Judge Navi Pillay, former UN High Commissioner of Human Rights, was invited to give a special address for SNU students and faculty. In her address, she shared her long, faithful, ongoing journey in the field of human rights, from her upbringing and early years as a lawyer in South Africa to her most recent career as the UN High Commissioner of Human Rights. The life path of Navy Pillay is marked by “challenging violence and discrimination” and “advocating human rights and justice”. Having become the first non-white female lawyer in Natal Province in South Africa, Pillay defended anti-Apartheid activists for decades. With the end of Apartheid, she was appointed by Nelson Mandela as a judge on the High Court of South Africa. As a judge and president at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, she played an important role in the landmark judgment, which established that rape and sexual assault could constitute acts of genocide. During her six years as the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Pillay criticized countries wherever serious human rights violations took place, regardless of whether they are large or small countries, and strongly advocated equal rights of all, including previously little addressed groups such as LGBT people and migrants.

 

Time: 13:00-15:00 Friday, October 23, 2015

Venue: Room 320, Center for Teaching and Learning (Building 61), Seoul National University

 

* Translation was provided.