Kayla Peeples April 3, 2013

Walking That Talk Topic: International Human Rights Tate 214 Count: 32 (including myself) 6:30-7:30 Speaker: Aaron Sayama, graduate assistant Public of International Affairs, humorous Last one of semester Blue card event Power point Open discussion, two-way communication (audience interaction w/ questions) Students scattered throughout row filled lecture classroom Handed LGBT resource center program evaluation Pop techno music played before started Opened with blue card event rules Ground rules: 1) Vegas. 2) disagree with the STATEMENT and not the PERSON Hilary Clinton human rights speech sets human rights from discussion, God-given & protected Geneva Conventions 1948 & universal declaration of human rights Why are they contensous? Michael Ignatieff dont want a world where the weak are at the mercy of the strength Believes sovereign nations can do what they want to do Susan Rice United States proud to join human rights council What are human rights? (open to audience) something govt cant take away from you Govt is obliged to give economic, social and cultural right Things that are required for human life Not plausible for any economic situations right now International community has option to help o How do I feed my people after natural disaster Audience is quite quiet w/ the exception of the few attendees who spoke Where do these rights come from? Hope rights come from ethical backing, as a country define what is moral, good and bad Elect representatives that we tell our wants to and they rely to govt How should we reconcile pluralist societies with universal human rights doctrine? Takes a lot of time, for entire cultural values to shift Does the US have a responsibility to patrol human rights policies? (LGBT, death penalty, prison industrial complex) US barely has their stuff together US could but shouldnt bc as soon as we leave the country will revert back to their culture but should reach out and say something and lead by example Prison industrial complex Big house equals big bucks when it comes to private prison lobbying Policies are set up to put/keep people in prison Hilary Clinton commercial gay rights US does not lethal injection under 18 Certain policies US should ensue like bodily harm Freedom of speech can be testy Wrapping up questions Suggest A problem from hell for genocide Ended on future events

Kayla Peeples April 3, 2013 The LGBT Resource Center held a discussion-based program on the issue of international human rights designed for University of Georgia students Tuesday afternoon. Whether the United States is a blueprint for foreign countries as a nation of equal rights for its citizens became the center of discussion at the Lets Talk about it: Walking the Talk.. event held at the Miller Learning Center. The LGBT community, prison industrial complex, human rights, and the death penalty were topics discussed at the resource centers program. The discussion was led by graduate assistant and former student of the university, Aaron Sayama. In 2010 Sayama graduated with a double major in International Affairs and Linguistics. Samaya has researched international policy and public policy analytics. With an audience right under 40, Sayama started the discussion with a few ground rules on how the resource center typically handles open discussion events: The Vegas rule and one is to disagree with the STATEMENT and not the PERSON. Sayama used numerous video clips to enhance the PowerPoint presentation that included former Secretary of State, Hilllary Clinton; former politician, Michael Ignatieff; and Ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice. A video from Clinton set the direction of the program showing her refer to human rights as God-given and were to be protected by the government. What are human rights? asked Sayama. A few students raised their hands and gave responses, such as something the government cannot take away from you and things that are required for human life. Most students believed it is the governments responsibility to give social, economic and cultural rights. There was one however, that believed equality of human rights in our nations current economic situation is just not plausible. Human rights were later mentioned again in the format of whether the U.S. has the responsibility to patrol human rights policies. Many students felt the U.S. is no condition to guard international human rights, when as a country we are not the most stable. The U.S. could but shouldnt because as soon as we leave, the country will revert back to their culture, but we should reach out and say something and lead by example stated one attendee. The speaker mentioned that there are policies that put and keep people inside of prison. Sayama showed a clip of what takes place inside our court system when money is the motive for judges of private prison lobbying when city juvenile detention centers are closed but private centers are kept open, called the prison industrial complex. As the discussion came to an end, Sayama gave his viewpoint on certain policies the U.S. should ensuebodily harm, women rights and how freedom of speech can be testy. The discussion was the last blue card event by the LGBT Resource Center for the spring semester.