Share

cover art for Human Rights Reloaded

Bar Crawl Radio

Human Rights Reloaded

Season 10, Ep. 211

In 1948, all nations signed onto a document stating that the way a government treats its citizens can be judged by the rest of the world. This December, 2023, is the 75th Anniversary of the ratification of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights [UDHR].  Joining us for this conversation on the Gebhard's Beer Culture Bar porch are three women who explained the significance of the UDHR.

Jackie Dugard studies how laws impact social change and justice, focusing on power and exclusion. She is a Senior Lecturer at Columbia University’s Institute for the Study of Human Rights – and an Associate Professor at the School of Law of Wits University in Johannesburg. Prof. Dugard is an affiliate at the Center for Human Rights & Global Justice, a co-founder and the first Executive Director of the Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa.

Jocelyn Getgen Kestenbaum, is a human rights and public health scholar – focusing on preventing sexual and gender-based crimes and slavery. She is an Associate Professor of Clinical Law, and the Director of the Benjamin B. Ferencz Human Rights and Atrocity Prevention Clinic and the Cardozo Law Institute in Holocaust and Human Rights at Yeshiva University. 

Debra Sweet is the director of the Brooklyn-based World Can’t Wait – which protested the Iraq War, exposed the torture of prisoners at Guantanamo and other U.S. prisons, and opposes military recruiters coming to high schools and colleges. 

BONUS: A week before this recording, we spoke with Paul O'Brien -- the head of Amnesty International-USA -- at a benefit concert for Group 11, the NYC affiliate of AI-USA. Paul's comments are edited into this conversation.

More episodes

View all episodes

  • 236. 26th Kateri Peace Conference: A Panel on War.

    01:02:11||Season 11, Ep. 236
    The 26th Kateri Peace Conference held in Fonda, NY in mid-September, 2024 was entitled “What’s Love Got to do with it?”  The outcome of peace activism is the end of always-war. If, indeed, we are all connected on this minuscule green spot in a vast universe – if we are sisters and brothers who care for each other – why do we choose to kill each other in horrific and massive ways?  Bar Crawl Radio hosts -- Rebecca McKean and Alan Winson -- moderated the Friday evening panel with Ann Wright, Brian Terrell, Brad Wolf, and Vera Anderson. The panel focused on three basic questions:Why do we consistently choose war? How do wars start? Are the causes really that complex? Are the causes of war knowable?If we know the root causes of war -- Can we come up with policies that would end war-making?
  • 235. Eli Northrup: Future of Politics and Justice

    01:01:42||Season 10, Ep. 235
    Back in early Spring 2024 -- we net Bronx Public Defender Eli Northrup as he was beginning his run for NY State Assembly representative for the UWS. We were recording outside the Goddard Riverside Community Center at West 88th St and Columbus Avenue, talking to neighbors celebrating “Love Your Street Tree Day” – and Eli came up to our open mic.Eli placed second in the election for State Assembly. We invited Eli to talk about his experience of running for state office and his work as the “Policy Director for the Criminal Defense Practice at the Bronx Defenders” office.  We began the conversation asking Eli about his NYU law school hip hop band “Pants Velour” and their quick hit “Charlie Sheen: Always Winning.” Eli shared his deep disappointment with losing the election and how his work as the policy director at the Bronx Public Defenders formed his political platform. At the midpoint of the conversation we talked about American citizens' looking for openness and honesty in a political scene rife with dishonesty.
  • 234. Harris OR Trump? Report from Mexico & Scotland

    56:12||Season 10, Ep. 234
    BCR podcast traveled to Mexico and Scotland in August and asked what citizens of the world were feeling about the U.S. Presidential election. Nearly everyone I met was aware of the election and had significant and personal feelings about "Americans" and their limited choice for leadership. I talked with people from Puerta Vallarta, San Miguel de Allende, Edinburgh, and Aberfeldy -- tourists, a waiter, a van driver, teens from Belfast, couple of cooks, a photographer and painter, a teacher, an airline worker, Cambridge students, tour guides, Edinburgh Fringe Festival workers and artists, and the Fringe Financial Manager. Let me know what you think of this mix of human voices on the eve of a most important US Presidential election.Alan Winsonbarcrawlradio@gmail.com
  • 233. Walk Thru Maloy Iowa with Brian Terrell

