In this episode, we have the pleasure of speaking to Mary Lawlor, who is currently Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, appointed by the UN Human Rights Council in 2020. She is also the founder of Frontline Defenders and has had various positions with Amnesty International. We talk about her remarkable career and and everything she's done for human rights.Key Highlights:What are Human Rights Defenders: Learn about the human rights activism and the risks it may entail.First-Hand Experience: Explore the experiences of Mary Lawlor and her day-to-day work as Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders.Special Rapporteurs on Human Rights: how cases are prioritised and how they communicate with each other.Special Procedures: how effective are they?Access to Justice: The discussion highlights the significant challenges in ensuring access to justice for human rights defenders and human rights in general due to lack of political will of member states and impunity as major obstacle.Why Listen? This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in being a human rights defender, understanding special procedures and the challenges of the mechanism.Call to Action:Stay tuned for our next podcast conversation: with Ida Manton, international negotiations specialist.Follow and share the Podcast to make sure you never miss an episode!Stay informed and take action by advocating for sustainable practices and supporting policies that protect human rights and their defenders.Please visit Frontline Defenders if you might want to help or support with a donation.Keywords: Human rights defenders, special rapporteur, special procedures, podcast episode, Just Access.Enjoy listening!Don’t forget to rate us, recommend us and share on social media! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we have the pleasure of continuing the conversation with Dr. Ashfaq Kalfan, who is the Director of Climate Justice at Oxfam USA. We continue our conversation from the previous episode, where we talked more about his career, focusing on socio economic human rights, and moving into strategic climate litigation. And here we go into more detail about climate justice, what is happening in the world of strategic climate litigation, as well as his perspectives on human rights and how they can be improved to increase access to justice for all. We hope you enjoy the second part of our conversation.Key Highlights:Learn About Strategic Climate Litigation: Learn about the international laws and courts governing climate change and strategic litigation as means of holding states accountable.First-Hand Experience: Explore the experiences of Dr. Ashfaq Khalfan with working on climate change litigation and socio-economic rights, i.a. with Amnesty International, Oxfam USA and the Center for International Sustainable Development Law.Social Justice Issues: empowering, equipping change-makers around the world to be able to understand how international law can be used in their work.Access to Justice: The discussion highlights the significant challenges in ensuring access to justice for climate change through strategic litigationWhy Listen? This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in environmental justice, climate change, strategic litigation, human rights, freedom of speech!Call to Action:Stay tuned for part two, where we continue the conversation with Ashfaq Khalfan!Follow and share the Podcast to make sure you never miss an episode!Stay informed and take action by advocating for sustainable practices and supporting policies that protect our environment and human rights.Keywords: Climate change, climate emergency, climate crisis, climate Justice, environmental justice, socio-economic rights, sustainable development law, human rights, podcast episode, Just Access.Enjoy listening!Don’t forget to rate us, recommend us and share on social media! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I have the pleasure of speaking to Dr. Ashfaq Khalfan, who is the Director of Climate Justice at Oxfam USA. In this first part of our conversation, we speak about his interest in human rights, specifically socioeconomic human rights, and his career so far, including a current focus on climate change strategic litigation. In the second part of our conversation, we will talk more about what's happening in the world of strategic climate litigation, all the way up at the level of the International Court of Justice, what his team is working on for this, and what he thinks Areas might be to look out for in the future on this topic.Key Highlights:Learn About Strategic Climate Litigation: Learn about the international laws and courts governing climate change and strategic litigation as means of holding states accountable. First-Hand Experience: Explore the experiences of Dr. Ashfaq Khalfan with working on climate change litigation and socio-economic rights, i.a. with Amnesty International, Oxfam USA and the Center for International Sustainable Development Law. Social Justice Issues: empowering, equipping change-makers around the world to be able to understand how international law can be used in their work.Access to Justice: The discussion highlights the significant challenges in ensuring access to justice for climate change through strategic litigationWhy Listen? This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in environmental justice, climate change, strategic litigation, human rights, freedom of speech!Call to Action:Stay tuned for part two, where we continue the conversation with Ashfaq Khalfan!Follow and share the Podcast to make sure you never miss an episode!Stay informed and take action by advocating for sustainable practices and supporting policies that protect our environment and human rights.Keywords: Climate change, climate emergency, climate crisis, climate Justice, environmental justice, socio-economic rights, sustainable development law, human rights, podcast episode, Just Access.Enjoy listening!Don’t forget to rate us, recommend us and share on social media! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we have the pleasure of continuing the conversation with two fabulous guests who I've been talking about climate protest in the Netherlands, Germany, and beyond in our previous episode. One of our guests is Mirjam Hermann, a climate activist and law student. Our second guest is Juanita van Lunen, an attorney at The Hague working on criminal law and demonstration rights. In this second part of our conversation, we continue discussing their experiences with climate protests, as well as their recommendations for how law students, lawyers, and the general public can get involved.Key Highlights:Learn About Climate Protests: Learn about the fraught and controversial world of disruptive protests on climate change.First-Hand Experience: Explore the experiences of Juanita van Lunen and Mirjam Herrmann and legal advisors to protestors.Environmental Catastrophe: Understand the urgency which leads climate protestors to pursue increasingly disruptive forms of protest to demand action on climate change.Social Justice Issues: Gain a deeper understanding of the difficult balance which must be struck between the right to protest and the rights of others to go about their lives without undue disruption.Access to Justice: The discussion highlights the significant challenges in ensuring access to justice for climate protestors who have increasingly been criminalised, brutalised, and even cast as terrorists in their pursuit of climate justice.About Our Guests:Juanita van Lunen is a criminal law attorney in the Hague, and specialises in demonstrations law. She regularly advises climate protestors, both before and during protests, and following arrest.Mirjam Herrmann is a law student and climate activist, and one of the first climate protestors in Germany to be imprisoned under anti-climate-protest laws. She is a member of the association Rückendeckung für eine aktive Zivilgesellschaft (RAZ) e.V., which provides legal and psychological support to Letzte Generation and other climate activist groupsWhy Listen? This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in environmental justice, climate change, human rights, freedom of speech!Call to Action:Stay tuned for part two, as well as our next podcast conversation: with Ashfaq Khalfan, Director of Climate Justice at Oxfam USA!Follow and share the Podcast to make sure you never miss an episode!Stay informed and take action by advocating for sustainable practices and supporting policies that protect our environment and human rights.Please visit https://raz-ev.org/unterstuetzen/ if you might want to help or support with a donation.Keywords: Climate change, climate emergency, climate crisis, climate Justice, environmental justice, climate protest, right to protest, freedom of speech, Klimakleber, Extinction Rebellion, Letzte Generation, human rights, podcast episode, Just Access.Enjoy listening!Don’t forget to rate us, recommend us and share on social media! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, join host Dr Miranda Melcher as we delve into the fraught and controversial world of climate change protests, with expert guests Juanita van Lunen, an attorney based in The Hague, where she specialises in criminal law and demonstration rights in the Netherlands, and Mirjam Herrmann, a climate activist and law student in Germany, and member of the association Rückendeckung für eine aktive Zivilgesellschaft (RAZ) e.V., which provides legal and psychological support to Letzte Generation and other climate activist groups.In this first part of our conversation, we discuss how they got involved with the climate movement and some of their experiences so far.Key Highlights:Learn About Climate Protests: Learn about the fraught and controversial world of disruptive protests on climate change.First-Hand Experience: Explore the experiences of Juanita van Lunen and Mirjam Herrmann and legal advisors to protestors.Environmental Catastrophe: Understand the urgency which leads climate protestors to pursue increasingly disruptive forms of protest to demand action on climate change.Social Justice Issues: Gain a deeper understanding of the difficult balance which must be struck between the right to protest and the rights of others to go about their lives without undue disruption.Access to Justice: The discussion highlights the significant challenges in ensuring access to justice for climate protestors who have increasingly been criminalised, brutalised, and even cast as terrorists in their pursuit of climate justice.About Our Guests:Juanita van Lunen is a criminal law attorney in the Hague, and specialises in demonstrations law. She regularly advises climate protestors, both