Friday, March 7, 2008 12:30 – 6:00 p.m.

“The Haiti Conference is designed to raise public awareness about serious human rights violations currently being perpetrated on women and children in Haiti,” said conference organizer, Professor Susan Tiefenbrun.  “Especially on children desperately seeking to be adopted by parents whose applications have been duly accepted and processed. High profile human rights activists and ambassadors from the country of Haiti are gathered here to expose these human rights violations and to seek help for the victims of intolerable abuse.”

12:30 Welcome

Moderator: Professor Susan Tiefenbrun, Director Center for Global Legal Studies at Thomas Jefferson School of Law

12:45 Ambassador Raymond A. Joseph, Haitian Ambassador to the United States,

“Setting the Stage for Reform in Haiti: Children and Women’s Rights, Corruption, and  Security”

1:30 Deputy Rodon A. Bien-Aime, Senator to Haitian Parliament

“Children in Rural Districts of Haiti: Orphans and Abandoned Children Have Human Rights Too”

2:15 Ms. Barbara Walker, Head of NGO Reach Out to Haiti

“Improving the Lives of Homeless Women in Prostitution and Children in Haiti”

3:00 Coffee Break – Drinks and snacks available

3:45 Professor Mohamed Y. Mattar, Executive Director of Protection Project at Johns Hopkins University

“Trafficking of Children in Haiti and Haiti’s New Trafficking Law”

4:00 Vera Valdivia, Law Student at Thomas Jefferson School of Law

“Children’s Rights, International Adoptions, and UNICEF in Haiti”

4:45 Mario Joseph, Prominent Human Rights Attorney in Haiti

"Enforcing Women's and Children's Rights in Haitian Courts"

5:30 Concluding Remarks

Professor Susan Tiefenbrun, Director Center for Global Legal Studies at Thomas Jefferson School of Law

Admission is Free

RSVP to Randy Ward at rward@tjsl.edu or 619.297.9700 ext. 1415