MSCC, Rob Robinson, Nov 26, 2025

The University of Miami Law School held a weeklong Symposium on Human Rights– Nov 16-21— while parallel hearings were conducted by the Inter-American

Commission on Human Rights. (IACHR) The gathering bought together members of organization from various countries in the Americas, including lawyers, community

organizers, advocacy organizations and students to engage in discussions across various issues.

Day 1 : The symposium opened day one at the University of Miami Law School with some amazing speakers.

Patricia Sánchez Abril, Interim Dean, University of Miami School of Law; José Luis Caballero Ochoa, President and Commissioner, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights; Daniella Levine Cava, Mayor, Miami-Dade County; • Tania Reneaum Panszi, Executive Secretary, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights; Donna Shalala, Trustee Professor of Political Science and Health Policy,

University of Miami; Brisa De Angulo, Founder, A Breeze of Hope Foundation; Petitioner, Caso De Angulo v. Bolivia & Joel Samuels, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost, University of Miami. Brisa De Angulo was the most powerful speaker of opening day as she shared a very personal story of sexual violence against women and her struggle to be heard which moved forward with the IACHR.

Day 2: Featured a discussion on the right to housing moderated by professor Tamar Ezer. It was an honor to have a comrade from Brazil Guilherme Camponez from the Movement of People Affected by Dams in Brazil. Rhoda Rosen from the Chicago based art collective Red Line, David Peery from the Florida Coalition to Advance Racial Equity, Javier Palummo Lantes, Special Rapporteur on Economic, Social, Cultural and Environmental Rights (REDESCA), Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and Milton Yulán Morán, Land Rights Attorney, Union Tierra  y Vida, Ecuador

Day 3:  Featured a very rich discussion on how mega sports projects such as the FIFA World Cup and the Olympics violate the rights of people in various countries. A big question was raised asking what have we learned from the 1984 summer Olympics in LA, 1996 in Atlanta and 2016 in Rio de Janeiro Brazil? How can the city of Miami prevent repeated violations from the past when the FIFA world cup arrives in 2026? And finally, how can the city of Los Angeles avoid past human rights abuses as it prepares for the 2028 summer Olympics? A highlight of this discussion was high school student Camilla Spillman challenging the group to open up human rights spaces to younger voices.

Day 4-The final day of the symposium opened with a discussion on Racial Justice and Human Rights moderated by former University of Miami Law School professor; Denisse Córdova Montes,  Assistant Professor, Department of Legal Studies, University of Central Florida.

The symposium closed on Thursday evening with a wrapup of the week moderated by Tamar Ezer. During the week the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights held 19 separate

hearings on a variety of human rights issues. Photos from various events throughout the week can be found by clicking  here. A copy of the agenda from the symposium is attached.

For this reporter I was honored to be invited to participate in the activities and it was great to be in a space with human rights comrades I’ve worked with over many years. Thank you to University of Miami professors Caroline Bettinger Lopez; professor of law, founder/director of the human rights clinic, Tamar Ezer; faculty director of the human rights program and acting co-director of the human rights clinic, the students; Genice Nadal, Alexzandrea Bartle, Ana Luiza Potgornik Ferreira. A special thank you and a big hug to Dalgys Estrabao; Senior Manager of Programs who did all the grunt work and behind the scenes stuff to make the symposium a success.

In solidarity, Robert Robinson

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2025-Winner of  Inaugural Lorraine Brown Award  for Leadership

from The National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC)