Asma Jahangir: "Will Pakistan's Democracy Survive?"

Open Society Institute and the Department of Legal Studies cordially invite you to the Fifth Marek Nowicki Memorial Lecture, delivered by the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, United Nations Commission on Human Rights

Asma Jahangir: "Will Pakistan's Democracy Survive?"

Welcome: Professor John Shattuck (President and Rector, CEU)

Chair: Renata Uitz (Associate Professor/Chair, Comparative Constitutional Law Program, Department of Legal Studies)

Opening Remarks: Wiktor Osiatynski (CEU University Professor)

Introduction: Aryeh Neier (President, Open Society Institute)

Marek Nowicki (19472003) studied nuclear physics in the 1960s, while passionately helping to popularize mountaineering among student groups in Poland. In the years 197281, Nowicki worked for the Mathematics and Physics Department of Warsaw University. In 1980 and 81, he was active in the Mazowsze chapter of the NSZZ Solidarnos´c´ movement. During martial law, Nowicki was detained by the Polish authorities. In December of 1982, Nowicki co-founded the underground Helsinki Committee of Poland. After the fall of Communism, the members of the Committee, under Nowickis leadership, established the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights. The Foundation has flourished into one of the most active and experienced non-governmental organizations in Europe today. Nowicki presided over the organization until his premature death in 2003.

Appointed an expert on human rights by the Polish parliament, Nowicki co-authored the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and helped shape the Polish Constitution. Nowicki wrote extensively on the history and the philosophy of human rights, he co-created documentaries and educational programs, and spoke passionately on rights and freedoms, thus contributing his expertise to numerous international organizations. He was instigator and supporter of human rights movements in authoritarian countries and new democracies—especially Poland and the other post-Soviet states. Until the end of his life, Nowicki continued to give lectures to audiences all over Russia, Central Asia, and the Caucasus, where his character and charisma made him a trusted leader, and a symbol in the non-violent fight for individual rights and dignity.

Asma Jahangir is an advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and has been twice elected as Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.

From 1998 to 2004 she also served as Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Commission on Extrajudicial, Arbitrary or Summary Executions. She is also Co-Chair of South Asia for Human Rights since 2000, and the Director of the AGHS Legal Aid Cell, which provides free legal assistance to the needy.

Jahangir was instrumental in the formation of the Punjab Women Lawyers Association in 1980 and the Womens Action Forum in 1985. She was placed under house arrest and later imprisoned for participating in the movement to restore political and fundamental rights under the military regime in 1983. Due to her efforts to secure justice for disadvantaged groups, she has been frequently threatened by militant groups. Asma Jahangir has authored two books and five papers.

She has received honorary Doctor of Law degrees from the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland, Queens University, Canada, and Amherst College, USA. She has been the recipient of a number of international and national awards, among them the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1995. She served as a leading figure in the campaign waged by the women activists against the promulgation of the controversial Hadood Ordinances and draft law on evidence. Moreover, she has defended cases of discrimination against religious minorities, women and children. She represented several clients who were denied their fundamental rights. Notable amongst them are the cases she fought for brick kiln workers, who are mostly bonded labourers in Pakistan, and tried having legislation passed by the Parliament in favor of bonded workers.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Asma Jahangir
• marek nowicki
• john shattuck
• renata uitz
• wiktor osiatynski
• aryeh neier
• central european university
• democracy
• pakistan
• ceu
• budapest
• hungary
• open society institute

[Ameekazmi]

Truth is only bitter for traitors. She is speaking truth & the traitors don’t like that.

[mohinder64]

Excellent Excellent speech,Asma you are the hope for the southasians .Keep going.Way to go.Thankyou

[sunderkhan09]

This Government was elected through democratic process but unfortunately there is no democracy in the country. Rampant corruption and bad governance has ruined the country. Asma Jahangir belongs to the same ruling gang which pumped the money into the pockets of some unscrupulous lawyers to get her elected to the position of president of Supreme Court Bar which she never deserved.

[sachinthebond]

ASMA JEHANGIR IS A SUPERB SPEAKER - INDIAN

[SJAINFORYOUATUTUBE]

Dictators must go !!!

[7707thunder]

she is a bitch which go to india and take advises from them to bash on pakistan . she eat drink sleep here and bash us if she has so much pain in her ass go to india and stay with her real lovers.cutiya aurat.

[Somair6469]

@Jarral45 I disagree with you the supreme court in Pakistan has once again showed their true colors. During the supreme court bar election the chief justice openly supported a candidate form Imran Khan's party.

I was really bumed out after hearing that but i think this girl is doing a great job. She is the arundati roy of Pakistan

Thanks

[ranamuhammadatif]

All you stupid liberals can brag for now but there will be no escape when retribution of Allah comes in the form of the Taliban. There is no room for democracy in the future of Pakistan

[Jarral45]

I always considered this woman, an intelligent sincere and honest person.

But now a days, unfortunately she is showing strange character.

In my opinion Supreme Court of Pakistan is making highly bold decisions against all corrupt, powerful ugly rich bosses.

And this woman, instead of helping, she has started criticizing Supreme Court.

Strange?

And she is talking on the same wave length as Fouzia Wahab, Firdous Ashiq Awan, Najam Sethi etc. it seems she has lost her character.

[meenhoona]

asma dali ki bachi last week bi tumeeh likha tha ke lawyers ko kaho k yeh hartaleen mat kiya karoo iss tarah gareeboon ko insaf jaldi nahi milta asma.behan ki lauri humenrights ki chachi banti he yeh gareeb loog jo kacharyoon meen inn lawyers ki waja se khwar hote heen tumeeh nazar nahi ate plz do some thing to stop these blody layers .