Discussion on Human Rights at NAFSA San Antonio Conference

Safety is of the utmost importance in these days of global terrorism and widespread ethnic and religious tension. An increasing number of NAFSA members feel that our national organization must work closely with human rights organizations such as Amnesty International to ensure that Americans who study abroad, as well as international students on U.S. campuses, are protected. Care should be taken to make certain that students are going to countries, and to regions within those countries, that are safe, inclusive, and respectful of human diversity. If a student’s area of study must take him or her into parts of the world where discrimination and harassment based on gender, religion, ethnicity, race, or sexual orientation are known to be prevalent, NAFSA must take all steps necessary to inform the student of the risks involved, and to advise him or her of the best ways of handling potentially volatile situations and where to go for help when there are problems involving harassment or discrimination.

These topics were addressed in depth by a panel discussion entitled Are Human Rights Endangered by Globalization? at NAFSA’s annual meeting held in San Antonio, Texas, last May. The panelists included: Michael Heflin, director of Amnesty International’s OUTFront Program for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Human Rights; Isidro Bruno, Director of Indiana University’s Leo R. Dowling International Center; Alyson Kozma, Amnesty International Specialist for Women’s Rights and Membership Coordinator; and panel moderator Daniel Soto, who is Amnesty International Country Specialist for Honduras and Panama and a member of AI’s Midwest Action Task Force. The panel’s presentation received high praise from the more than 100 conferees that attended the session.