrahim;[4] American human rights activist Ellen Bork;[4] Gibreil Hamid of Darfur, Sudan;[4] Soe Aung of Burma;[4] Marlon Zakeyo of Zimbabwe;[4] Cuban opposition activist and former political prisoner José Gabriel Ramón Castillo;[4] and Venezuelan activist Gonzalo Himiob Santome.[4]

2010

The 2010 summit took place on Monday, March 8, 2010.[5] Speakers included, among others, Massouda Jalal, former Afghan Minister of Women's Affairs;[6] exiled Uyghur leader Rebiya Kadeer;[6] Bob Boorstin, Google's policy director;[7] Caspian Makan, fiancé of slain Iranian icon Neda Agha Soltan;[7] Cuban dissident José Gabriel Ramón Castillo;[7] and Bo Kyi of Burma, a former political prisoner and secretary of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.[7]

2011

The 2011 summit took place on Tuesday, March 15, 2011.[8] Speakers included, among others, Ugandan LGBT rights activist Jacqueline Kasha;[7] Cuban dissident Luis Enrique Ferrer Garcia;[7] Guang-il Jung, a North Korean labor camp escapee;[7] Turkmenistani activist Farid Tukhbatullin;[7] North Korean activist Cheong Kwang Il;[9] and Libyan dissident Mohamed Eljahmi;[10]

2012

The 2012 summit took place on Tuesday, March 13, 2012.[11] Speakers included, among others, Chinese dissidents Yang Jianli and Ren Wanding;[12] Cuban activist Néstor Rodríguez Lobaina;[12] Zimbabwean activist Jestina Mukoko;[12] Burmese activist Zoya Phan;[12] former Egyptian political prisoner Maikel Nabil;[12] North Korean defectors Joo-il Kim and Song Ju Kim;[12] Iranian activist Ebrahim Mehtari;[12] and Syrian activist Hadeel Kouki.[12]

2013

The 2013 summit took place on Tuesday, February 19, 2013.[13] Speakers included, among others, Pakistani women's rights activist Mukhtar Mai;[14] Moroccan writer and atheist Kacem El Ghazzali;[15] Tibetan politician Dicki Chhoyang;[16] Syrian activist Randa Kassis;[16] former Cuban political prisoner Régis Iglesias;[16] Iranian dissident Marina Nemat;[17] Pyotr Verzilov, husband of jailed Pussy Riot member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova;[17] and Kazakh journalist Lukpan Akhmedyarov.[17]

2014

The 2014 summit took place on Tuesday, February 25, 2014.[18] Speakers included, among others, Mauritanian anti-slavery activist Biram Dah Abeid;[19] Tibetan MP Tenzin Dhardon Sharling;[20] Chinese political dissident Yang Jianli;[20] Canadian MP and human rights lawyer Irwin Cotler;[21] North Korean human rights activist Ahn Myong Chul;[22] Naghmeh Abedini, wife of imprisoned Iranian-American pastor Saeed Abedini;[23] and the aunt of imprisoned Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo López.[22]

The summit's Courage Award was given to Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng, who was the keynote speaker.[22]

2015

The 2015 summit took place on Tuesday, February 24, 2015.[24] Speakers included, among others, Park Yeon-mi, a North Korean defector and human rights activist;[25] Lim Il, a North Korean defector and former slave laborer;[25] a Nigerian teenager, identified simply as "Saa", who escaped after being abducted by Boko Haram;[26][27] Hong Kong protest leaders Alex Chow and Lester Shum;[28] Pierre Torres, a French journalist who was held hostage by ISIS for ten months;[29][30] Ukrainian protest leader Mustafa Nayyem;[30] Chinese human rights activist Chen Guangcheng;[30] Turkish journalist Yavuz Baydar;[31] Moroccan politician Fouzia Elbayed;[32] and Tibetan politician Dicki Chhoyang.[33]

The summit's Courage Award was given to Raif Badawi, an imprisoned Saudi Arabian writer and activist,[34] and accepted on his behalf by Elham Manea, Professor at the University of Zurich.[35] The Women's Rights Award was given to Masih Alinejad, an Iranian journalist and the founder of My Stealthy Freedom.[1]

2016

The 2016 summit took place on Tuesday, February 23, 2016. Speakers included, among others, Ensaf Haidar, wife of jailed Saudi Arabian blogger Raif Badawi; Anastasia Lin, Miss World Canada 2015 and an advocate for human rights in China; Vian Dakhil, Iraqi politician and ISIS victim's advocate; Svitlana Zalishchuk, a Ukrainian politician and key figure in the Euromaidan movement of 2013; Darya Safai, an Iranian women's rights advocate; Orhan Kemal Cengiz, a Turkish human rights advocate; Lee Young-guk, a former bodyguard of Kim Jong-il who defected to South Korea; Polina Nemirovskaia, Russian human rights activist; David Trimble, former First Minister of Northern Ireland; and Chinese dissident Yang Jianli.[36]

