Democracy is not merely a system of governance, it is indispensable also for protecting individual rights, freedoms, and dignity. The aim of this panel to focus attention on the curtailment of rights in democratic societies and efforts at resistance. Specifically, welfare policies and the language of welfare in many democracies evince little concern for beneficiaries' rights, such as for instance to food and shelter. At the same time, a narrow elite have commandeered the language of rights, and particular rights such as that to freedom of expression, in the service of power and privilege. Are these new developments? How far do they reflect attitudes and processes that have been long at work at grassroot or local levels, and have filtered upwards and become more visible? What can we learn from grassroots and local efforts to defend and advance rights, and the horizontal and vertical solidarities needed to support them?

Speakers

• Irene Khan, UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, distinguished Fellow, Geneva Graduate Institute and Research Associate, Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy.
• Miloon Kothari, Visiting Professor, Geneva Graduate Institute and Independent Expert on Human Rights and Social Policy

Irene Khan is UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression since 1 August 2020 and distinguished Fellow and Research Associate, Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy.
An internationally recognized advocate for human rights, gender equality and social justice, Ms. Khan was Secretary General of Amnesty International from 2001 - 2009 and Director-General of the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) from 2012 - 2019. She was Visiting Professor at the State University of New York Law School in 2011 and Chancellor of Salford University (UK) from 2009 - 2015. She began her professional career with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, working for 21 years at headquarters and in country operations.
She was awarded the Sydney Peace Prize in 2006 for her work to stop violence against women.

Miloon Kothari is Visiting Professor at the Geneva Graduate Institute and Independent Expert on Human Rights and Social Policy based in New Delhi, India and Geneva. He is President of UPR info, a non-profit NGO aiming to promote human rights through the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). In July 2021, Mr. Kothari was appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council as Commissioner with the UN Independent Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel. From 2000-2008, Mr. Kothari was the first Special Rapporteur on adequate housing with the United Nations Human Rights Council. During his tenure as Special Rapporteur he led the process that resulted in the UN Basic Principles and Guidelines on Development based Evictions and Displacement – the current global operational human rights standard on the practice of forced evictions.

This event takes place in the context of the Geneva Democracy Week as part of the programme organised by the Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy.