Past Projects

Vulnerable Populations

The Initiative for Vulnerable Populations was established in 2006 to conduct research in countries experiencing serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. Founded as a collaboration between UC Berkeley’s Human Rights Center and the Payson Center for International Development at Tulane University, the Initiative used empirical research methods to give voice to survivors of mass violence. Between 2006 and 2011, the Initiative produced research designed to ensure...

Gun Violence

Gun Violence

Iraq

Iraq: Lifting the Fog of War

In March 2003, shortly after U.S. troops marched into Iraq, HRC Faculty Director Eric Stover traveled to Iraq’s Kurdish north to investigate human rights conditions in the region. Stover and a colleague from Human Rights Watch (HRW), Hania Mufti, assessed the situation of displaced persons in Iraqi Kurdistan; investigated Kurdish treatment of Iraqi prisoners of war there; and once the coalition forces succeeded in taking Kirkuk, monitored whether U.S.-led forces were obeying the Geneva Convention’s prescription to restore and ensure public order....

United States

United States

Guantánamo

Guantánamo

The U.S. Congress and the Executive Branch continue to wrestle with questions about the appropriate laws and policies to address the treatment and status of detainees who have been held at the U.S. military installation at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. Throughout the years, the Human Rights Center has published several studies and commentaries on the effects Guantánamo Bay on detainees.

The Gathering Storm: Infectious Diseases and Human Rights in Burma

Eric Stover
Voravit Suwanvanichkij
Andrew Moss
David Tuller
Tom Lee
Emily Whichard
Rachel Shigekane,
Chris Beyrer
David Scott Mathieson
2007

This report was written to understand the factors that have contributed to Burma’s dire health situation and to the spread of infectious diseases in Burma and across its borders. We also wanted to see if it was possible to deliver international aid to combat infectious diseases in Burma in a manner that would be transparent and accountable, reach those most in need, and promote respect for human rights and international humanitarian law.

With the ...

War-Affected Children and Youth in Northern Uganda: Toward a Brighter Future

Eric Stover
Erin Baines
Marieke Wierda
2006

Faculty Director Eric Stover joined Erin Baines and Marieke Wierda to author this assessment report commissioned by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Government of Canada. The research team recommended improving the capacity of nongovernmental organizations in the region and inter-organizational cooperation; prioritizing services for vulnerable children and youth; integrating traditional and formal justice mechanisms and educating the population about their use; and basing organizational decisions on evidence-based data.

Abducted: The Lord’s Resistance Army and Forced Conscription in Northern Uganda

Phuong Pham
Patrick Vinck
Eric Stover
2007

This report is based on data collected from eight reception centers for returning child soldiers and youth affected by the ongoing war in northern Uganda. Key findings include the fact that the number of LRA abductions is higher than previous estimates, as many as 38,000 children and 37,000 adults; women and girls represent 24 percent of former abductees; and they tend to stay longer in captivity than boys or men. Phuong Pham, Patrick Vinck, and Eric Stover contributed to the report.

Cambodia’s Search for Justice: Opportunities and Challenges for the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia

Christine Malumphy
B.J. Pierce
2009

In Spring 2009, Christine Malumphy and B.J. Pierce, interns at the International Human Rights Law Clinic prepared the this paper, which reviews the development of the ECCC and identifies some barriers to the its mission.

In Search of Justice: A Survey among Cambodian-Americans about their Participation in the Khmer Rouge Tribunal

Agustina Calatayud
Vener Macaspac
Rosa Maria Martinez
Rebecca Minty
Rebecca Palstrom
Eleanor Taylor-Nicholson
Julia Watson
2011

Little attention has been given to perceptions of the ECCC amongst Cambodian diaspora communities, particularly in the United States. This report examines participation in the ECCC of Cambodians who have settled in the United States and now form part of the Cambodian diaspora. This research was conducted by the 2009–2011 Rotary Peace Fellows at UC Berkeley, supervised by Patrick Vinck and Phuong Pham.