Looking at Far Right Extremism's Effect on Human Rights in the U.S.

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(Photo: Professor Elizabeth Joh)
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(Photo: Professor Karima Bennoune)
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(Photo: Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Afra Afsharipour)

The 2020/21 school year at UC Davis School of Law is ending on a high note. Professor Karima Bennoune, Homer G. Angelo and Ann Berryhill Professor of Law and U.N. Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, organized a powerful event, April 21, on "Far Right Extremism and Human Rights in the United States: Global Perspectives." More than 100 participants tuned into the event.

The January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol displayed to the world what experts had warned of for years: that rising tides of far right extremism in the United States pose a significant human rights threat. This event brought together global experts to explore the human rights implications of extremism and possible strategies to respond.

The event was co-sponsored by UC Davis School of Law, the UN Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, and the UC Davis Human Rights Studies Program.

Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Afra Afsharipour offered welcoming remarks to this important human rights panel. Professor Elizabeth Joh moderated the panel discussion, which included an amazing group of influential global speakers:
 

  • Deeyah Khan, Director of "WHITE RIGHT: MEETING THE ENEMY" and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for artistic freedom and creativity
  • Naureen Chowdhury Fink, Executive Director of The Soufan Center
  • Chetan Bhatt, Professor of Sociology, London School of Economics
  • UC Davis Law Professor Karima Bennoune


The discussion was rich and all-too timely. The January events in Washington, D.C., were a wakeup call to the nation. Virtual attendance was inspiring, with scores of students, faculty, alumni, and community members in the Zoom audience.