JBI Human Rights

JBI Statement on Democracy and Human Rights Monitoring

The Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights released a statement on Democracy and Human Rights Monitoring today affirming its support of such  monitoring as a hallmark of democracies, and while noting that scrutiny of the work and methodology of such rights groups can be a legitimate concern, pointed out that no country should be exempt from such examination/criticism.

Nonetheless, JBI pointed out that legitimate scrutiny of NGO methods “should not spill over into undue accusations of disloyalty or ad hominem attacks, such as were recently aimed at the distinguished former MK Naomi Chazan, nor deteriorate to permit the use of anti-Semitic imagery, as took place recently in Israel in an advertisement and cartoon criticizing the New Israel Fund, of which Ms Chazan is President.”

The statement was signed by E. Robert Goodkind, JBI Chair, and Felice Gaer, Director.

Looking Back on the Role of OSCE Field Missions

With intensive reflections under way on the future of the OSCE as an institution and force for human rights and human rights, particularly under the controversial chair of Kazakhstan, JBI thought it would be useful to provide a report we did a decade ago in 1999 on the role of the OSCE field missions and other human rights institutions.

The field missions -- where human rights are "operationalized" in the words of Amb. John Kornblum -- are more important than ever, and more under threat than ever.

JBI OSCE Report

Cyberspace and the Iranian Grassroots Movement

The Green Victory Sign (c) Hamed Saber

The Jacob Blaustein Institute and AJC's ACCESS program held a public joint meeting on January 11, "Cyberspace and the Iranian Grassroots Movement". The following is a summary record.

The struggle of the Iranian opposition movement has captured the interest and support of millions around the world through extensive use of the Internet and leveraging of online social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook that make the story of democracy compelling and personal. Through numerous video clips posted on YouTube and other sharing sites, and a continuous stream of short, real-time posts of information about demonstrations and the Iranian government's crackdowns, young people in Iran have mounted a significant challenge to their government and gained supporters. Experts on the region are calling these widely-publicized protests in Iran the most significant movement in the Middle East in decades, with potential to bring authentic reform -- if the obstacles of both government repression as well as attrition of the world's attention can be surmounted.

The Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights (“JBI”) and AJC’s new generation program, ACCESS, jointly sponsored a public event on January 11 with experts on Iran and new media to learn how Iranian protesters have taken their cause to the outside world despite considerable backlash from the autocratic Iranian government. Rebecca Neuwirth, Director of ACCESS, explained that, above all, brave people in Iran using social media sites to send out reports need to know they are heard. "Active receivers are as vital as senders as these very important events unfold," she said.