In this episode of LawPod, Dr Alice Diver from the School of Law converses with Kyung-eun Lee, director of Human Rights Beyond Borders, about the multifaceted issues surrounding intercountry adoption.

They discuss the truth recovery process in Northern Ireland, the historical and ongoing human rights violations associated with adoption practices worldwide, and the evolving landscape of adoptee activism.

The conversation underscores the importance of rectifying past injustices, understanding the systemic nature of these abuses, and ensuring that the right to know one's origin is universally recognized. The discussion also touches upon the roles of governments, private agencies, and the broader international community in addressing these deep-rooted issues.

Further Reading

https://www.amazon.com/Global-Orphan-Adoption-System-Development/dp/8996879878

https://www.theuniversalasian.com/post/books-the-global-orphan-adoption-system-by-dr-kyung-eun-lee

https://www.hrbb.org/

https://www.hrbb.org/post/recent-adoption-related-lawsuits-in-korea

In this episode, Dr. Alessandro Corda and Dr. Elizabeth Agnew sit down with Dr. Clara Rigoni, Maître Assistante at the Faculty of Law, Criminal Justice and Public Administration of the University of Lausanne (Switzerland), to discuss her book Honour-Based Violence and Forced Marriages: Community and Restorative Practices in Europe (Routledge).

The book explores innovative approaches to addressing honour-based violence and forced marriages through alternative programs, presenting new empirical from case studies from the UK and Norway. Highlighting secular, community-based initiatives and multi-agency models, the conversation delves into how pluralism and the rule of law can be reconciled to improve women's access to justice, reduce secondary victimisation, and ensure more effective responses to these complex issues.

In this episode, Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, Professor of Law at Queen's University, Belfast, and former UN Special Rapporteur on Counterterrorism and Human Rights, interviews Mansoor Adayfi, a former detainee at Guantanamo Bay. They discuss Mansoor's experiences at Guantanamo, his work as an author and human rights advocate, and his memoir 'Don't Forget Us Here'. Mansoor shares stories about his writings, art, and his campaign to close Guantanamo. The conversation explores themes of resistance, the human spirit, and the ongoing struggles of former detainees. Mansoor emphasises the need for justice, accountability, and the closure of Guantanamo Bay.

You can find the discussed images on the LawPod Blog. https://lawpod.org/dont-forget-us-here-an-interview-with-mansoor-adayfi/

In the 2024 Seamus Deane lecture, acclaimed novelist Amitav Ghosh, hosted by Field Day, the Derry Playhouse, and the School of Law, explores themes from his book 'The Nutmeg's Curse: Parables for a Planet in Crisis.'

Ghosh places colonialism, the ecological, and cultural legacies of the West at the heart of understanding climate change, describing it as humanity's most profound cultural challenge. He intertwines Irish history with the story of the Banda Islands, highlighting the relentless exploitation and the resultant ecological crises, urging for a recognition of non-human agency and the political and moral urgency to address the climate catastrophe.

With an Introduction by Stephen Rea.

 Thanks to Stephen Ray of Field Day, musician Neil Martin, Kevin Murphy of The Playhouse and his producer Gary McCrossan and the University of Notre Dame, Dublin

In this episode, host and PhD candidate, Niharika Salar discusses the challenges of buying concert tickets at face value in the digital age. Joined by PhD researcher Katherine Pittalis from Queen's Law School, the conversation explores ticketing bots, dynamic pricing, and the broader impacts on fans and the music industry.

They unpack the types of bots involved, the issues of transparency and enforcement in existing legislation, and explore potential solutions. The episode sheds light on the frustration felt by consumers and the need for technological and regulatory measures to create a fairer ticket purchasing environment.