before and during protests, and following arrest.Mirjam Herrmann is a law student and climate activist, and one of the first climate protestors in Germany to be imprisoned under anti-climate-protest laws. She is a member of the association Rückendeckung für eine aktive Zivilgesellschaft (RAZ) e.V., which provides legal and psychological support to Letzte Generation and other climate activist groupsWhy Listen? This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in environmental justice, climate change, human rights, freedom of speech!Call to Action:Stay tuned for part two, as well as our next podcast conversation: with Ashfaq Khalfan, Director of Climate Justice at Oxfam USA!Follow and share the Podcast to make sure you never miss an episode!Stay informed and take action by advocating for sustainable practices and supporting policies that protect our environment and human rights.Please visit https://raz-ev.org/unterstuetzen/ if you might want to help or support with a donation.Keywords: Climate change, climate emergency, climate crisis, climate Justice, environmental justice, climate protest, right to protest, freedom of speech, Klimakleber, Extinction Rebellion, Letzte Generation, human rights, podcast episode, Just Access.Enjoy listening!Don’t forget to rate us, recommend us and share on social media! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we continue the conversation with Dr Miranda Melcher, discussing her recently published book about peace treaties and how to improve outcomes coming out of civil wars. Last time we talked a bit about how I got into this research and some of the main findings of the book and today we go into more detail and discuss ways in which this links to access to justice.If you would like to order the book, you can find it here: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/securing-peace-in-angola-and-mozambique-9781350407930/Enjoy listening!Don’t forget to rate us, recommend us and share on social media! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we have something special for you. We have placed our podcast host, Dr. Miranda Melcher, on the other side of the microphone, to allow our audience to get to know her and her academic work better. Dr Melcher is interviewed by Nalenhle Moyo, the new Donor and Communication Specialist at Just Access.Dr. Melcher recently published a book titled Securing Peace in Angola and Mozambique, where she delves into the role of access to justice and the resolution of civil conflict. In this first episode of our conversation, we'll discuss a bit about how I got into this research and some of the big picture findings of the book before, while in the next episode, we'll be talking about those specifics more and discussing implications for access to justice.If you would like to order the book, you can find it here: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/securing-peace-in-angola-and-mozambique-9781350407930/Enjoy listening!Don’t forget to rate us, recommend us and share on social media! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join host Dr Miranda Melcher in this compelling episode of Just Access as she sits down with acclaimed writer and editor Jocelyn Zuckerman to discuss her groundbreaking book, Planet Palm. Published in 2021, this exposé delves into the environmental and social abuses rampant in the global palm oil industry.Key Highlights:Learn About Palm Oil: Learn about the ubiquitous palm oil, its origins, and its extensive use in everyday products.First-Hand Experience: Jocelyn recounts her eye-opening journey to Liberia, where she witnessed the devastating impacts of palm oil plantations on local communities and the environment.Environmental Catastrophe: Understand the far-reaching consequences of deforestation, biodiversity loss, and climate change driven by palm oil cultivation, particularly in Indonesia and Malaysia.Social Justice Issues: Explore the grim reality for plantation workers, including land grabs, poor working conditions, and exploitation.Access to Justice: The discussion highlights the significant challenges in ensuring justice for affected communities and workers, and the limited efficacy of oversight mechanisms like the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).Consumer Responsibility: Jocelyn underscores the role of consumers in advocating for ethical practices by being mindful of product ingredients and supporting sustainable brands.About Jocelyn Zuckerman: Jocelyn Zuckerman is a prolific writer focused on environmental and social justice issues. With a background in literature and journalism, her career spans across various esteemed publications, shedding light on critical global matters.Why Listen? This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in environmental justice, human rights, and the intricate connections between global trade and local impacts. Gain insights into the hidden costs of palm oil and discover what you can do to support a more just and sustainable world.Call to Action: Read Planet Palm to dive deeper into the issues discussed. Stay informed and take action by advocating for sustainable practices and supporting policies that protect our environment and human rights.Follow and share the Podcast to make sure you never miss an episode!Tune in to this enlightening conversation and join us in the journey towards improving access to justice for all.Keywords: Jocelyn Zuckerman, Planet Palm, palm oil industry, environmental justice, social justice, deforestation, biodiversity loss, climate change, human rights, Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, access to justice, sustainable practices, consumer responsibility, global trade, environmental impact, podcast episode, Just Access. