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Human Rights in ELSA

ELSA believes that Human Rights are the basis of a peaceful society and vital for the respect of the rule of law. To broaden the Association’s social dimension based on its Philosophy Statement "A just world in which there is respect for human dignity and cultural diversity", ELSA has had a permanent commitment to Human Rights since 1995. The commitment has been taken very seriously: at the moment 60 % of all S&C-events were Human Rights events. Also some STEP-jobs are located international human rights organisations and many AA-projects include a Human Rights aspect.

Objectives

ELSA's commitment to Human Rights has two objectives:

1. to provide an academic platform for discussion within the network in order to create human rights awareness

2. active involvement in the general promotion and development of Human Rights Law

The reaching of the objectives is done mainly through events, research and projects done by our members to our members. As an exception ELSA has a consultative status in different bodies of the United Nations and ELSA is represented in Preparatory Committees of International Criminal Court.

Human Rights in Finland

ELSA Finland has had a directory for Human Rights since year 2000. The role of the directory is to remind people of our Human Rights commitment and to train and give ideas of the possible ways of implementing Human Rights in all activities. ELSA Finland is also taking part in ELSA's international Human Rights' projects, such as International Legal Research Group on Human Rights and trying to explore the possibilities of establishing a Legal Clinic on Asylum Law to Finland in co-operation with UNHCR.

There has also been Human Rights related events and projects on the local level. For example ELSA Turku established an international legal research group on euthanasia in April 2001. The idea was to collect short papers on the legislation of different ELSA countries under the topic, and than spread the information through separate mailing lists. The work is still continuing.

Up north ELSA Rovaniemi arranged a seminar "The changes in the environment and justice" on the 27th of April together with the Student Union of Rovaniemi.

ELSA Wasa is considering to arrange several Human Rights related events during their upcoming bilateral study visit with Budapest.