    43:08||Season 10, Ep. 233
    Mid July, this year -- 2024 – Rebecca McKean and I flew into Chicago and then drove to Maloy Iowa – a few miles north of the Missouri border.We passed Joliet – Dekalk – Moline – Iowa City – Cedar Rapids - Ottunwa - Mt Ayr – then – Maloy, Iowa.At one time – not so long ago – Maloy had a small population. Its buildings remain:  A medium sized Catholic Church – small Post Office – General Store – Dance Hall – City Hall. Now it is mostly empty – a husk of a town surrounded by massive corn fields.Becky and I were visiting two Catholic Worker friends who had been cultivating a small vegetable – goat and chicken farm since 1986. Their two children grew up in Maloy on the “Strangers and Guests Catholic Worker Community Farm.”Over those years -- besides working the farm -- Betsy Kenan perfected the crafts of weaving and looming – and Brian Terrell travelled protesting war and the spread of U.S. military and nuclear bombs throughout the world._____________________________For the next three BCR programs – we talked with Brian – Betsy and their friends in Maloy and Creston IA to get a feel for life in this American state which overwhelmingly supports Donald Trump for president, bans abortions after six weeks --  and which -- we learned – might be considering alternative – diverse -- ways of being in mid-America.The opening sound was recorded on Betsy’s and Brian’s porch.  Nate Jarrell on the violin – Nate is a young peace activist and musician and builder who was visiting Brian and Betsy on their Catholic Worker Farm – and Don Ray – a neighbor up the road was playing the guitar –
  • 232. History of the West Side Community Garden

    29:09||Season 10, Ep. 232
    For the past three years BCR podcast has recorded on Sundays in June from the West Side Community Garden, As usual, we talked with neighbors doing amazing work for their community and featured the music of local artists performing in the Garden during the month. For this BCR program we invited three leaders of the WSCG to talk about its history. By a miraculous convergence of urban decay and sheer will, this former trash heap abides as a garden oasis on the Upper West Sider – all thanks to dedicated gardners and volunteers. This place exemplifies the strength of local communities.Ensconced in a corner of the garden we talked with three women who nurture and are nurtured by a garden: Judy Robinson is a gardener and the President of the WSCG’s Board of Directors. Until this summer, Randa Kirshbaum organized the Garden’s Summer Music concerts. And joining us on our bench was Jackie Bukowski -- an early organizer of the WSCG.Later in the program we featured the music of the Scott Munson Jazz Quintet. The complete performance can be heard at BCR #233.
  • 233. Scott Munson Jazz Quintet @ the West Side Community Garden / June 2024

    52:17||Season 10, Ep. 233
    Complete performance of the Scott Munson Jazz Quintet at the West Side Community Garden on June 16, 2024.CONTACT: barcrawlradio@gmail.com
  • 231. La Manga @ West Side Community Garden - Full Concert - June 2024

    01:03:08||Season 10, Ep. 231
    A full length presentation of a performance by La Manga in the West Side Community Garden in June 2024. For a conversation with La Manga founder, Daniela Serna, go to BCR #230.Alan Winsonbarcrawlradio@gmail.com
  • 230. David Andersson of Pressenza @ the WSCG

    42:52||Season 10, Ep. 230
    For the fourth time this summer Bar Crawl Radio podcast is not at a bar.  But we are continuing to have conversations with neighbors doing positive work for their community.  We will be talking with a citizen journalists who works in the field of peace activism and whose writing is published in Pressenza – an international news agency pushing ideas of peace, non-violence, and human rightsFor this BCR recording we were ensconced in our mobile studio in the southeast corner of the West Side Community Garden observing Upper West Siders choose their favorite spots to listen to La Manga, who perform Bullerengue, music from the Caribbean coast of Colombia.  Later in the program, I will be talking with Daniela Serna about La Manga and we’ll listen to selections from tonight’s performance.But first Rebecca McKean and I talked with David Andersson, a citizen journalist, photographer and publisher. In the 80’s Mr. Andersson published a neighborhood newspaper in Paris. Today, David is the coordinator of the NYC bureau for Pressenza and the host of Face 2 Face, a podcast talking with activists for peace from all over the world.Alan Winsonbarcrawlradio@gmail.com
  • 229. Walking for Peace in Inwood Park

    29:13||Season 10, Ep. 229
    For this BCR conversation we were not at a bar having a conversation with people working positively for their communities – but at Inwood Park – in upper Manhattan – former home of the Lenape People. Catholic Worker, Anthony Donovan, opens this program as he talks to a group of about 20 people who had joined the Veteran's for Peace "2024 Peace Walk" -- for the day. The VFP Walk started in Ogunquit Maine on May 5th and will arrive in Washington, DC July 5th – a nearly 600 mile trek. Some walk for a day – others longer – and one former military person has walked nearly the entire length.As we moved through the densely forested hills of Inwood Park, I spoke with Tarak Kauf of the VFP and organizer of the Walk and asked him about the link between walking and peace. I then walked beside two former members of the U.S. military who explained their reasons for participating in an anti-war peace walk -- Eric Waseleski and James Williams. Alan Winson barcrawlradio@gmail.com