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we have the pleasure of continuing the conversation with Donatella Rovera, who is Senior Crisis Response Advisor at Amnesty International. For more than 20 years, she has been a key member of Amnesty's on the ground investigative efforts in war, crisis, and other situations of human rights abuse. Listen to this episode as Donatella discusses insights from her career, including on some less discussed conflicts, and about access to justice globally.Enjoy listening!Don’t forget to rate us, recommend us and share on social media! Support the Show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Dr Miranda Melcher, Senior Legal Fellow at Just Access, engages in a profound conversation with Donatella Rovera, Senior Crisis Response Advisor at Amnesty International. With her extensive experience in investigating human rights abuses in conflict zones such as Gaza, Syria, and Iraq, Donatella provides an in-depth look into the complexities and risks involved in her work.Key Highlights:Meet Donatella Rovera: A living legend in human rights circles, Donatella Rovera is not a household name. Hear her journey from being driven by a passion for truth and justice to becoming a leading figure in human rights investigations.First-Hand Experience: Learn what it is like to be an on-the-ground investigator in conflict situations.The challenges of investigating in wartime: Discover the intricacies of planning and conducting on-the-ground investigations in dynamic conflict situations where timely evidence collection is crucial. Learn about the evolution of investigative techniques with advancements in technology and the continued importance of face-to-face interactions and first-hand observations.Verify, verify, verify: Learn about the indispensable role of verification and the multi-faceted nature of gathering reliable information.Moral quandries: Donatella's insights offer a rare glimpse into the decision-making processes behind determining where and when to conduct investigations, ensuring the safety of all involved, and overcoming the obstacles posed by limited access and high-risk environments.About Jocelyn Zuckerman: Donatella Rovera is a Senior Crisis Response Advisor at Amnesty International. She has investigated confilcts around the world to expose human rights abuses and violations of the law of war for three decades, and has been on the ground in Gaza, Syria, Iraq, Somalia, Ukraine, and in many other conflicts.Why Listen? This compelling conversation is a must for anyone who wants to understand human rights in conflicts, and the incredible dedication and courage behind the work to investigate and expose abuses of human rights and the laws of war.Call to Action: Follow the Just Access podcastShare this episode on social media to spread awareness.Rate and review the podcast on your favourite podcast app.Send your comments and suggestions to podcast@just-access.de.Tune in next time for the continuation of our conversation with Donatella Rovera, where we delve deeper into her experiences and insights from various conflict areas and explore ways to enhance access to justice!Keywords: Human Rights, Justice, Amnesty International, Donatella Rovera, Conflict Zones, Civil War, War, Conflict, Atrocities, Civilians, Investigations, Evidence Collection, Verification, Technology, Human Rights Defenders, Access to Justice, Podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we have an extra special interview about the just-decided European Court of Human Rights cases on climate change. We have an incredible expert with us to help us understand these decisions that came out just a few hours ago by the time of the recording. Judge Professor Helen Keller is Chair of International and Public Law at the University of Zurich, and a member of the Bosnian Constitutional Court. Crucially for our discussion today, she was also formerly a judge on the European Court of Human Rights. She currently leads a project at the University of Zurich on climate rights and remedies, and in fact has a pretty big conference on the topic coming up this week, and is herself both Swiss and based in Switzerland.For more on her work and resources on climate rights and remedies cases, visit: https://www.climaterights.uzh.ch/en.htmlEnjoy listening!Don’t forget to rate us, recommend us and share on social media! Support the Show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we get to talk to Amy Kaslow.  