The Advocast for Human Rights

In this episode we talk with Lindsey Greising, Staff Attorney with The Advocates, about the recent political happenings surrounding immigration.

This year, at our annual Human Rights Awards Dinner, we recognized Justice Alan Page as the Don & Arvonne Fraser Human Rights Award Recipient for his life-long commitment to human rights. Justice Page has actively advocated for human rights, equality, and social justice throughout his career as a Supreme Court Justice, attorney, and professional athlete.

Across the United States, a dramatic rise in legislation targeting transgender and gender non-conforming people increasingly threatens the human rights of LGBTIQ+ people. These laws not only put transgender and gender non-conforming people at serious risk of discrimination and harm, but they also contravene international human rights standards.

In this episode, we will look at the anti-trans movement in the United States, the impact of these laws on transgender people's lives, and how international human rights law addresses issues of gender identity and expression.

An explosive report in the New York Times found that hundreds of unaccompanied children are being exploited for their labor by some of America's biggest companies. Child labor is only possible through multiple failures of the protection system to prevent such abuses.

In this episode, Michele Garnett McKenzie, deputy director of The Advocates for Human Rights, is joined by attorneys Kim Boche, who represents unaccompanied children facing removal, and Lindsey Greising, who represents victims of labor trafficking, to understand how the legal system protects - or puts at risk - unaccompanied children.

The Immigration Court Observation Project draws on the international human rights practice of trial monitoring to identify, bring visibility to, and end systemic human rights violations arising in the context of civil immigration enforcement.

The project brings  observers from the public into the Fort Snelling Immigration Court in Minnesota to observe and document  immigration hearings. The project launched in 2017 to monitor hearings  of people facing deportation while held in Immigration and Customs  Enforcement (ICE) detention. Today, volunteers observe hearings on the  detained, non-detained, and dedicated families and children dockets.

After the Taliban took over Afghanistan, Afghans who had believed in and worked for the vision of human rights and democracy in  their country faced serious and urgent harms. An extraordinary effort to  evacuate them is still ongoing. But, most of the nearly 100,000 people who were evacuated to the United States hold temporary immigration status. This uncertain immigration future compounds the trauma of lost homes and families and  risks returning people to face serious human rights violations.

In this episode, we discuss the evacuation, refugees, asylum, as well as the much needed Afghan Adjustment Act.

Neil Datta is a founder of the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights. We selected Neil as our 2022 Don & Arvonne Fraser Human Rights Award recipient because of his fearless commitment to investigating and exposing the far-right movement to roll back advancements in human rights. In the face of lawsuits and personal threats, Neil has persevered in his efforts to protect fundamental rights. His work aligns with The Advocates’ efforts to investigate the far right’s strategies and support our NGO partners in countries around the world as they counter the backlash to human rights.

The following episode is a recording of the event, and features Rosalyn Park (Director of the Woman’s Program here at the Advocates) and Neil Datta himself speaking about the importance of this work.

In this episode, The Advocates discusses how we work on many levels to uphold LGBTIQ+ rights. We invite LGBTIQ+ clients to contribute their expertise to our advocacy at the United Nations. We help LGBTIQ+ asylum seekers gain permanent status in the U.S. We partner with human rights defenders  internationally to protect LGBTIQ+ rights in their home countries.

This episode also commemorates International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia & Transphobia, which celebrates LGBTIQ+ people globally, and raises awareness for the work still needed to combat discrimination.

On International Women’s Day 2022, The Advocates for Human Rights’ staff shared stories from our multifaceted work for women’s human rights. Listen to this episode to hear stories of brave women who fled violence at home to seek asylum, a recent victory in changing Colombia’s domestic violence laws, and our partner human rights defenders in Ukraine.  

January is National Slavery & Human Trafficking Prevention Month. In this episode, join The Advocates staff and volunteers to learn about sex and labor trafficking, identifying and supporting survivors, how non-citizens are uniquely impacted, and efforts in Minnesota to combat trafficking and support victims.

If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, call now: 1-888-373-7888.

In this episode, join The Advocates staff (Jennifer Prestholdt, Elizabeth Lacy, Sarah Brenes & Lindsey Greising) as we discuss the local, national and global response to the afghan refugee crisis.

In this episode, The Advocates staff mark one year since the murder of George Floyd and the remaining gaps in justice despite the conviction and sentencing of Derek Chauvin.  With our guest, Ahmed Sirleaf, we discuss how transitional justice mechanisms and international norms may provide some frameworks for addressing racial justice and community trauma.

The Advocates for Human Rights: Lindsey Greising, Kaarin Long, and Jennifer Prestholdt

Guest: Ahmed Sirleaf, human rights and international justice advocate, is currently a Ph.D. student in Comparative International Development Education at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities and an independent international development consultant who works for Community Mediation and Restorative Services, Inc).  Sirleaf is a former staff member of The Advocates for Human Rights' Liberian Truth & Reconciliation Commission Diaspora Project.  He also holds a M.A. in Public International Law & the Settlement of Dispute from the United Nations[mandated] University for Peace in San Jose, Costa Rica.

After the guilty verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial, where do we go from here to address rampant police violence in the US? Join us and our guest, former US Attorney Joyce Vance, to hear about what the federal government can do about the problem.

The Advocates received news of the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial while recording this podcast. Join us to hear our reactions to the verdict, and our discussion of what comes next in terms of sentencing and appeal.

In this episode, we recap the last two weeks of Chauvin Trial, and discuss use of force by the police. We also interview Nils Melzer, who is a noted academic, author, and the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture.

In the first episode of The Advocast, presented by The Advocates for Human Rights, we recap what's happened in the Derek Chauvin trial so far, and discuss its broader implications on international human rights.