Professor Dr. Siegfried Wiessner Intercultural Human Rights Essay Award

Sponsors

Alumni and friends of the LL.M. Program in Intercultural Human Rights

Purpose

In honor and recognition of the distinguished lifetime work of Professor Siegfried Wiessner, founder and director of the LL.M. Program in Intercultural Human Rights, and his unmatched devotion to the program, to human rights, to a world order of human dignity, and to seeking to promote understanding and continuing advancement in the field of human rights, the alumni and friends of the LL.M. Program in Intercultural Human Rights are pleased to establish the Professor Dr. Siegfried Wiessner Intercultural Human Rights Essay Award.

Amount

The Professor Dr. Siegfried Wiessner Intercultural Human Rights Essay Award will consist of three prizes for top-quality papers:

• The First Prize Winner will receive an award in the amount of $3,000, and the winning essay will be considered for publication.
• The Second Prize Winner will receive an award in the amount of $1,500.
• The Third Prize Winner will receive an award in the amount of $500.

Requirements

Prizes will be awarded on the basis of an essay contest. Qualifying essays must address issues regarding international law and human rights, using the intellectual framework of policy-oriented jurisprudence. The essays must comprise at least 5,000 words, including footnotes.

Eligibility

All students currently enrolled in the LL.M. Program in Intercultural Human Rights are eligible to apply for the award.

Procedure

Applicants will submit their essays directly to the Office of the LL.M. Program in Intercultural Human Rights by January 31. Late submissions will not be accepted. The award recipients will be selected by an Award Committee based on an evaluation of the academic quality and originality of each applicant’s essay. The awards will be announced before the end of February each year.

Award Committee

The Award Committee will be comprised of a member of the program faculty, Professor Dr. iur. Roza Pati, Executive Director of the LL.M./J.S.D. Program in Intercultural Human Rights, and three graduates of the program. The selection of the winning essays rests solely with the Award Committee, and cannot be appealed.

Professor Dr. Amy Ronner and Dr. Michael Pacin Therapeutic Jurisprudence Award

Sponsors

Professor Dr. Amy Ronner and Dr. Michael Pacin

Purpose

To provide financial assistance to LL.M. IHR students who show evidence of helping solve problems of society and individuals in line with principles of therapeutic jurisprudence and social justice.

Amount

The Professor Dr. Amy Ronner and Dr. Michael Pacin Therapeutic Jurisprudence Award will consist of three prizes:

• The First Prize Winner will receive an award in the amount of $2,500.
• Two Second Prize Winners will receive awards in the amount of $1,250.

Requirements

Prizes will be awarded on the basis of an essay contest. Qualifying essays must show an understanding of the therapeutic jurisprudence and address issues evidencing students’ contribution and service before and/or after their enrollment in the LL.M. Program in Intercultural Human Rights. Applicants are encouraged to submit any supporting materials they might have, such as recognition and /or appreciation certificates, letters of appreciation, etc.

Eligibility

All full-time students currently enrolled in the LL.M. Program in Intercultural Human Rights are eligible to apply for the award.

Procedure

Applicants will submit their essays by email to the Office of the LL.M. Program in Intercultural Human Rights by a certain date that will be publicized during each academic year. Late submissions will not be accepted.

Award Committee

The Award Committee will be comprised of the donors of the award, Professor Dr. Amy Ronner and Dr. Michael Pacin, as well as the directors of the LL.M./ J.S.D. Program in Intercultural Human Rights, Professor Dr. Siegfried Wiessner and Professor Dr. Roza Pati. The selection of the winning essays rests solely with the Award Committee, and cannot be appealed.

Professors Dr. John & June Mary Makdisi Human Rights Scholarship

The John & June Mary Makdisi Human Rights Scholarship is established by Professor Dr. John Makdisi and Professor June Mary Makdisi to help students presently enrolled in the LL.M. Program in Intercultural Human Rights and experiencing financial difficulties. This scholarship consists of $2,500, and it aims to support one or more meritorious students in financial need who are interested in giving back to society. The scholarship is distributed by the directors of the LL.M./ J.S.D. Program in Intercultural Human Rights, Professor Dr. Siegfried Wiessner and Professor Dr. Roza Pati.

Arya Laghaie Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Scholarship

Sponsors

This educational scholarship is established in memory of Arya Laghaie by his family and friends, as well as alumni and faculty of St. Thomas University College of Law.

Purpose

An alumnus of the Master of Laws Program in Intercultural Human Rights and participant in the Susan J. Ferrell Moot Court Competition, Arya Laghaie was a young man who tragically lost his life in a hit-and-run accident near Gallup, New Mexico, where he was volunteering to assist indigenous peoples. The purpose of this scholarship is to carry on Arya’s work in providing services to indigenous communities and his aspirations for indigenous peoples’ rights. It is awarded annually to two or three graduate students, currently enrolled in the LL.M. Program in Intercultural Human Rights at St. Thomas University College of Law, who demonstrate outstanding knowledge of, and commitment to, the cause of indigenous peoples’ rights, or who have already provided substantial support to indigenous communities.

Amount

The Arya Laghaie Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Scholarship is an annual scholarship of $1,500.00. This amount may be awarded to one (or split equally among two) student(s) at the sponsor’s discretion. The award amount will be credited directly to St. Thomas University student account of the winner(s). Those winners who have already paid their dues will receive payment from the University’s business office.

Type of Scholarship

The Arya Laghaie Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Scholarship will be awarded annually on the basis of a competitive essay, as described below, or proof of service to indigenous communities. Deadlines for filing will be established by the St. Thomas University College of Law LL.M. IHR Program.

Scholarship Committee

The Scholarship Committee will consist of four members: Mr. Robert Laghaie, Dr. Roya Laghaie, and the directors of the LL.M./ J.S.D. Program in Intercultural Human Rights, Professor Dr. Siegfried Wiessner and Professor Dr. Roza Pati. The committee shall select the students on the basis of whose essay application will be the most worthy of receiving the scholarship. Decisions of the committee cannot be appealed.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants must meet all of the following criteria:

1. Be a full-time student currently enrolled in the Intercultural Human Rights LL.M. Program at St. Thomas University College of Law;
2. Be in good academic standing at the time of application for the Arya Laghaie Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Scholarship;
3. Complete a formal application for the Arya Laghaie Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Scholarship, which includes (i) the applicant’s resume (ii) a statement evidencing the applicant’s past service to indigenous communities or (iii) an essay of no more than 2000 words on general or specific aspect of law or policy regarding the rights of indigenous peoples.

The Tamara L. Crouch Memorial Scholarship

Sponsors

Prof. Dr. Mark Kielsgard is a distinguished graduate of the LL.M. and the J.S.D. Programs in Intercultural Human Rights, and law professor at City University of Hong Kong School of Law.

Purpose

This scholarship is awarded in loving memory of Tamara L. Crouch, a former criminal lawyer, a defender of human rights and a great friend of the LL.M./ J.S.D. Program in Intercultural Human Rights. It was her wish to facilitate the education, training, and scholarship of human rights advocates, activists, educators, and students in the LL.M. program.

Amount

The Tamara L. Crouch Memorial Scholarship is a $1,000 scholarship to assist a student enrolled in the LL.M. Program in Intercultural Human Rights with the cost of tuition, fees, and, if necessary, housing expenses.

Requirements

The scholarship shall be awarded based upon the applicant’s demonstrated commitment to the struggle for an international order of human dignity. This commitment shall be determined based upon the applicant’s efforts prior to attending the LL.M. program, as well as his or her plans after graduation. Secondly, the scholarship shall be need-based, with special consideration given to students from developing nations, in recognition of the particular hardships they bear in attending the LL.M. program. Finally, consideration will be given to academic scholarship, as determined by the selection committee, based upon the applicant’s performance in the LL.M. program. The applicants will have to write an essay reflecting these requirements, and must also attach a current C.V.

Eligibility

Applicants must be full-time students currently enrolled in the St. Thomas University College of Law LL.M. Program in Intercultural Human Rights.

Procedure

Students will submit their applications to the administrative assistant of the LL.M. Program in Intercultural Human Rights, according to the requirements listed above and by a designated deadline. No late applications will be accepted. The scholarship will be awarded prior to the end of the first semester.

Award Committee

The selection committee shall be comprised of Professor Dr. Siegfried Wiessner, Professor Dr. Roza Pati and Dr. Mark D. Kielsgard.

Gillen-Massey Intercultural Human Rights Scholarship

Sponsors

This scholarship was established in memory of Michele Gillen and Kyla Massey by A Voice in the Wilderness Empowerment Center together with contributions from their loved ones and other supporters of the LL.M./J.S.D. Program in Intercultural Human Rights.

Purpose

This scholarship honors the memory of Michele Gillen and Kyla Massey and seeks to provide financial assistance to LL.M./J.S.D. students in the Intercultural Human Rights Program at St. Thomas University College of Law, a Program that both Ms. Gillen and Ms. Massey cooperated with against human trafficking for many years.

Michele Gillen was a celebrated investigative news journalist and South Florida television news anchor whose notable career won her 39 National Academy of Television Arts and Science (NATAS) Regional Emmy awards, the Columbia DuPont Silver Baton, the Edward R. Murrow Award for Investigative Reporting and three Green Eyeshade Awards, among many other honors. She was well-known for her investigation “Invisible Chains” –  an expose into human trafficking and modern day slavery in America and across the globe. In cooperation with St. Thomas University and Dr. Roza Pati, a first of its kind international conference in South Florida to fight human trafficking was held at St. Thomas University College of Law in 2004. This partnership continued for many years. Ms. Gillen produced the award-winning short documentary, Trapped: Lessons from the Trenches, which featured Kyla Massey’s story.  It received a local Emmy in 2017 in the category of Societal Concerns – News.  The film exposed the raw but intimate face of the hidden world of human trafficking including its nexus with mental illness, drug addiction, foster care, and suicide.  Trapped also illuminated a path towards hope and featured the John J. Brunetti Human Trafficking Academy. Ms. Gillen passed away in June 2021 and continues to be remembered for her prolific investigative journalism, passion for the truth, and as a champion of the vulnerable and exploited.

Kyla Massey was a survivor of human trafficking in Florida who used her experiences and voice to help other victims.  She bravely and selflessly shared her raw story with the world.  Ms. Massey once said that even if things did not change for her, she wanted to use her voice to help others above all else.  She was a mother of two daughters and a son whom she loved greatly.  She passed away in July 2020 at the age of 30, but her voice, story, and legacy continue to educate and inspire others.

Amount

The winner of the Gillen-Massey Intercultural Human Rights Scholarship will receive an award in an amount determined annually.

Requirements

Prize(s) will be awarded on the basis of an essay contest. Qualifying essays must address issues regarding human rights and/or human trafficking as presented in the short film TRAPPED: Lessons from the Trenches.  Essays should comprise at least 1,000 words.

Eligibility

All students currently enrolled in the LL.M. or J.S.D. Program in Intercultural Human Rights are eligible to apply for the scholarship.

Procedure

Applicants will submit their essays together with their resume directly to the Office of the LL.M. Program in Intercultural Human Rights by January 31. Late submissions will not be accepted. The scholarship recipient(s) will be selected by an Award Committee based on an evaluation of the quality and originality of each applicant’s essay. The scholarship recipient(s) will be announced in February each year in conjunction with the John J. Brunetti Human Trafficking Academy’s International Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking annual event.

Award Committee

The Award Committee will be comprised of representative(s) of A Voice in the Wilderness Empowerment Center and Professor Dr. iur. Roza Pati, Executive Director of the LL.M./J.S.D. Program in Intercultural Human Rights and Founding Director of the John J. Brunetti Human Trafficking Academy or their chosen representatives. The selection of the winning essay(s) rests solely with the Award Committee and cannot be appealed.