She is a writer and photographer with a lens on at-risk societies worldwide. She's spent the past four decades writing, broadcasting, and photographing in the world's trouble spots, chronicling the immediate aftermath of conflict and well into the post-war period. She also does work within the United States, as well as with art and information today. We speak about how her career began and how she thinks about storytelling across time, place, and mediums. You can find out more about Amy's work in her gallery and with Know Now at: www.amykaslow.comEnjoy listening!Don’t forget to rate us, recommend us and share on social media!Support the Show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we have the opportunity to speak to Dunja Mijatović, the outgoing Commissioner for Human Rights for the Council of Europe, a position she served in from 2018 to 2024.Listen to this episode to find out about her thoughts on the position and the state of human rights in Europe today. Enjoy listening!Don’t forget to rate us, recommend us and share on social media!Support the Show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we continue the conversation with Professor Fernand de Varennes, who has just finished serving as the UN Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues and is currently a visiting professor at the Université Catholique de Lyon and the University of Sarajevo.Our discussion in this episode builds on our conversation from the previous episode when we discussed the role of Special Rapporteur and some recent trends in this area. In this episode, we continue our conversation and think about ways to improve access to justice for minority rights.Enjoy listening!Don’t forget to rate us, recommend us and share on social media!Support the Show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we get the opportunity to speak to Professor Fernand de Varennes, who just finished his role of United Nations Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues, and served from 2017 to 2023.Professor Fernand de Varennes is currently visiting professor at the Université Catholique at Lyon and at the University of Sarajevo. In this first episode, we focus on the role of Special Rapporteur and the professor's assessment of challenges facing minorities around the world. In the next episode, we'll continue our conversation to focus on problems with current tools for protecting human rights and discuss ways to improve access to justice and especially how grassroots efforts can help motivate reforms. Enjoy listening!Don’t forget to rate us, recommend us and share on social media!Support the Show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we speak to Dr. Marina Aksenova. She's a professor of comparative and international criminal law at the IE University in Madrid. In this discussion, we go over her research background, her research interests that bring together not just international criminal law as is traditionally thought of, but many more aspects as well, and talk about gaps she sees in the international justice system and ways perhaps of addressing them.Enjoy listening!Don’t forget to rate us, recommend us and share on social media!Support the Show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we continue the conversation with Nani Jansen Reventlow, who is an award-winning human rights lawyer specializing in strategic litigation at the intersection of human rights, social justice, and technology. Our discussion in this episode builds on our conversation in the previous episode, where we discussed Nani's background and her current work at systemic justice. In this episode, we discuss international law and rights more broadly, both in terms of problems and possible ways forward. For more info on Nani Jansen Reventlow go to: https://www.nanijansen.org/Enjoy listening!Don’t forget to rate us, recommend us and share on social media!Support the Show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the next two episodes, we talk to Nani Jansen Reventlow who is an award winning human rights lawyer specializing in strategic litigation at the intersection of human rights, social justice, and technology. In this first episode, we focus on her background and the organization she's founded called Systemic Justice, and the work that she and her organization do. In the second episode, we talk more about digital rights more broadly, about how the legal system works, some of the biggest gaps for justice she's identified, and some possible solutions.For more info on Nani Jansen Reventlow go to: https://www.nanijansen.org/Enjoy listening!Don’t forget to rate us, recommend us and share on social media!Support the Show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we continue the conversation with Dr. Virginie Collombier and Dr. Wolfram Lacher, who are the editors of the recent book, 'Violence and Social Transformation in Libya', published by Hurst in 2023. In the first episode, we focused on how the book came to be and some of its core arguments and contributions. In this second part of our conversation, we discuss what the book might help us understand about the present and future of Libya.Enjoy listening!Don't forget to rate us, recommend us and share on social media!Support the Show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the next two episodes, we speak with Dr. Virginie Collombier and Dr. Wolfram Lacher, who are the editors of the recent book, 'Violence and Social Transformation in Libya', published by Hurst in 2023. In this first episode, we focus on how the book came to be and some of its core arguments and contributions.In the second episode, we will focus on what the book might help us understand about the present and future of Libya.Enjoy listening!Don't forget to rate us, recommend us and share on social media!Support the Show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.