The summit's Courage Award was given to jailed Venezuelan opposition leaders Antonio Ledezma and Leopoldo López. Relatives of the two men accepted the award on their behalf.[36]

Partners

Partners include the following organizations:[37]

References

  1. 1 2 Dehghan, Saeed Kamali (24 February 2015). "Iranian woman wins rights award for hijab campaign". The Guardian.
  2. ↑ "About us". Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy.
  3. ↑ "Program, Sunday, April 19, 2009". Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Directorio at the Geneva Summit for Human Rights, Tolerance and Democracy". Directorio. 19 April 2009.
  5. ↑ "Program, Monday, March 08, 2010". Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy.
  6. 1 2 "Shadow Summit In Geneva Focusing On Neglected Rights Issues". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 8 March 2010.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Dissidents, Ex-Political Prisoners Organizing Geneva Summit to Urge Help from UN Rights Council". Viet Tan. 14 February 2011.
  8. ↑ "Program, Tuesday, March 15, 2011". Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy.
  9. ↑ Kyoung, Kwon Eun (17 March 2011). "Prison Camp Investigation Needed". Daily NK.
  10. ↑ "Libya revolt as it happened: Friday". BBC News. 4 March 2011.
  11. ↑ "Program, Tuesday, March 13, 2012". Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Gross, Tom (16 March 2012). "The true face of 'human rights' at the UN". The National Post.
  13. ↑ "Program, Tuesday, February 19, 2013". Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy.
  14. ↑ Davies, Catriona (21 February 2013). "Gang rape victim fights back for girls' education". CNN.
  15. ↑ Kirchick, James (29 March 2013). "Exiled After Threats: Blogger Wants More Freedoms in Morocco". Spiegel Online.
  16. 1 2 3 "Kalon Dicki Chhoyang addresses Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy". Phayul.com. 20 February 2013.
  17. 1 2 3 "Iran, Pakistan, Russia, Kazakh Activists Attend Human Rights Summit In Geneva". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 19 February 2013.
  18. ↑ "Program, Tuesday, February 25, 2014". Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy.
  19. ↑ "Haratin: Biram Dah Abeid Talks At Geneva Summit For Human Rights And Democracy". UNPO. 27 February 2014.
  20. 1 2 "Interview: Tibetan Parliamentarian attends Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy". Tibet.Net. Central Tibetan Administration. 28 February 2014.
  21. ↑ "Conservative MP under fire for barring Liberal MP from attending charity event in Israel". CTV News. 25 February 2014.
  22. 1 2 3 "Chinese Dissident Chen Given Award At Human Rights Conference In Geneva". NTD.tv. 25 February 2014.
  23. ↑ Goodenough, Patrick (27 February 2014). "Activists Point an Accusing Finger at Members of U.N. Human Rights Council". CNSNews.
  24. ↑ "Program, Tuesday, February 24 2015". Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy.
  25. 1 2 Shim, Elizabeth (25 February 2015). "Defector: North Korean slave labor system earns regime billions". UPI.
  26. ↑ ""I escaped Boko Haram" – A Nigerian girl who was kidnapped with 270 others ("Bring Back Our Girls")". 25 February 2015.
  27. ↑ Maurisse, Marie (24 February 2015). "How I escaped Boko Haram". Le Monde.
  28. ↑ Tsang, Emily (26 February 2015). "Keep up pressure for democracy in Hong Kong, student leaders tell world summit". South China Morning Post.
  29. ↑ "I was held captive by ISIS" - Pierre Torres interviewed by Tom Gross". 25 February 2015.
  30. 1 2 3 Timm, Leo (11 February 2015). "Hong Kong Protest Leaders To Attend Human Rights Summit in Geneva". The Epoch Times.
  31. ↑ "Veteran journalist: Media in Turkey crippled due to self-censorship". Today's Zaman. 27 February 2015.
  32. ↑ Basu, Rekha (25 February 2015). "A courageous push for rights in Muslim world". The Des Moines Register.
  33. ↑ Cook, Jane (26 February 2015). "DIIR Kalon: Tibet stands as a symbol of non-violent struggle for freedom". Tibet Post International.
  34. ↑ Hayden, Sally (24 February 2015). "Imprisoned Saudi Arabian Blogger Raif Badawi Gets Geneva Summit's 'Courage' Award". Vice News.
  35. ↑ Manea, Elham (26 February 2015). "'We Stand United in Our Humanity'". The World Post.
  36. 1 2 "Jailed Venezuelan Opposition Leaders Antonio Ledezma & Leopoldo Lopez Win 2016 Courage Award from 25 NGOs at Geneva Summit Held at UN". GenevaSummit.org.
  37. ↑ "Partners". Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy.

External links

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