PHM-Exch> Courses on refugee law: CMRS Winter Short Courses

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: PHM Global Secretariat globalsecretariat at phmovement.org

Center for Migration and Refugee Studies

Winter Short Courses January 2010

The Center for Migration and Refugee Studies CMRS at the American
University in Cairo AUC is offering the following two winter short
courses on refugee law:

1.      Introduction to Refugee Law (January 10-14, 2010):
Course Description:

The course will provide post-graduate students, international agency
staff, NGO workers, lawyers and others working with refugees or
interested in refugee issues with an introduction to the international
legal framework which governs the protection of refugees.  Through
lectures, case studies and  small group sessions, course participants
will learn about the basic features of international refugee law
including the components of the international refugee protection regime;
the elements of the definition(s) of \"refugee\" contained in
international instruments; the ethical and professional obligations of
those representing refugees; the basic elements of the process by which
refugee status is determined; and, the rights of refugees under
international law.  A background in law is useful but not required.  The
course will include a simulated refugee hearing in which course
participants will be assigned roles to carry out in mock refugee status
determination proceedings.

2.      Advanced Refugee Law (January 17- 21, 2010):
Course Description:

The course will provide post-graduate students, international agency
staff, NGO workers, lawyers and others working with refugees with
further training on new developments and current debates regarding the
international legal framework which governs the protection of refugees.
Through lectures, case studies and  small group sessions, course
participants will discuss and debate the sources and governance of
international refugee law; the minimum requirements  of and best
practices in refugee status determination; the nature of the \"nexus\"
requirement; the nature of \"persecution\" (including the circumstances
under which socio-economic disadvantage may qualify as persecution); how
to distinguish between \"persecution\" and \"prosecution\"; the
definition of refugee contained in the Convention Governing the Specific
Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa; the ethical and professional
dilemmas encountered in legal representation of and advocacy on behalf
of refugees; and, the obligations to refugees arising from other areas
of international law.  The course will be taught using examples from
past and current refugee policy and jurisprudence from different
jurisdictions.  Successful completion of an introductory course in
refugee law or equivalent experience with refugee law is required.  The
course will include a multi-party negotiation exercise based upon a
simulated refugee crisis in which course participants will be assigned
the roles of affected states, UNHCR and civil society and be required to
negotiate a solution.

Information about the Instructor:
Martin Jones is a lecturer in international human rights law at the
Centre for Applied Human Rights at the University of York. He previously
taught and served as a visiting researcher at Osgoode Hall Law School
(Canada), Queen\'s University (Canada), the Centre for Refugee Studies
(Canada), the University of East London (UK), Georgetown University
(USA), the University of Michigan (USA), the American University in
Cairo (Egypt) and, most recently, the University of Melbourne
(Australia). Martin is a member of the executive committee of the
International Association for the Study of Forced Migration and past
chair of its 11th biennial conference in Cairo. He is managing editor of
the journal Refuge.

Martin is a founding and active member of the Southern Refugee Legal Aid
Network, its voluntary director of research and training and a
consultant to refugee legal aid organizations in Cyprus, Egypt, Hong
Kong, Jordan, Malaysia and Turkey..  Before his returning to academia in
2002, he practiced as a refugee lawyer in Canada where he n 2008, he
co-founded the Egyptian Foundation for Refugee Rights which provides
legal aid to refugees and migrants in Egypt. He serves as the chair of
the Legal Aid Working Group of the Asia Pacific Network for Refugee
Rights, a regional coalition of over 100 NGOs, and sits on its steering
committee.
He has co-authored a textbook on refugee law in Canada and has published
on various topics, including the interpretation of the definition of
refugee, refugee status determination and the prohibition on refoulement
to torture.
His research interests include the reform of the governance of the
international refugee protection regime, the interaction between
international and national refugee law, and refugee law in Asia. He is
currently working on a project funded by the US Institute for Peace to
develop in partnership with local legal aid NGOs networks of pro bono
lawyers to assist refugees in securing protection in eight jurisdictions
in Asia.

Application procedure:

To apply for one or both courses, please fill in the application form
http://www.aucegypt.edu/ResearchatAUC/rc/cmrs/outreach/Pages/ShortCourse
saspx and send an updated copy of your CV to Sara Sadek:
ssadek at aucegypt.edu

The deadline for receiving course applications is October 8th, 2009.

Applicants accepted for the course will be notified by e-mail.

Venue of the courses
The courses will take place in the Falaki Building, at the downtown
campus
of the American University in Cairo

Course fees:

The tuition fee for each course is $ 500 for non-Egyptians and an
equivalent to $ 150 for Egyptians. CMRS provides 5 competitive
scholarships restricted to registered refugees in Cairo

Participants are expected to pay a 30% of the total fees as a deposit
before November 15th, 2009. More information on payment method will be
provided to accepted participants.

Tuition fees will cover course material and 2 coffee breaks per course
day.

Accommodation and any other expenses are not included. Please check the
link for some nearby recommended accommodation venues in Cairo.
http://www.aucegypt.edu/ResearchatAUC/rc/cmrs/Documents/Recommendations%
20for%20nearby%20hotels.pdf<http://www.aucegypt.edu/ResearchatAUC/rc/cmrs/Documents/Recommendations%%0A20for%20nearby%20hotels.pdf>
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