Schedule of Events

Destinations

March 4 - 6, 2009

Fundamental Human Rights

On December 10, 1948, the United Nations General Assembly approved the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, establishing the right to “freedom of thought, conscience and religion,” as well as the right to “freedom of opinion and expression” for people throughout the world regardless of race, gender or age.

Though most of the world’s nations acknowledge such principles in theory, after 60 years basic freedoms of expression and belief are still under challenge – across the globe, and here in the United States. The President’s Forum on International Human Rights will explore these challenges and the efforts underway to protect these fundamental rights in the United States and throughout the world.

Site Links

California State University
Long Beach

Schedule of Events

All events are open to the public and free of charge. No registration is required. Please arrive early as seats will be occupied on a first-come basis. Attendees with a disability should contact the Office of the President if they require an accommodation.

Download Printer-friendly Schedule of Events
Please check back regularly for an updated schedule of events.

Preceding Event
Time	Event
Tuesday, March 3 7:00 p.m.	FILM -- University Student Union Theater	*Inherit the Wind* Inherit the Wind (1960) centers around the issues of evolution vs. creationism. Famed director Stanley Kramer's film about the 1925 Scopes "Monkey Trial" was also designed as a protest against the repressive thinking of the 1950s McCarthy era.

Day I: Wednesday, march 4
Time	Event
8:30 a.m.	+PERFORMANCE: -- University Student Union Ballroom	LONG BEACH COMMUNITY DRUM -- Native American Drums
9:00 a.m.	PRESIDENT'S WELCOME: -- University Student Union Ballroom	F. KING ALEXANDER -- President, California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) KAREN L. GOULD --Provost, California State University, Long Beach (CSULB)
9:15 a.m.	LECTURE: THE EVOLUTION OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT -- University Student Union Ballroom	CRAIG SMITH --Director, Center for First Amendment Studies, CSULB Professor Craig Smith serves as Faculty Trustee for the California State University system. He has acted as a writer and consultant for prominent political figures, including Presidents Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush. He has authored many books and scholarly articles.
11:00 a.m.	PANEL: FREEDOM TO WRITE AND PUBLISH -- University Student Union Ballroom	ALICIA PARTNOY -- Professor of Modern Languages Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles Book: Little School: Tales of Disappearance and Survival in Argentina Book available for purchase LARRY SIEMS* --Director, Freedom to Write and International Programs, PEN American Center NGUGI WA THIONGO --Director, International Center for Writing and Translation --Distinguished Professor, English and Comparative Literature University of California, Irvine Book: Wizard of the Crow Book available for purchase Introduction/Moderator: Carl Fisher* -- Chair, Comparative World Literature and Classics, CSULB
1:30 p.m.	+PERFORMANCE: -- University Student Union Ballroom	CSULB STUDENT PRESENTATION: CONSERVATORY PERCUSSION ENEMBLE
2:00 p.m.	KEYNOTE SPEAKER: FREE SPEECH IN AN INTERNET WORLD -- University Student Union Ballroom	ERWIN CHEMERINSKY -- Dean, School of Law University of California, Irvine Founding dean of the University of California, Irvine School of Law, Erwin Chemerinsky is one of the country’s most prominent constitutional scholars. Having argued cases before the United States Supreme Court and the United States Court of Appeals, Legal Affairs named him one of “the top 20 legal thinkers in America.”
3:30 p.m.	+PERFORMANCE: -- University Student Union Ballroom	CSULB STUDENT PRESENTATION: BURMA SLIDE SHOW and DIALOGUE by SUNDIE ZIN
4:00 p.m.	"CHALLENGES TO HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCACY IN THE MIDDLE EAST" -- University Student Union Ballroom	SARAH LEAH WHITSON -- Director, Middle East and North Africa Division, Human Rights Watch Sarah Leah Whitson is an expert on human rights issues in the Middle East and North Africa. She has conducted numerous human rights missions over the past 15 years, including missions examining the impact of war and sanctions on the Iraqi civilian population, elections in Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq, and human rights issues in southern Lebanon. Human Rights Watch is one of the world’s leading independent human rights organizations, giving voice to the oppressed and holding oppressors accountable for their crimes.
7:00 p.m.	A CONVERSATION: THE HOLLYWOOD BLACKLIST: A SCREENWRITER'S STORY OF EXILE -- University Student Union/ Beach Auditorium	NORMA BARZMAN --Author Book: The Red and the Blacklist Book signing to follow An aspiring screenwriter, Norma Barzman was blacklisted during the McCarthy era for her refusal to cooperate with the House Un-American Activities Committee. Barzman chose exile in France, but later returned to the United States to campaign to restore the reputation of film artists whose careers were affected by the racism, sexism, and anti-democratic tendencies of the McCarthy era. Host:* MAT KAPLAN --Guest Host, KPCC radio’s “Talk of the City” -- Sr. Director, Technology and Development, UCES, CSULB
8:15 p.m.	FILM --University Student Union/ Beach Auditorium	*Good Night, And Good Luck* "I thought it was a good time to raise the idea of using fear to stifle political debate," explained writer, director and actor George Clooney describing Good Night, And Good Luck. Released in 2005 when America's entry into Iraq or the Administration's conduct of the war was branded as "unpatriotic," Clooney's film directly addresses governmental erosion of free expression and belief.

Day II: thursday, March 5
	Event
9:30 a.m.	PANEL: REPORT ON FIRST AMENDMENT AND RELIGIOUS FREEDOM -- University Student Union Ballroom	CENTER FOR FIRST AMENDMENT STUDIES, CSULB Graduate Research Fellows: BRANDON ANDERSON ERIC CULLATHER JULIE RIVETT KASHIF POWELL
11:00 a.m.	PANEL: GLOBAL NEWS MEDIA -- University Student Union Ballroom	LUCY DALGLISH -- Executive Director, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Washington D.C. PETE FUENTES --Broadcast News Consultant, Televisa S.A., Mexico City BRUCE WALLACE --Foreign Editor, Los Angeles Times ELIAS WONDIMU --Journalist and Editorial Director, Tsehai Publishers Loyola Marymount University Introduction/Moderator: RAUL REIS -- Chair, Department of Journalism, CSULB
1:00 p.m.	INTERACTIVE SESSION: FREEDOM OF RELIGIOUS BELIEF: SACRED AND SHARED "COMMANDMENTS" -- University Student Union Ballroom	Recognizing the "Shared Ethics" amid our differences allows us to honor, respect and appreciate religious beliefs other than our own. This session involves audience participation as well as performance of poetry and prose to co-create a positive journey into the Heart Unity of World Religion. Producers: JAMES MANSEAU SAUCEDA --Founding Director, Multicultural Center, CSULB CHRISTINA LYNN MOORHEAD -- Communication Studies, Chapman University
3:00 p.m.	+PERFORMANCE -- University Student Union Ballroom	CSULB STUDENT PRESENTATION: DANCE RECITAL
3:30 p.m.	FEATURED SPEAKER: SOME IDEAS ABOUT IDEAS -- University Student Union Ballroom	MICHAEL SCHWARTZ --President, Cleveland State University Book: The Chief Purpose of Universities: Academic Discourse and the Diversity of Ideas (Mellen Studies in Education) Book available for purchase Co-author of The Chief Purpose of Universities: Academic Discourse and the Diversity of Ideas, Dr. Schwartz has served on numerous higher education boards and commissions and is widely published in the area of social psychology. Respondent: CHARLES NOBLE* --Chair, Political Science, CSULB
6:30 p.m.	+PERFORMANCE: -- University Student Union Ballroom	CSULB STUDENT PRESENTATION: POETRY SLAM TEAM
7:00 p.m.	LECTURE AND DOCUMENTARY SCREENING -- University Student Union Ballroom Documentary: Control Room --A documentary describing U.S. Central Command and its relations with Al Jazeera and other news organizations that covered the 2003 invasion of Iraq.	JEHANE NOUJAIM -- Filmmaker The Egyptian-American filmmaker Jehane Noujaim was the 2006 winner of the Technology, Entertainment, Design (TED) Prize award. Her film Control Room drew international attention by contrasting coverage of the American invasion of Iraq presented by the Arabic-language Al-Jazeera channel with U.S. military and American news outlets.

Day III: friday, March 6
	Event
9:30 a.m.	+PERFORMANCE: -- University Student Union Ballroom	*CSULB STUDENT PRESENTATION: ORIZURU* - SHORT FILM by JUNYS SAKINO**
10:00 a.m.	PANEL: FREE EXPRESSION, THE ARTS, AND THE QUAGMIRE OF GOVERNMENT FUNDING -- University Student Union Ballroom	MARJORIE HEINS -- Founding Director, Free Expression Policy Project- National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC), a U.S. based organization dedicated to exploring challenges to free expression from censorship, media regulation and intellectual property laws. Book: Not in Front of the Children: "Indecency," Censorship and the Innocence of Youth Book: Sex, Sin and Blasphemy: A Guide to America's Censorship Wars Book signing to follow Attorney Marjorie Heins has long championed the right of artists to test the limits of censorship, media regulation, and intellectual property laws. She was co-counsel on the brief presented to the United States Supreme Court in the Reno vs. ACLU* case which led to the striking of the Communications Decency Act as an unconstitutional violation of the First Amendment. Respondents: JOANNE GORDAN --Chair, Theatre Arts, CSULB DONALD J. PARA --Dean, College of the Arts, CSULB
11:30 a.m.	CLOSING REMARKS -- University Student Union Ballroom	F. KING ALEXANDER -- President, California State University, Long Beach

Following Event
Friday, March 6 7:00 p.m.	AUTHOR PRESENTATION -- Carpenter Performing Arts Center	Long Beach Public Library Foundation celebrates LONG BEACH READS ONE BOOK 2009 and honors GREG MORTENSEN Author and Nobel Peace Prize Nominee Book: Three Cups of Tea – One Man's Mission to Promote Peace... One School at a Time