Human Rights Watch deputy director speaks at Fairfield University's Open VISIONS Forum March 9 | Press Releases

Image: Carroll Bogert Before violence erupted in Libya, Bahrain and Egypt, they were there. When Senegal passed a law promoting violence against homosexuals, they were there. In more than 80 countries where human rights abuses occur, Human Rights Watch (HRW), one of the world's leading independent organizations dedicated to defending and protecting human rights is there to document, investigate and expose, challenge, protect, and stand with victims to prevent discrimination and uphold political freedom in myriad ways. On Wednesday, March 9 at 8 p.m., Fairfield University's Open VISIONS Forum presents Carroll Bogert, Woodrow Wilson Fellow and deputy executive director of external affairs, who will speak on "A Perspective on Human Rights" at the Quick Center for the Arts. Tickets are $20. This is an Arts & Minds event and is part of the university's focus on Global Citizenship.

As a Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow, Bogert will spend an intensive week, from Monday through Friday, March 7 to 11 with University students and faculty in special classes, seminars, workshops and informal meetings that coincide with and connect to Women's History Month and the University's Global Citizenship focus.

Dr. Renée T. White, professor of sociology and anthropology and black studies, will introduce Bogert. White is the academic coordinator for diversity and global citizenship and serves in an advisory capacity to the steering committee for the International Consortium for Higher Education, Democracy and Civic Responsibility and the Council of Europe.

Joining Dr. Philip Eliasoph, director of OVF, onstage for discussion with Bogert will be Dr. Gisela Gil-Egui, associate professor of communication and Dr. Scott Lacy, assistant professor of sociology and anthropology. Lacy is the founder and executive director of African Sky, Inc., a non-profit organization that serves hard-working farm families in rural Mali, West Africa.

In her 2011 essay, "Whose News? The Changing Media Landscape and NGOs," that accompanies HRW's 2011 World Report, Bogert addresses the cooperative nature of journalists and HRW. It is her contention that the combination of rapid technological change and economic recession that has resulted in such deep cutbacks of journalists has had a negative impact not only on consumers of news as access to international coverage has dwindled, but it has had "very significant implications for international NGOs to get the word out and a decline in global news coverage constitutes a threat to their effectiveness."

With literal and figurative explosions taking place globally and human rights throughout the world in considerable danger, Bogert's perspective on this vital topic at such a crucial time in history will be illuminating to the OVF audience and will continue the OVF tradition of presenting stimulating dialogue on the most current of topics.

Tickets are available at fairfield.edu/quick or by calling the Box Office at (203) 254-4010. The toll free number is 1-877-ARTS-396. Special offers and discounts are available through the Quick Center's e-mail list. Join by sending an e-mail to the boxoffice@quickcenter.com . In addition, become a fan of the Quick Center for the Arts on Facebook. Keep up-to-date with the latest performance news, plus special offers and discounts. Find the Quick Center at www.facebook.com/FairfieldQuickCenter.

Directions: Fairfield University is located off I-95, exit 22 at 1073 North Benson Road, Fairfield, CT 06824. Easy access to the Quick Center for the Arts is through the Barlow Road gate at 200 Barlow Road. Special note: From Oct. 4, 2010 through June 30, 2012, the southern end of North Benson Road (Rt. 135) will be closed to traffic on nights and weekends. Round Hill Road intersects with Barlow and provides access to the Quick Center for the Arts.