Pakistani Lawyer Jahangir to Speak at USD

The University of San Diego’s Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice will host Pakistani human rights lawyer Asma Jahangir on September 27 as the next speaker in the Joan B. Kroc Distinguished Lecture series. This year’s series focuses on “The Negotiators” who work in challenging conflict situations to build consensus for human rights and peace.

Jahangir has fought to defend the human rights of women, religious minorities and laborers in Pakistan for over 40 years, both in and out of the courtroom. On the international level, Jahangir has served as U.N. Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Arbitrary or Summary Executions for the U.N. Commission on Human Rights (1998-2004) and U.N. Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief for the U.N. Human Rights Council (2004-2010).

Her lecture, entitled “Walking Together for Freedom,” will draw on her expertise
as two-term chair of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and first woman president of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan. Jahangir will explore the links between domestic human rights in Pakistan and the reduction of Indo-Pakistani tensions.

This lecture is the keynote address for the Women PeaceMakers Conference, “Breaking Barriers: What it will take to achieve security, justice and peace” from September 26 – 28.

“Women have played a key role in people-to-people dialogue in Pakistan and in the region,” Jahangir explains. “This is a wonderful example of women breaking cultural, religious and national barriers to build peace.”

The Joan B. Kroc Distinguished Lecture Series is a forum for high-level national and international leaders and policy makers to share their knowledge and perspectives on issues related to peace and justice. Designed to broaden our understanding and thinking about how to prevent and resolve conflict and promote peace with justice, the series is made possible by an endowment from the late Joan B. Kroc.

This event is open to the public and press. Reservations are required at http://peace.kintera.org/dls.

WHO: Asma Jahangir:
Former Chair of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan
Former President of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan

WHAT: Asma Jahangir will present a lecture entitled, “Walking Together for Freedom,” followed by a question-and-answer period.

WHERE: Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice
University of San Diego, 5998 Alcalá Park, San Diego, CA 92110

WHEN: Thursday, September 27, 2012 at 7 p.m.

About the University of San Diego

Strengthened by the Catholic intellectual tradition, we confront humanity’s challenges by fostering peace, working for justice and leading with love. With more than 8,000 students from 75 countries and 44 states, USD is the youngest independent institution on the U.S. News & World Report list of top 100 universities in the United States. USD’s eight academic divisions include the College of Arts and Sciences, the Knauss School of Business, the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, the School of Law, the School of Leadership and Education Sciences, the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science, the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies, and the Division of Professional and Continuing Education. In 2021, USD was named a “Laudato Si’ University” by the Vatican with a seven-year commitment to address humanity’s urgent challenges by working together to take care of our common home.