Dean Harold Hongju Koh and student presentations with commentary by Ken Roth '80, Executive Director, Human Rights Watch, NYC, and Jim Silk '89, Clinical Professor of Law, Allard K. Lowenstein International Human Rights Clinic, and Executive Director, Orville H. Schell, Jr. Center for International Human Rights, Yale Law School.  The reading materials are below.  *Please note that the class will focus on the Helsinki Accords, and the possible application of the Helsinki model to Cuba and Iran.  Also there is no CLE credit for attending this class.

Readings:

Harold Hongju Koh, The Helsinki Final Act: 25 Years After Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, August 8, 2000

William Korey, The Promises We Keep: Human Rights, the Helsinki Process, and American Foreign Policy xvii-xxxvi (1993)

Aryeh Neier, Taking Liberties: Four Decades in the Struggle for Rights 149-173 (2003)

Helsinki Final Act (read pages 1-7, skim remainder)

Questions for discussion:

How would you evaluate the effect of the Helsinki process, both nationally and internationally? What factors contributed to its impact? What lessons can we draw from the Helsinki experience?