University of South Carolina conference to address ‘The Futures of Human Rights’
February 15, 2009
The future of human rights will be the focus of a public conference organized by the University of South Carolina Feb. 26 – 28.
The conference, “The Futures of Human Rights: Moral, Legal and Political Cultures,” will take place at the Clarion Hotel in downtown Columbia. It is the 11th annual comparative-literature conference hosted by the university. All sessions are open to the public; participation in other activities, including meals and receptions, requires registration. Sessions run from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
U.S. and European scholars, representing the spectrum of disciplines from English to political science, will discuss a range of topics that will explore current human-rights topics and how different cultures and international organizations may address human rights in the future.
“The idea of human rights is frequently invoked in national and international discussions as a moral trump card, and yet never has this idea been so contested as it is today,” said university professor of English and comparative literature Dr. Meili Steele, the conference chairman. “Civic engagement plays an important role in understanding and achieving human rights. We welcome South Carolinians to attend the conference and take part in these discussions.”
Columbia University’s Lori Damrosch will deliver the conference’s Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar Lecture at 3:30 p.m. in the university’s School of Law auditorium. It is the only event that will not be held at the Clarion. Her talk is titled “International Courts and the U.S. Supreme Court: Who Has the Final World.” Damrosch is Columbia Law School’s Henry L. Moses Professor of Law and International Organization.
The topics include the human rights of women and children, human rights in Iraq under Saddam Hussein, human rights and U.S foreign policy, international courts and human rights and human rights and literature.
The conference schedule and registration information is available on the Web site: www.cas.sc.edu/DLLC/CPLT/activities/11thannuconcfp.html. For additional information, contact Steele at 803-777-4204 or via e-mail at [email protected].
