The right to a fair trial is at the heart of Article 10, one more section of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) that aims to prevent a repetition of the atrocities of Hitler’s Germany, where compliant judges and courts served the aims of the Nazi regime, rather than the cause of justice in the interest of the people. Some guarantees of a fair trial, including the right to presumption of innocence, can also be found in Articles 6, 7, 8 and 11 of the Declaration.
The right to a fair trial has been accepted beyond dispute by every country (even if they do not always honour it). Fair trials not only protect suspects and defendants, they make societies safer and stronger by solidifying confidence in justice and the rule of law.
But what is a fair trial?
Boston Review and Standing Together—one of the largest grassroots people’s movements in Israel working to bring together Jews and Arabs—welcome Sally Abed, Noam Chomsky, Alon-lee Green, Congressman Jim McGovern and Dr. James Zogby, President of the Arab-American Institute, for a panel discussion on the prospects for peace and justice in Israel and Palestine. This event will be moderated by Omar Dahi.
Panelists:
- Noam Chomsky is an educator and linguist. He joined the University of Arizona in fall 2017, after several decades at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
- Jim McGovern is a member of the U.S. House, representing Massachusetts’ second Congressional District.
- Omar Dahi is an associate professor of economics at Hampshire College and research associate at the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
- Alon-lee Green is one of the founding members of Standing Together, an elected member of the national leadership, and is currently acting as the national co-director, alongside Rula Daood.
- Sally Abed is a member of the elected national leadership and currently acting as the resource development and relations coordinator at Standing Together.
- Dr. James Zogby is the founder and president of the Arab American Institute (AAI), a Washington, D.C.-based organization which serves as the political and policy research arm of the Arab American community.
Sponsors: PERI Institute (U Mass. Amherst), Boston Review and Standing Together.
Tune into this week’s taping of Talking Peace with the WNYPC! Hour two features:
#YemenCantWait! With Aisha Jumaan, Executive Director of Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation; Jehan Hakim, Chair of the Yemeni Alliance Committee; Muna Munassar, Access (Lackawanna, WNY); Deidra EmEl, Executive Director of the WNY Peace Center; and Vicki Ross, WNYPC Human Rights & Peace Education Chair, and Consultant for the Interfaith Peace Network.
Discussion topics:
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- Yemen’s humanitarian disaster under blockade
- US arms sale(s) to and enabling of Saudi war crimes (challenged in Senate incl by Sen Schumer)
- need to press our elected reps to stop US arming and enabling
- ways to support and get involved
